Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Offers Ease of Collaboration & Resource Sharing for Schools & Labs

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011

Windows MultiPoint Server 2011

Microsoft is planning a March release for it’s Windows MultiPoint Server 2011.

Some nifty features are included in this version, such as the ability for a teacher / instructor to view student desktops as thumbnails and to interact with those sessions. Use of thin clients over LAN allows for virtually unlimited distances between stations, connect multiple MultiPoint Servers and manage from MultiPoint Manager console, split screen ability at each user stations allows for use of each station by two people (collaboration and sharing), Active Directory connectivity to your existing domain, and more!

And of course for those of you who purchased MultiPoint Server 2010 with Software Assurance (SA), you can upgrade with no additional charge!

Want to know more about MultiPoint Server 2011? Microsoft has information available HERE.

Some great videos are available on the TechNet SBS blog, one of which follows:

From the looks of it, Windows MultiPoint is growing up and stands to make a real impact in classrooms!

If you would like additional information about the forthcoming releases of Microsoft MultiPoint 2011 Server or Microsoft Small Business Server 2011, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We are a Microsoft Small Business Specialist partner and can help your Greenville / Upstate business determine what is right for you!

Google’s Chrome Browser is Becoming Better for Business all the Time

Browser Logos

Browser Wars!

I normally don’t weigh in on the browser wars, as each browser has its own place. For instance, there simply is no replacement for Microsoft Internet Explorer if you want near 100% compatibility with every site in the world.

Obviously, each alternate browser has a strong point, such as speed, or installation size, or security, but each browser also has downsides that sometimes keep people, especially administrators from adopting something other than IE.

One such downside is that in many cases, for an administrator to deploy an alternative browser such as Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome, they have been forced to install at each machine, and for each user of that machine, or employ little “tricks”. Once installed, they then have an update and management issue where they don’t know why Bob’s browser doesn’t have the same extensions as Mary’s browser without checking it out (remotely or physically visiting the machine generally because it is faster than actually talking to Bob) to resolve the situation.

Recently Google has created a new installer designed for enterprise use. It allows a system administrator to utilize active directory in a Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 corporate domain to push the browser out to PCs (Windows XP Professional, Windows 7 Pro), control which extensions are used, lock down a proxy server, insure all installations are up to date, etc. Policies control many factors (the list can be found here).

If you would like to check out Google Chrome, it can be downloaded from http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html?msi=true

Google Chrome may not be able to replace all aspects of IE, however, from the looks of it, it would appear that they are trying.

Should you need more information about the security or features of this browser, or how you can implement it site-wide at your organization, you can call upon us at 864.990.4748 in Greenville / Upstate SC, or email info@homelandsecureit.com

WatchGuard XCS 370 Awarded CRN Product of the Year in Security Appliance Category

WatchGuard XCS 370

One of our security partners, WatchGuard, was just awarded the CRN’s “Security Appliance Product of the Year” for their XCS 370 series device!

Here’s the press statement:

WatchGuard XCS 370 Security Appliance Wins in CRN’s 2010 Products of the Year

SEATTLE – January 11, 2011. WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader of business security solutions, today announced that the company won the coveted CRN Everything Channel’s “2010 Products of the Year: Security Appliance” for the WatchGuard XCS 370.

CRN announces its Product of the Year Awards each December and recognized the XCS 370 for 2010 based upon its price, performance and power capabilities. “Many new products were introduced to the channel this year and narrowing our list was not an easy process. We needed to be sure that each product addressed a critical need, added significant value to the end user and made an immediate impact on how solution providers in the channel deliver technology,” said Kelley Damore, VP, Editorial Director, Everything Channel. “The winners are the best of the best and we congratulate them on producing top quality solutions.” Expanded coverage of the 2010 Products of the Year are featured in the December issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.crn.com.

“E-mail and the web are the main vectors for malware and other electronic threats entering enterprise networks today. No company is immune to this problem, but the deployment of combined WAM (web and messaging) security solutions can drastically reduce the volume of these threats,” said Phil Hochmuth, Program Manager for Security Products at IDC. “WatchGuard’s XCS 370 appliance targets the WAM security issue with a balance between price and performance geared towards mid-sized companies.”

“WatchGuard is very excited to receive this accolade from CRN. We believe that the XCS 370 exceeds the SMB customer’s expectations and provides best in class security and data loss prevention in an intuitive, easy to manage appliance,” said Mark Romano, Director of Global Channel and Field Marketing at WatchGuard Technologies and 2010 CRN Channel Chief.

WatchGuard XCS 370: Powerful Messaging Security for SMBs
WatchGuard XCS (Extensible Content Security) solutions, deliver the industry’s most effective defense-in-depth solution for email security, web security and data loss prevention. These easy-to-use, all-in-one solutions offer the most effective defense from email and web-based threats including spam, viruses, malware, URL filtering, blended threats, spyware and network attacks, as well as outbound content control to prevent data loss.

