One conversation new or potential business owners may want to have with their IT professionals is about what technologies exist that can improve their life. Below you will find some that are must haves…

Apple iPhone

Smartphones: Whether it is an Android, iPhone or even a Windows based phone, you cannot survive without one. These devices provide instant communication with your clients through email, text message and phone, along with the ability to browse the web and select from tens of thousands of applications to assist in your business. Your clients will not wait for you to get to your office to respond to an email. Even a quick, “I’m driving, will respond as soon as it is safe” auto-response is better than no response. The cost of a typical phone can range from 100 to 300 dollars per phone depending on features and term of contract from the carrier of your choice.

Square Credit Card Reader

Credit Card Processing: If you expect to get paid, then you need to accept every form of payment possible, including plastic. Yes, you will lose a little bit on the sale, but you will gain an instant payment. If you are just getting started, without purchasing a machine or paying a monthly charge, you can accept credit cards anywhere you have a cell signal using the Square credit card application with your smart phone and the free reader device that they provide to you. No per-swipe fee, and less than 3.0% charge. Fast, secure, and in your account the next business day. Find it in your phones’s marketplace.

Reliable & Fast Internet: There are a lot of choices these days for fast internet, from DSL to cable to fiber, and the old tried and true T1 standard, but some businesses may find that a wireless broadband internet plan may be enough for them. We recommend Charter Business in most situations, but that varies depending upon what is available at the business location. One advantage to using a cellular based broadband internet connection is that you can take it with you, which is great for businesses that are not tied to one specific location. Typical 4G plans will provide over 5 meg down and up to 2 meg up. Verizon Wireless offers the MiFi devices for around 50 dollars with 5GB plans for 50 dollars per month.

IP Surveillance Cameras

IP surveillance: Sure it sounds like the CIA, but IP security cameras at your business will decrease loss of inventory, increase productivity, and may provide an insurance savings. You can even keep tabs on your employees using a smartphone or any web browser to view these camera. Recordings can be reviewed after events occur, and most systems can email you when there is movement in a particular location. Prices range from $150 for a single entry level camera into the $2000 range to cover an entire business. You can install yourself, or get an IT provider to handle this for you for the most professional results.

Email: This is a no-brainer, but many small businesses will cut corners here. A Hotmail account will work for sure, but who wants AcmeWidgetCo@hotmail.com on their business cards. At the very least, your business should use a service that allows for linking a domain to your mail, such as Google Apps (Gmail) or Microsoft Office 365. This gives you a professional appearance, and provides for important features such as linking of your smartphones, sharing of calendars between users and so much more. Microsoft Office 365 costs about 5 dollars per person per month and gives you up to 20GB of storage.

Anti-Virus & Security: Far too often this is overlooked, or taken for granted. A business that is vulnerable to viruses or malware is a business that could experience costly downtime and repairs, not to mention, open yourself up for compliance violations and potential fines or legal issues depending upon the field you are in. The components of a secure network are as simple as a quality firewall like those offered from Cisco, Watchguard or SonicWall, an anti-virus software package from Trend Micro or Symantec, and taking the time to apply updates to the Operating System (Windows, Mac, etc) and support software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash, JAVA).

Backup: When disaster strikes, you need to be prepared for it. Having backups of your important files will insure you are not out of business when a computer or server fails. Backups technology can be as simple as an external USB drive or remote backup solution, or on the other end of the spectrum, as complicated as auto-loader tape drives. One thing is for sure, ANY attempt to backup your data is better than none. For automated cloud backup solutions, consider Servosity or Mozy Pro.

Here at Homeland Secure IT, we utilize a vast array of technology and we also help many small and medium businesses and even home offices stay up to date. If we can help you with decisions regarding your Greenville or Upstate technology infrastructure, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com. We offer sales, service, repair and consultation of everything from computers to VoIP.

What is your “must have” business technology? I would love to hear about it.  VoIP phone systems? iPad, Android or Windows based tablet computers? A favorite app (We love TiKL & Waze)?

This has been a long time coming, but Google has finally added the ability to port your cellphone number.

The downside is that there is a 20 dollar fee to do this, but the upside would be that for those who do, you could have that one number you give out to everyone now routed to your Google Voice account, and through the use of rules / filter, control what becomes of the incoming calls.

For instance, you could have all phone calls from a particular number routed to your new cell phone number when they call the Google number.

You could create client lists and control what becomes of those calls too. During business hours, send them to your cell number, but after hours – straight to voice mail.

The action of porting your existing number is pretty easy. On your Google Voice account simply go to SETTINGS, then select the CHANGE/PORT link beside your Google Voice number. Remember, there is a 20 dollar charge, and there are restrictions from many wireless providers.

