August 2010
In this issue

> Sweeping OUT my
    Inbox
> LinkedIn Settings
> Technology Financing
> Managing Software
    Assets
> What is Voice Over IP?
> Cartoon & Quote
 

Sweeping OUT my Inbox
by Jane Cage, COO, HTS

Do you live in your inbox? I do - and sometimes it gets a little crowded. I find myself using messages as a to-do list and a record of communication. When I can't figure out where an important piece of information should really live, I email it to myself. There are times when there are more messages FROM me TO me than any other sender in my Inbox. I'm glad to say that Office 2010 is helping me to change all that. What is making the difference? First, Outlook 2010 has some great new features that have made me more productive and more organized. Second, Microsoft OneNote ships with every version of Office 2010. Here's what makes it all work:

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Two LinkedIn Security Settings You Must Set
by Stuart Crawford, Ulistic, Inc.

LinkedIn is one of the industry leading social networks and online communities in use today across multiple businesses and industries. LinkedIn's focus on business-to-business networking and facilitating the sharing of ideas and strategies has won the trust of business professionals globally. Not unlike many of their counterparts, LinkedIn does have privacy challenges according to many CEO level executives. Many organizations are now reviewing their policies related to LinkedIn and how information propagates through this business social network.

More and more business professionals are turning to LinkedIn because of its overall effectiveness in the marketplace. However, many are unaware of the apparent risks to corporate contacts when setting up their LinkedIn accounts. There are many settings that are on automatically allowing for browsing of contacts and also leaving a trace of who visited another profile. Many organizations as part of their social media acceptable use policy are now requiring specific changes to LinkedIn privacy settings be made ensuring business contacts and information are kept confidential.

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Technology Financing
by Christopher Elliott
used with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Your growing business is ready for new PCs or software. How do you buy it?

It's a common challenge for small businesses. New technology purchases top the list of capital expenditures in a survey of small businesses, with 43% of respondents saying they planned to make a buy in the next six months.

But that's easier said than done.

"Increasingly, small businesses are delaying necessary upgrades," said Laura DiDio, a research fellow for the Yankee Group. "We only see about a quarter of companies doing an upgrade every two to three years. Half of the companies are on a four, five or even a six-year upgrade path."

How important is new equipment to your business? About a third of small businesses surveyed for a IT toolbox study found that they expected to increase staff productivity through the purchase of new computer equipment.

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Managing Software Assets Pays Big Dividends
used with permission from the Microsoft Business Site

Awhile back, we brought you the story of Ted , a CIO at a midsized company who was struggling to get a handle on his software licenses and IT costs. If you haven't taken a systematic approach to managing your company's software assets, you might be facing many of the same issues that bedeviled Ted: multiple desktops to support, a variety of licensing agreements to manage, and IT support costs that gobble up too much of your budget.

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