Small to mid-sized businesses do not need to pay high prices for powerful email security. WatchGuard XCS 370 appliances are affordable, complete email security solutions that defend against inbound threats including viruses, spam, blended threats, phishing, spyware and network attacks. The XCS 370 offers:

  • Protection from bi-directional threats and content security across email and web, all in a single solution.
  • Reputation Enabled Defense, WatchGuard’s innovative cloud/appliance hybrid security service, blocks more than 98% of unwanted and malicious email and web traffic at the connection level for rock-solid security and high performance.
  • Powerful anti-spam with multiple layers of inspection and knowledge-based learning of unique messaging environments for more accurate spam detection.
  • Deep content inspection and contextual analysis provides defense-in-depth approach for stronger protection from inbound spam, malware, blended threats, and network attacks.
  • Zero-hour threat outbreak response closes the window of vulnerability to new threats with fastest response time.
  • Attachment control blocks files that are known to be harmful so they never enter your network.
  • Patented queue replication ensures zero message loss and continuity of business communications.
  • Set-it-and-forget-it administration allows you to apply a single policy for total visibility and control of all email and web traffic without the need for a dedicated, costly management appliance.

More information about WatchGuard XCS solutions is available at www.watchguard.com.

About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.
Since 1996, WatchGuard® Technologies, Inc. has been the advanced technology leader of business security solutions, providing mission-critical protection to hundreds of thousands of businesses worldwide. The WatchGuard family of wired and wireless unified threat management appliances, messaging, content security and SSL VPN remote access solutions provide extensible network, application and data protection, as well as unparalleled network visibility, management and control. WatchGuard products are backed by WatchGuard LiveSecurity® Service, an innovative support, maintenance, and education program. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle and has offices serving North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visitwww.watchguard.com.

WatchGuard is a registered trademark of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners.

Should you desire more information about the WatchGuard XCS 370 or other WatchGuard security products, please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We offer sales, consultation and support of WatchGuard and other security devices to Greenville and Upstate SC businesses.

Homeland Secure IT now your Greenville / Upstate Cisco SMB Select Partner!

Cisco SMB Select Partner LogoCisco, internationally known for manufacturing cutting edge security, telephony, connectivity, video and storage solutions has bestowed upon Homeland Secure IT, the title of “Cisco SMB Select Partner”, rewarding our competencies, our know-how and the professional manner in which we manage projects.

While we have been able to offer the Cisco product line since we first opened our doors, we can now offer the entire SMB line of products which are designed with the Small and Medium business in mind. The Cisco SMB Select Partner is specially trained and certified to assist businesses with less than 250 users with this line of products designed especially for them!

Some of the products include:

Network video cameras to protect your business from slip, trip & fall type claims, theft, vandalism and even terrorist or violent criminal activities.

NAS or Network Area Storage, which allow centralized storage of your video from cameras, data from users and even backups.

VoIP or Voice over IP phone systems that permit your business to have state of the art features, such as a single number for people to dial that rings your desk phone and cell phone simultaneously, voice mail that goes to your email, automated attendant, etc.

Firewalls and other security products required to protect your internal infrastructure from external intrusion and to keep your business in compliance with regulations, as well as stopping spam and virus at the gateway before it enters your network.

Connectivity devices, like switches (both managed and unmanaged), routers, wireless access points and bridges.

In addition to offering these products, we also offer complete service and support for the entire Cisco SMB line and licensing of SMARTnet, Trend Micro / Cisco Spam & Virus Blocker subscription sales and renewals and more!

If you would like more information about the Cisco SMB offerings, please visit our Cisco Showcase,  email info@homelandsecureit.com or call 864.990.4748. We are proud to be your Cisco SMB Select Partner in Greenville and Upstate SC!

Secure IT Alert: Microsoft January 2011 Patch Tuesday addresses Windows security vulnerabilities

Secure IT Alert Header

Homeland Secure IT Alert

Secure IT Alert for Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Yesterday, January 11, 2011 was the first “Patch Tuesday” of the year from Microsoft.

More information can be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms11-jan.mspx In short, if you are running a vulnerable version of the Microsoft Windows OS, you will need to apply these patches or risk suffering an exploit. And, as usual, keep your anti-virus up to date. Not running Anti-Virus or using some “free” solution? Call or email about how Trend Micro’s security software can help protect you or your business!

We also offer computer service, repair, and virus cleanup / removal in the Greenville / Upstate, SC area if you require assistance…

Homeland Secure IT Alert Footer

Homeland Secure IT Alert

Homeland Secure IT will try to open the office tomorrow, January 12 – wish us luck! #snomg

Yep, still nasty out there. I spent 3+ hours with my daughter clearing our driveway though, so at least we can get out (maybe not back in) tomorrow and hope to be at the office by 10AM.