If you need help in Greenville / Upstate SC, let us know, we will do what we can!  864.990.4748 / info@homelandsecureit.com

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.

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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.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the USA, in case you missed it… Everyone here at Homeland Secure IT and our families have so much to be thankful for that I would have to dedicate an entire blog post to just that…  One thing worth mentioning other than the most obvious like the ability to live in the greatest country on the planet, having a roof over our head, a gracious God and healthy families, would be YOU, our friends, family and clients. You make it a joy to open our eyes in the morning and greet another beautiful day!

Today is “Black Friday” and by now you are probably home, safe and dry…  I hope everyone enjoyed their shopping experience and found everything they had on their Christmas list at deep discounts too good to be true!

From reading advertisements & news articles, retailers continued the trend of luring people in with the promise of a Sony Notebook Computer bundle for $199, a ViewSonic 24″ monitor for $99, an HP all-in-one wireless printer for $49.99, best selling video games for $9.99, 2TB hard drives for $49, 16GB flash drive for $4.99, Microsoft Office Home and Student for $79 with 3 user license, etc.

However, only a few lucky people serious shoppers received those deals… In the fine print of those ads, there is generally written “1 available”, and everyone was rushing in at the store’s opening and staking out their territory to be the one person to get the deal of the year. Sometimes there are a dozen available, but when we are talking about a popular item, chances are slim, unless you are a pro at shopping, that you will be the one in the front of the line.

I read sad tweets this morning from people saying they got up early to get the gadget they wanted and it wasn’t there. Many bought something similar that was on sale at a discounted price, which is exactly what the merchant was counting on!

Don’t get me wrong, I am sure there were some outstanding sale items and prices! I’m sure many of you did get something at a greatly reduced cost and only spent an hour or two doing it. Still, the crowds, the unlikely chance that I will personally be the one to get my hands on the brass ring and the fact I have to get up at 3AM or earlier (or stay up) keeps me out of the stores on Black Friday here in Greenville / Upstate, SC.

Which brings us to “Cyber Monday”. This is more my speed. I can shop from the comfort of my home (or office, but shhhhh, don’t tell anyone), and the only inconvenience I have to suffer is laggy internet due to everyone else doing the same thing.

I’m seeing spectacular deals that await us this coming Monday, and many Etailers are offering their discounts all weekend long.

Sure, there are those certain products that big online retailers will be selling with limited quantities, or “50 at this price”, but I think I can live with that, easier than seeing my neighbor climb over someone with murder in their eyes to grab the last widget on the shelf.

When scouring the web for these great deals, be careful if you are Googling for a product, say a “Nikon d7000 dSLR camera”, and find it at a price too good to be true from a place you have never heard of. Chances are, it IS too good to be true. Also, be aware that scammers have been waiting for this moment, and they have created sponsored (Ad Word) ads and even got their own websites up in the rankings for specific keywords. These sites look legit when you are searching, they may even have a URL that looks like it “bestbuy.com”, but it is not, and takes you to a malicious site, promising 100 dollar notebook computers, just install this driver or player.   Don’t fall for it.

Now get out there and buy something! Help our economy by spending a lot and have a happy & safe holiday shopping season!

Anyone who has been following this blog knows that it was just about a month ago that I bought Android based phones and dumped our (until recently) beloved RIM Blackberry phones…

My thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S Epic 4G after EXTENSIVE use are pretty much what I knew the day we first got them:

• Short battery life (Have increased that significantly through smarter usage of the device)
• Screen Unlock goes up/down (vertical) instead of from one side to the other like most, which is not a big deal, but takes a longer stroke to unlock
• Charging port is on TOP of the device, which pulls the phone away from your ear when using a coiled car charger and puts undo stress on the port
• When plugged in, still goes to sleep the same as when on battery (there may be a setting that I have not found)

Those are the major negatives, but overall, this phone rocks! Glad we moved all our business phones to this device.

We have now obtained another Samsung Galaxy phone, and this time it is the Samsung Fascinate, on Verizon. This is my wife’s phone and she too has moved to an Android from a Blackberry.

The Fascinate is a great phone, and I like it better than the Epic 4G for many reasons, one of which is that I didn’t really need that slide out keyboard, which just makes for a bulkier phone, but also, battery life seems to be better on the Fascinate, while still being super fast and having that brilliant display that the Epic 4G does. It also does not go to sleep while plugged in like the Epic 4G does.

A few of the negatives:

• Shorter battery life than the Blackberry (duh, much larger display, more going on here folks!)
• Charging port is on the top… Only important if using the phone while plugged in.
• No dedicated camera button
• No front facing camera
• No notification light (There are some apps for a workaround)
• And the number one annoyance – Verizon forced BING on the Fascinate owners. Again, workarounds exist, but why oh why do you have to be locked into something you don’t want?

