Windows 7 is due to release this month - specifically October 22. This new desktop Operating System will be the standard on all the new PC purchases and is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. To sum up Windows 7, Peter Bright from ArsTechnica said it best:

"All in all, Windows 7 is shaping up well. It's a far more modest release than Vista was, but it's no worse for that. The new OS introduces a compelling combination of welcome innovations and much-needed polish, and that's exactly what Microsoft needs right now. Vista's foundation was solid, and Windows 7 just makes it better."
 
In terms of upgrades – an upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7 is very clean and can be performed easily. However, an upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 cannot be done as easily. Even if your older hardware could support Vista, you would need to upgrade Windows XP to Vista, and then upgrade Vista to Windows 7.
 
We do not recommend an upgrade from Windows XP unless you have a Windows Vista Bonus Pack. For our users who purchased a Dell PC with Windows Vista Bonus Pack to run Windows XP since July 15, you do get a free upgrade to Windows 7 automatically.

In terms of compatibility in the office, if you are thinking about a Windows 7 PC, please consider:

• If you are running Powerterm, you may need to upgrade to a version of Powerterm that will run under Windows 7.

• If you are running a CQCS client prior to revision 7.2, Windows 7 may be a problem. An upgrade of your CQCS business software may be required to run any Windows 7 users.

Windows 7 is certainly good news for users. However, just like we recommended with Windows Vista, try not to get "grabbed up" in the marketing blitz of Windows 7. Rather, contemplate a move to Windows 7 cautiously and thoroughly. You can find out more at http://www.microsoft.com/windows7.

• What is the cost of "Cyberslacking" in your office? "Cyberslacking" is the activity of using company resources for personal reasons during the workday. It is not just about doing a little online shopping at lunchtime. Rather, it is the use of company resources (time and technology) to do non-company related activities. The problem has increased over time. With the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, this lack of focus gives businesses some real concern about the loss of effectiveness in the workday and the lost time and money caused by the misuse of technology in our organizations. You may want to implement strong policies in the workplace as well as consider additional tools to help manage Cyberslacking.

• Many smaller businesses are now considering spending some resources on managing their associates Internet use. While there are a variety of products out on the market, new routers like the Sonicwall TZ210 can be purchased with Content Filtering Service which can be configured to act like a "police dog". The device can watch over Internet resources your associates are using – and keeping them out of specific web pages that they should not be accessing during business hours. We have a number of these newer Sonicwall routers in use now, which also offers much better protection than some of the older technologies did. Consider such an upgrade to your router to include Content Filtering Service – it may pay for itself with more office productivity in one year.

• Microsoft is being sued by a Toronto based company for its use of XML in Word 2007 product. While current users need not worry too much about the lawsuit – what this means to future purchasers of Microsoft Word are not yet known.  You can learn more about this at
  http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-thu-microsoft-story .

• Need wireless access in your office for vendors and customers who come in your front doors? Without any special treatment, the problem is and always has been – you cannot give your visitors wireless access without "giving them the key" – for which they walk out your door with that same key and access your systems "from your parking lot". A new technology from Meraki (www.meraki.com) manages this problem well and rather inexpensively – by giving your visitors complete wireless Internet access without giving them access to any of your local servers or PC’s. If you need public wireless access in your office for office visitors – just let us know and we can tell you more about Meraki.

• Virtualization continues to be "hot". Many businesses are considering the opportunity to replace "various servers" with "1 piece of hardware" and use virtual server software to manage the many instances of Windows Server, Linux and MailClone all on one box. VMware and Microsoft’s Hyper V are popular solutions and can be implemented in your organization

• The cost of BACKUP has been increasing – partly due to the increased amount of data that is being stored on systems nowadays. Do not take the need to BACKUP your systems lightly. How would your organization do if tomorrow you were to wake up to the fact that a hardware failure meant that you had no information to run your business with? What is the true cost of not having a solid and dependable backup? Proper backup procedures and the following of these procedures are critical. Do not be over-confident in the hardware that is storing your organization’s vital information. There is a cost of backup – both in terms of time and money. Please, for your sake, do not take any shortcuts in regards to protecting your data.

AP Wagner, located in Buffalo, NY, is North America’s largest multi-national distributor of Appliance Parts and Accessories. With locations in both the US and Canada, AP Wagner has over 200,000 square feet of combined warehousing space. Whether you need a part for your dishwasher, dryer, refrigerator or many other appliances – AP Wagner has the part you may need to get your appliance back online.

AP Wagner has a strong Western New York history dating back to 1928. With over 80 years in the industry, AP Wagner has been a leader in the marketplace. You may find it interesting to learn more about the history of AP Wagner at http://www.apwagner.com/index.php.

Copeland Data Systems has worked with AP Wagner over the last few years on a variety of projects. We work alongside their staff and help them with some of the many challenges facing any growing and vibrant company.

You can learn more about AP Wagner and the products they supply to all users of appliances at www.apwagner.com .