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Microsoft Certified Partner
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In this issue |
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Windows XP and
Service Pack 2 |
Microsoft recently released
Service Pack 2 to the Windows XP user community. A Service
Pack is typically a set of fixes of reported bugs to a
specific product. Microsoft has been criticized for not
including new functionality into Service Packs although many
customers have been concerned that adding new functionality
ultimately means a less stable product. A Service Pack is
supposed to stabilize a product; not destabilize it. The user
community has put pressure on Microsoft over security flaws
since Windows XP was introduced inception. This latest Service
Pack – called “SP2” does include new functionality in a number
of areas – including security.
While at first pass, Service Pack 2 (SP2) seems like a good
thing, there are some negative side effects. First, not all
software developers had a chance to test their software on
Windows XP with SP2. There is no guarantee that all your
software will continue to function properly. Second, Windows
XP SP2 installs by default, a Firewall. A Firewall is a piece
of software (or hardware) that controls the traffic to and
from your system. While a Firewall is a good thing, you need
to configure it. When running SP2 with the Firewall turned on,
you will need to UNBLOCK network communications to get certain
functions to work. The Firewall will learn from your
responses, but it is another level of understanding you may
need to have to interact with your system.
Windows XP Service Pack 2 gets installed in a few ways:
- From an SP2 installation CD – typically ordered for free
from Microsoft.
- From a HUGE download over the Internet from
www.microsoft.com. Since this download is so large, this is
not recommended as it will tie up your connection and your
machine for quite a bit of time.
- From the Windows Auto-Update
Function which is turned on for many machines to get
critical updates and security functions. Many organizations
have turned Auto-update off because of SP2 and its problems
to unsuspecting users who have downloaded it.
Before you install SP2, you should consider:
- Will your software run on XP2? While Microsoft and CQCS
client software is safe, you should check with the vendor
before installing if you have a specialized package that is
critical for you to run. An example of this may be a payroll
application that is critical to run every week.
- If you install SP2 be ready to manage the Firewall that
gets turned on when you run your applications. Messages will
come up asking if you want to ALLOW or DENY traffic from the
application you are trying to run.
- While it is not recommended by Microsoft, it may be easier
to turn off the Firewall in SP2. In many network environments,
the desktop is typically already behind some type of firewall
typically implemented in the routers that control access to
the Internet through a T1, DSL or cable connection.
In summary, there is not a single answer that encompasses all
the issues with Windows XP Service Pack 2. Please proceed with
caution as software incompatibility and Firewall nuisances may
indeed be a headache you did not really sign up for.
We just wanted to take the time to better explain SP2; what it
is and what this means to you. It is in Microsoft’s best
interest to get SP2 installed on as many desktops as possible
as this stabilizes their product. At the same time, however,
it may destabilize your work environment if you run into
application and Firewall problems.
If you have any questions about SP2 as it pertains to your
situation, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Time to Manage
Your Contacts? |
In business
today, sales are gained and lost everyday in many times due to
the ability or inability of the business to manage its
contacts and prospects. In most businesses – relationships are
the key to moving forward and growing the business. With this
fact very evident, many businesses are now paying more
attention to Contact Management Software.
Contact Management Software comes in many flavors. There are
some “off the shelf” products that many of you may recognize
by name. Products like “Act” and “Goldmine” are a few of these
standalone off the shelf products. These products offer some
great functionality for the user.
However, businesses today have to look at the bigger picture.
These off the shelf products suffer greatly from their
inability to integrate with the current business system. Added
to is the fact that these products are not usually implemented
from the “Company” point of view. This denies the proper
sharing of contact information and Company strategies get
implemented to set forth a marketing plan. In most cases,
“Act” and “Goldmine” are installed as standalone PC packages
where the sharing of this vital information has not been
implemented.
For those who want more to Contact Management than just a
“personal notepad” on each desktop, we have developed an
integrated approach to managing Contacts. Our Contact
Management solution, called TeleBuilder, is much more about
Contact Management integration into the business system, the
sharing of this information company wide, and the use of this
information in creating a Company-wide marketing and sales
strategy.
In summary, Contact Management is important to pay more
attention to. Off the shelf products like “Act” and “Goldmine”
work well as individual desktop productivity tools, but you
must think “Company-wide” solutions. If you recognize the need
to look at the bigger picture with the proper integration and
sharing of contact information in your business system to
really move past your missed opportunities, you may want to
learn more about TeleBuilder. If this is you, please drop us a
note so we can discuss what a TeleBuilder solution would mean
for you.