In all, the Fascinate is another amazing smartphone from Samsung.

Last but not least, let me tell you about my first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S Tab… I love this thing! After suffering with a low-budget 7 inch Android tablet I told you about months ago, I finally got to experience the Android OS on something that can actually support it nicely.

The Sumsung Tab is a 7 inch tablet that is basically an over-grown Samsung cell phone. It has all the features, except the ability to use it as a phone that you hold up against your ear (which would look kinda silly).

It really is an impressive device! The Tab is blazing fast, changes screens instantly, changes orientation instantly, shows HD video in beautiful color and motion.

What’s not to like? Well, it is NOT a phone. You can text msg with it, but not use it with bluetooth to replace a phone. The camera is only 3 Megapixel, but it’s not meant to replace your  dSLR camera after all.  And the price is a bit on the high side, but I imagine that will drop after Christmas, or at least I hope it does.  I checked out the Verizon Tab, but it is available at Sprint as well, for 399 with a 50 dollar instant rebate, with the purchase of a 29.99/mo 2GB plan.

Without a plan, expect to pay close to 600 I hear, making it pricier than an iPad. Which is going to be the obvious question on your mind… “Should I get an iPad or a Samsung Pad?”. Well that depends. The iPad is bigger, and well established, but we are days away from a 7″ iPad release. Obviously if you are a big Apple fanatic, with a lot of iTunes music, an iPad is a no-brainer, however, if you have no ties to Apple or iTunes, the Samsung Galaxy S Tab would likely be the best bet for you.

Planning on using a tablet for work on your Microsoft Terminal Server or via Remote Desktop? Using the Wyse app, the Tab would be terrific!

I was asked via Twitter if the Tab felt odd in my hand, in particular the back of the device. I did not notice anything of that nature, it felt natural, like I needed to leave the store with it my hand, but my wifey @PamelaHoyt wouldn’t allow that after the purchase of her new phone.

I’ll keep you up to date on the Fascinate purchase…. Until then, if you need any assistance getting your Android phone setup to work with your Microsoft Exchange Server in the Greenville or Upstate area, please give us a call at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com, we service & support for computers and mobile devices.

Monitor Stand

How about this for saving the environment: You can OPT OUT of receiving those pesky yellow pages phone books at your location!

VISIT HERE to Opt Out

This will come as good news for those who strive to be green, and bad news for the yellow page providers.

Of course, there are some legitimate reasons you may still wish to have the yellow pages delivered to you:

• You enjoy ripping them in two
• You need to lift your monitor up higher (see accompanying photo)
• You use them for firewood
• You use them for toilet paper (Our Alabama friends mainly)

Most of our clients do not use phone books at all… Google is their friend, they just search “Greenville computer service”, “Greenville computer support”, “Greenville computer repair”, etc to find what they want.

Wanna buy a RIM Blackberry 8350i for Nextel / Sprint? We have a few for sale! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320599349838#ht_694wt_1139

In an earlier blog posts, I rambled a bit about the desire to leave the Blackberry, but why we didn’t, and then last week, I posted about finally dumping the Blackberry phones for new Android smart phones.

Today I will bore you with my thoughts on how these devices are going to fare in our own application. For those of you who don’t know, Homeland Secure IT is a provider of computer, server & network service, support, repair, consultation and sales here in Greenville, SC. We have a number of computer service technicians who need instant access to each other, to the web, and to their email, so they can better assist our clients.

Previously, the Blackberry was THE tool for the job, but more recently, we have had connectivity issues, poor coverage in the Upstate and a general unhappy feeling due to dropped calls, etc. The inability to run the latest applications was also a drag, but it did not prohibit us from performing our job.

Thank God, all of our fears of leaving the Blackberry behind were unsubstantiated, well at least most of them…

We were worried about the slow email transport that active sync to our Microsoft Exchange Server would subject us to… That was unwarranted. We are realizing only a slight delay over the Blackberry Enterprise Server. We are missing our “notes”, but there are ways to deal with that.

We worried that Direct Connect would be missed… While not perfect, the app suggested by our friend Bradley Durham called “TiKL” allows almost the same functionality. The audio quality is not quite as good, and it can get choppy, depending upon signal quality.

The best part about switching is that I am no longer being disconnected from half the calls that I make!!!!