Regardless, we will still be available via phone, email, etc should you need computer or network support.

If you are driving in that mess, please be careful… Greenville and the Upstate of SC is a winter wonderland!  #snomg

Homeland Secure IT Office Closed Today (Jan 10, 2010) due to #snOMG – But we are available via phone/email

#snOMG

#snOMG

Well, I gave it a valiant effort, got the car dug out, even got it down that steep driveway and down the street, but was unable to get out of the neighborhood here in the big town of Easley… Tomorrow may be a better day for driving, but with the school systems already declaring tomorrow another snow day, and the chance of sleet and refreezing, I’m thinking maybe not.

I made an executive decision and decided to close our office today, and more than likely tomorrow out of concern for the safety of our guys. Stay tuned for more information regarding when we will reopen the office.

If you should require computer, server or network support before then, please do not hesitate to call or email, as we can provide many repairs via remote, email or phone support and will do our best to assist you! Voice mails left on our phone system go direct to our respective email addresses.

Enjoy your Greenville / Upstate #snOMG day and be safe out there if you decide to go play!

Unconventional Advertising for our Greenville Computer Service & Support with www.YouBrand.Me

Most of you probably wonder why Homeland Secure IT doesn’t advertise… Or maybe since you have never seen any kind of ad, you haven’t thought about it at all! hah

The number one reason we don’t advertise is because we have a very strong & established base of amazing clients and so many terrific friends and family who believe in us so much that they do an incredible job of spreading the word of what we offer! That’s the main reason. There are other reasons, such as the fact that I don’t believe the majority of people who want to buy a Cisco ASA 5505 security appliance or license Trend Micro Anti-Virus are going to pick up the newspaper or phonebook to find us.

I know for a fact that the IT people that we work around don’t get the idea to get a backup solution from listening to top 40 radio, etc. So, in short, advertising in those ways has not been very attractive for us.

But, I couldn’t pass this one up… @BigJonEvans is available for rent. That’s right. This crazy guy over at http://www.youbrand.me/ is allowing us to tattoo our logo on his forehead for a day, as well as streaming a live video where he will discuss some of our products and services, and making a short promo video. But wait, that’s not all, he’s also going to introduce himself as “Homeland Secure IT” for an entire day. And, because we acted right now, he’s throwing in a video of him lip syncing to a song!

I can’t afford a billboard on I-85 that says “Homeland Secure IT offers computer, network and server support, service, repair, sales in Greenville and Upstate SC”, etc, and frankly I don’t think the system administrator at XYZ corporation would read it and give it a serious thought, but I CAN afford Jon’s forehead for a day!  While not quite as big as a billboard, I think more people may see it!

All for the low price of 9 dollars! Now that is advertising money well spent. Advertising with an impact!  (The price goes up one dollar each day, so reserve your spot NOW)

Tomorrow, SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!  That’s the day you can watch @BigJonEvans talk about Homeland Secure IT and wear our logo. For more information, HEAD on over to Jon’s website at www.YouBrand.Me or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

If you have a business or cause or something that you would like the world to know about, this is certainly a fun way to increase awareness =)

Have a great weekend and prepare for the snowpacalypse that is coming!

Oh and Jon, I love your current project… That’s using your head!

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Seneca Data Motion CL900 Tablet Computer Running Windows 7 Professional Coming Soon!

Seneca Data Nexlink Motion CL900 Microsoft Windows 7 Tablet

Motion CL900 Windows 7 Tablet

I can hardly contain myself! One of our favorite vendors, Seneca Data, just announced a new line of ruggedized tablet computers that they will be offering in the coming months!

The Android and iPad tablet wars are going full strength, but it looks like Microsoft’s Windows 7 isn’t out of the running just yet.

Oh I already hear what you are saying, “Why Windows!??!?!”  The Samsung Galaxy S tablet running Google’s Android OS, the well established Apple iPad and coming 2nd generation iPad are all fun machines, but fall flat when it comes to business applications. Don’t get me wrong, there ARE people using them for business, and there are a growing number of applications for both platforms. However, Microsoft Windows 7 is the cock of the walk when it comes to business use. Over 90% of the applications our clients use are written specifically for Windows, with no support for Apple Mac OS X or mobile / tablet operating systems at all. Most of these Windows applications do not even have comparable or competing applications on other platforms.

That brings us to just why I am excited about the Seneca Data Motion CL900. ALL these Windows applications will run on it because it is running a full Windows 7 Professional OS. That means, our clients who have legal, medical or other proprietary software will no longer have to use a remote desktop application to run the program on a server, they can run it directly on their tablet.

While you would not want to use this type of device for AV editing (I would say Photoshop is out for sure…) it should offer plenty of power to run typical suites of applications, from Microsoft Office, to Prevail, and certainly all cloud computing / SaaS solutions.