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Meet our
New Team Members –
Matt & Sue |
Some of you may have noticed some new associates here at
Copeland Data Systems. Matt Vail has joined our team in a full
time capacity. Matt’s previous employment with Adelphia
Communications has brought him much experience in PC Desktop
and Server departments. He has been a great help to us in
helping us manage PC issues, from faulty hardware to Virus and
Spyware problems. In addition, his knowledge of Broadband
connections helps him in managing router configurations and
networking issues. Matt can be reached at
matt@copelanddata.com.
Sue Schmitt has also joined our team. Her previous work as a
developer at Medco Supply Company has brought a lot to the
table to our team for software development. Sue is also
certified as a Microsoft Certified Professional in Windows
2000 Server, allowing her to understand the hardware, the
operating system and the software of a system. Sue can be
reached at sue@copelanddata.com.
We are very pleased here at Copeland Data Systems to have Matt
and Sue on our team. This increases our ability to provide the
services you want in an increasingly complex computing
environment.
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Client Spotlight |
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Johnson Rose
Corporation, located in Lockport, NY is a manufacturer and
importer of premium small-wares and supplies for the
commercial kitchen. Their products include Aluminum Cookware,
Baking Accessories, Chafers, Ladles, Pizza Accessories,
Stirring Paddles and Whips and Pans for Baking, Roasting and
Frying. They typically sell to buying groups of which many
restaurants are members of. Realizing that they needed more
from the system to continue to grow the company, Mark
Kuligowski, Director of Marketing, comments …
“In a privately held corporation, a nineteen year old computer
conversion is a carefully planned business expense, and we
were looking for someone local to handle the infusion of our
business strategies and habits with a state-of-the-art,
flexible, and growth filled overall business system. You can’t
get this kind of attention and detail from an out-of-state
provider working with a local rep. A hands-on understanding of
each department of our company is a face to face, often
complex, necessity, and we were told and shown that Copeland
Data Systems is that kind of company. Our conversion is a
daunting task of Band-Aid approach Basic4 programming with no
end in sight. Under Tom Idziak’s guidance and our careful
plodding, he was able to make sure our new system would
entertain all of our current data, as well as a sales oriented
system, including a telemarketing platform and a plethora of
marketing information. We were a “paperwork” company, which
was drowning in, not only the sea of dead trees, but spending
too much time in manual decisions that could be easily and
effectively automated.
From the conception of the business shell to the programming
of each department’s activities, to the data reading and final
conversion (which I hear was one of the most challenging
ever), there was not a moment where Johnson-Rose’s various
departments felt unsure of the system’s direction. Hardware,
software, programming, and personal touches were what we
demanded, and Copeland Data Systems has delivered.
Johnson-Rose does not feel pigeon-holed, and we know “the
sky’s the limit” on the future of our new computer system.
The overwhelming task and implementation was made easy with
their dedication and skill, and the overall system is going to
make us a stronger company than we already are.
Copeland Data System will be a member of the Johnson-Rose
business family for a long, long time.”
If you would like to learn more about Johnson Rose
Corporation, you can find them online at
www.johnsonrose.com.
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Worth Exploring & Mentioning |
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Sometimes, new things come up worth mentioning, and many times
– old ideas are out there that just need repeating.
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Spyware and Adware files have plagued many of our PC’s,
slowing it down and creating “hangs”. Try to keep them
cleaned up as much as possible. Tools like “Ad-Ware” and
“Spy-Bot” will help immensely.
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With
the display resolutions improving on the latest PC’s, you
may find the settings are not to your liking. You can adjust
the amount of “real estate” of your desktop screen by going
into Control Panel>Display>Settings.
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Your
customer may dictate specific Barcode label formats as a
requirement when you send them product. You can integrate
the generation of these labels into your system.
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Use
MailClone to have E-mail alerts automatically generated from
your business system – either under operator control or
event driven. In today’s mobile world, you can also send
these alerts to a Cell Phone.
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Backup, backup, backup. Do you have an Off-Site backup at
any point in time to make sure you are covered if your
current location is destroyed by fire?
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Spam
Mail is at an all-time high – interrupting the work day,
costing us all money. Server-based Anti-Spam products are
available to help you manage the “Spam” beast.
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Welcome! |
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We welcome you to the October, 2004 edition of Copeland Data
News. While summer did not appear until the end of August and
gave us a great September, the usual “back to business” fall
season is on upon us. We have some topics in this edition that
will pertain to many of you; namely Windows XP Service Pack 2
and Contact Management. Please take the time to read the
details of these two articles.
Lately, we have been profiling different customers in
different industries. We are introducing Johnson-Rose
Corporation, manufacturer and importers of premium small-wares
and supplies for the Commercial Kitchen.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do
not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you,
Tom Copeland
716-692-7773 x303
tom@copelanddata.com
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