Here’s a partial list of some of the apps that we are finding useful in our application:

• TinyDVR – Free version of a network camera viewer lets me watch a couple cameras at my home.
• IP Cam Viewer – Free version of a network camera viewer app, lets me watch 4 of the 12 cameras at our office.
• Advanced Task Killer – Free version of ATK helps keep memory in check by killing off apps on the Android.
• Barcode scanner – Free app lets us see those QR codes and scan bar codes.
• Bump – Exchange business cards between iPhone and Android users with a “bump”
• Files Anywhere – Lets us share files, even fax from the phone.
• Pocket Cloud from Wyse – Let’s us remote desktop to servers for quick maintenance.

There are a number of others I use, but mainly for personal purposes….

In using these phones over the weekend, it is painfully apparent that battery life is going to be our biggest obstacle. As much as I use mine to check email, text, talk and “direct connect”, I am only able to get about 3 hrs max without using a charger…  Not good. So I have purchased chargers for everywhere, and await the release of high capacity batteries.

The other problem may be in the durability of this device. A Blackberry can be dropped, or even thrown, and will survive. One wrong bump and I am sure that the Samsung Epic 4g will be damaged… Most likely the screen will break from a slight impact. To help protect myself, I have purchased a high quality cover and holster, after it shows up, I will post about it here.

As always, your comments are welcome!

This morning I was having a discussion with a potential client and we were talking about the “Homeland Secure IT” name, the individual mentioned that they understood the play on words, however they were simply not sure how to take “IT”, because they thought of “IT” only in the terms of “Information Technology”…

I explained that the “IT” in our case is an all encompassing catch-all term that covers just about anything you plug into the wall. We sell, service, repair, support a wide range of technologies, not just a computer, server or network, but VoIP systems, CCTV and network security camera systems, firewall appliances, anti-virus software and software in general.

So basically, whatever IT is, we can help you with IT!

I am unsure of a way to indicate everything we work with, but suffice it to say, it is not limited to just a notebook computer fix, or a simple virus cleanup. While we DO those things, we also deploy Blackberry Enterprise Server so your mobile users can stay connected. We help integrate wireless devices like Androids, iPads and more into your Microsoft Exchange. We configure VPNs that allow a mobile workforce or a branch office to connect to your data as if they were physically in your office. We design and deploy Voice over IP phone systems. We offer biometric and card swipe time clocks.

Again, if it plugs into your network, or connects wirelessly, or you WANT it to, we can help. Give us a call at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com to discuss your unique needs! We serve the Greenville & Upstate SC area!

Ecobee Smart Thermostat

Web Enabled Thermostats: A not-so-new technology is becoming mainstream due to the desire to save money and be “green”.

If you have been looking to purchase a new HVAC system for your home or business, you may have been given the option to include a thermostat that enables you to view statistics & make changes to the settings using a web browser or an app on your phone. The price ranges from a round $100.oo to as much as $500.oo at the time you purchase a new system, and you promised that it will pay for itself by allowing you to set schedules to reduce the costs of operating your system during times you are away from the home/business.

Some utility companies, such as UTX in Texas have plans you can sign up for that will enable you to get a FREE web enabled thermostat, and I believe you only pay around $75.oo for the installation. Ultra good deal in my opinion.

X-300 Web Enabled Thermostat

But what about those of us with older systems? Fortunately, the majority of web enabled thermostat manufacturers have designed their units with us in mind. Instead of targeting the new HVAC market, they have built devices that can be used with any system, whether it is a heat pump, or an oil fired unit, there is a model for you.

The benefits are as mentioned before… Ability to control your system from a web browser, ability to control your system from a phone with either a web browser or an app loaded on it for that thermostat. Some thermostats feature the ability to control other devices, such as lighting, and some have the ability to sense a contact closure. You can see a graph of system usage and override scheduled events, as well as easily SEE the schedules, rather than paging through one day at a time as you do on older programmable thermostats. Some units feature alerts, should your system not cool or heat properly, which would be perfect for those who have unattended / vacation properties.

X-300 Thermostat Control via iPhone App

What about security? Can someone “hack” my home? Sure! Anything that is accessible via the internet could potentially be exploited by attackers, however, these devices are currently low-profile making them an unlikely target. Most of the manufacturers claim security through encryption of the data stream.

Where do you get one of these? Online vendors have a large selection of web thermostats, and your HVAC vendor probably has their favorite. Some quality brands are Ecobee, Control By Web, Schlage / Trane, Proliphix, BAYweb, among others. Which model is right for you should be based upon exactly what features you require. For instance, some have a Wi-Fi option to eliminate the CAT-V cable run.

Can I really recoup my investment? That remains to be seen. I am sure a $150.oo unit could pay for itself in a year or more if you are replacing a non-programmable thermostat, but for some of the higher end products, I’m thinking that realistically you are looking at a couple years… Your mileage may vary.

If you have any question about these, please email info@homelandsecureit.com, call 864-990-4748×201 or respond here! If you have one, tell us what you like best about them.