Possibly of more importance to many people, this tablet, unlike the current Android and iPad devices, is a ruggedized! It can survive a 4 foot drop as well as being water, dust and splash resistant!

Motion CL900 Docking StationThe CL900 allows the use of optional external devices. Currently, the list of devices includes a magnetic stripe readers and a biometric / finger print reader that mount securely to the side of the unit to expand the capabilities.

There is also an optional docking station that permits easy docking for charging, and more comfortable desktop usage…

Some specifications of the CL900 are:

Motion CL900 Dimensions

  • Intel Atom 1.2Ghz processor designed for tablet computers
  • Connectivity via Mobile Broadband, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
  • Ruggedized case. Display features Corning Gorilla Glass
  • 10.1” screen featuring HD 1366 X 768 resolution
  • Multitouch & active stylus capable
  • 10.9″ x 7.06″ x 0.61″
  • 2.1 lbs
  • Up to 8 hours battery life
  • Expandable
  • Quick charging

We should have one in our hot little hands to test as soon as it is available and will report back here our thoughts. Until then, we will hang back and wait.

If you would like more information or would like to be notified when the Motion CL900 becomes available, you can reply to this post, or email info@homelandsecureit.com

Microsoft Online Services BPOS Update for January 2011

Free 30 Day BPOS Trial

Microsoft has announced a Service Update for January 2011 which includes new features and enhancements to improve the service experience for both administrators and users.

Many of these changes have been requested by BPOS users, so it will be a pleasant surprise for those for sure…

This is from the bulletin released on January 5th, 2010:

All service upgrades in this Service Update will be performed on your behalf. These changes are a mandatory upgrade for all users, so it is important that you are aware of them and understand how they may impact you.
The following features and capabilities are included in this Service Update:

Microsoft Online Services Blackberry Administration Console Enhancements
Two enhancements have been introduced to the Microsoft Online Services Blackberry Administration Console (MOSBAC). These enhancements are relevant for customers who subscribe to the Microsoft Online Services multi-tenant Hosted Blackberry service.

User Search
Hosted Blackberry administrators can now search for users in the Microsoft Online Services Blackberry Administration Console. The new search function is similar to the user search function in the Microsoft Online Administration Center (MOAC).

Management of Users with Different UPN and SMTP Address
Customers can now use the Microsoft Online Services Blackberry Administration Console to manage users whose UPN is different from their STMP address.

Administration Console Localization
The Microsoft Online Services Blackberry Administration Console has been localized into the following 19 languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian (Bokmal), Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish

PowerShell Self-Service Administration for Forwarding Rules and POP Access
New commandlets have been added to Microsoft Online Services PowerShell capabilities to allow administrators to modify email forwarding rules and grant or remove POP email connectivity for users. Additionally, a link to Microsoft Online PowerShell documentation has been added to the Microsoft Online Administration Center.

Updated Versions of Live Meeting Client and Outlook Add-In
The Office Live Meeting November Client and Add-in is now available. It includes several administrative and back-end updates including improvements to reading of uploaded PPT files, and German localization. Also includes option to encourage “Exit and End” session behavior. Please refer to this Live Meeting General Discussion forum post for details.

Messaging Records Management
To provide the best service experience for Exchange Online users, Microsoft utilizes Messaging Records Management (MRM) to manage mailbox item counts in critical path folders in Outlook.

Microsoft recommends the following maximum item counts for critical path folders:

  • Inbox: 20,000 items
  • Sent items: 20,000 items
  • Deleted items: 20,000 items
  • Calendar: 5,000 items
  • Contacts: 5,000 items

MRM helps your users manage the number of items in critical path folders and improves the performance of their mailbox as well as the performance of Exchange for others in your organization. Read this FAQ for information about MRM, how it is applied to users’ mailboxes. The FAQ also includes Powershell commands for determining item counts in your users’ mailboxes. You can also contact Microsoft Online Services Technical Support for a list of high item count mailboxes in your organization.

Service Update Timeline
Deployment of this Service Update into production data centers has started, with deployment to all regions anticipated to be complete by the middle of January, 2011.

The deployment schedule is subject to change. Updates to the deployment schedule will be announced via the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog.

Additional Information
If you have additional questions, there are several resources at your disposal. The Microsoft Online Services Customer Portal provides information about how to contact Microsoft Online Services Support. You can also read the Microsoft Online Services Team Blog for the latest news about the Service Update, participate in technical discussions on the Microsoft Online Services TechNet Forums, or follow the Microsoft Online Services Twitter account.

Sincerely,
Microsoft Online Services

If you would like more information about BPOS or other SaaS / Cloud Computing Solutions, we are partners with Microsoft and Google and would love to assist you! Please call 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. You can also try Microsoft BPOS out today by clicking the Free Trial link above…