Business Tech For All

Over the past 6 months the murmur regarding managed print services has been getting louder.  And now it has become an all out scream.  This has fallen directly in line with the current business mantra of “do more, repurpose employees, save money and do it NOW”.  While there are a number of partners now in this game, Xerox seems to have taken the lead and is growing fast.

During the early part of this decade the term “paperless” was on the tip of everyone’s tongue .  Now people have realized that paper will never go away entirely. In fact, new 2009 estimates say that an average worker will be responsible for 3,000-15,000 pages per year.  Michael Scott’s commercial on The Office, might be more spot on than the joke it was initially supposed to be “Limitless paper in a paperless world.”  In the current paperless world, companies are responsible for hundreds of thousands of pages per year and the current strategy is failing miserably.

Problems with the current printing landscape:

- Companies purchase and roll out far too many printers for an environment.  The band-aid quick fix clogs the system and results in overconsumption of toners and excess use of IT staff to manage.

- Printers account for 25-30% of help desk calls. 

- Typical IT staffs do not have printer technicians.  They usually have IT generalists who end up learning as they go.  This is a poor allocation of IT staff since they are spending excessive time figuring out printer issues instead of using their IT knowledge for company driven initiatives.

- Lack of control over spending.  Printer consumables are not consistently ordered, IT staff spend countless paid hours working with printers, when a printer line ends the company is stuck with the remaining supplies. 

Now here are some ways that managed print services can alleviate these problems:

- strategically placed print units that maximize user productivity and usually decrease the number of units in the environment.

- Cost control.  Managed print services work on a cost-per-print basis, so total monthly usage can become budgeted as a business decision and not as an ad-hoc purchase.  Hourly employees will not need to spend time servicing units or ordering product.

- IT staffs can become more efficient by spending their time in skill specific IT initiatives and plans without the interruption of help desk calls for product in which they have no training.

The fix for all of these ailments is pretty simple.  A managed print service partner will work with you to get a reading on your print volume and types of prints.  The partner will then use this data to give you a larger 30,000ft overview of your print environment and projections.  Typically this includes reallocation of print resources so you can optimize the printers and multi-function units you already own.  If you see the benefit, you can then partner with the managed print service partner to handle your print needs.  Outsourcing desktop printing services takes the uncontrolled spending and usage of printers and ropes it into a manageable and easily budgeted process.

A little bit ago we had a visit from Pano Logic. Being out of the office that day, I was only able to catch a portion of their presentation online and thought they had an interesting product, but I wasn’t sure where it would fit. I stored their contact information away and moved on with my day. Well I’m glad I came back to them earlier this week. Pano Logic has a fantastic story and a unique bundle of products that bring virtual desktops into the environment at a low price point. However, that is not to say they are a “cheap” product. The capabilities of Pano Logic are getting close to VMWare View, at a portion of the price and with a solution that covers both hardware and software.

While I’m still continuing to dig deeper (Pano Logic has weekly webinars), from my initial research I have found a high number of benefits with only a few drawbacks:
Pros:
-Full solution: Pano Logic has two very nice products in their Pano Device zero client and Pano Management/Direct Service virtual desktop software that are perfectly married.
-Low total cost: Bundled hardware and software come at a fraction of the price of a full desktop environment and also at a fraction of the cost of separate thin clients and virtual desktop software.
-Flexibility: despite having a device that is only a few inches cubed, they have the ability for dual monitors and remote access.
-Interoperability: Pano will allow a customer to either use their software alone or in conjunction with VMWare View or other virtual desktop platforms.
-Rapid setup and deployment: Easy setup allows you to rollout in a matter of hours and add additional machines just as quickly as you could create a new VM.
-Green/power usage: Pano Devices have no moving parts (true zero client) and therefore only uses 3-5 watts while active. A typical PC will be well over 100 watts.

Cons:
-Size limitations: I can’t see a scenario (without the addition of VMWare View) where Pano Logic’s solution can be deployed to over 1000 users on a single network.
-New product: One of the benefits of virtual desktop is that you can repurpose your current hardware and extend its life to 5+ years. Pano Logic’s solution involves ditching your current equipment and using their zero client device.
-Physical size: While the Pano Device is small (less than 3.5” cubed), it will not easily fit into some of the all-in-one environments that some customers have begun moving to (be they native all in one devices, or monitors with ultra small form factor devices on the back).

From initial observations, Pano Logic has a very strong story to tell. It can be a partner or competitor to traditional software VDI solutions and it looks like that is by a well thought out design on Pano Logic’s part. I’m going to dig deeper and will follow up with what I learn, but from my early research this is a killer 1-2 combo for both an introduction to virtual desktops or as a solid platform for an entire organization.

As we are approaching the 4 month mark since the release of Windows 7 it’s time to review all that has happened since October.  First of all, despite fear of a Vista backlash, Windows 7 has performed very strong.  In the consumer market Windows 7 has been selling extremely well.  Most of that can be credited to preinstalled OS on new hardware, however, the early positive reviews of Windows 7 have definitely contributed to the sustained momentum.  

The business space has been kind to Windows 7, but by no means has it had quite the success of the consumer space.  By no means is this a surprise.  Traditionally it has taken SMB’s an anywhere from 6 to 18 months to rollout a new OS across their environment.  And that time line is after all of the testing has been completed.  Most of the SMB customers that I have spoken to have indicated that their backlog of projects (most due to catching up from a slow 2009) have pushed a Windows 7 rollout to late 2011, almost a full 24 months after its release.

Unlike Windows 7’s evil older brother, Vista, W7 has quickly built a strong list of applications that are Windows 7 compatible.   The link below is a few weeks old, but it has a complete list of all applications that are Windows 7 compatible.  Application incompatibility was a large factor in Vista’s downfall and it looks like Microsoft did quite a bit of homework to make sure that Windows 7 did not share the same fate.

Moving along with the 4 month mark we are finding that Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) has started going End of Life.  Those who are still using Windows 7 RC are starting to get (sometimes hourly) reminders that it is time to move to the final version of Windows 7.  The RC to full version is pretty tricky, luckily Microsoft has created a nice installation page which you can find here.

Microsoft has definitely learned quite a bit since the tragic release of Vista and have vowed to not make the same mistakes.  Steve Ballmer and his crew have undoubtedly put in some long hours preparing for Windows 7 and that is being shown by the early success.  The biggest test will be over the next 12-18 months as the SMB’s begin to move from testing to a full blown Windows 7 rollout.  

Check out the application compatibility list below:

Windows 7 Application Compatibility List for IT Pros

After 8 or 9 months, the HP IPG (Imaging and Printing Group) is about to have full stock on their LaserJet printers and multifunction units. It has been a very difficult 9 months (heck, one could have had a baby in the amount of time they were waiting on a P4015x) but from what I am being told, HP has a very large shipment coming in at the end of this month. That shipment should take care of leftover backorders, which were in the thousands for a number of units. As an HP reseller, I would like to thank all of my customers who have been very patient during the past 9 months. I know it has been frustrating, but it should be much better now.

Cisco Smartnets are one of the more interesting items for an IT department.  Depending on who you ask, they are a variety of things from the ever so popular “Cisco hardware warranty” to “A Cisco management nightmare” to “Comprehensive Cisco support”.  I think my vote is closest to comprehensive Cisco support.  Because a Smartnet is classified by the level of support (8×5xNBD, 24×7x4, Onsite, etc) it’s often mistaken as just a warranty.  However, in addition to being a hardware warranty, Smartnet will also provide you with services such as:

 - IOS upgrades

- a much higher level of support than anyone else in the business with their TAC (tech assistance center)

- OS support

-and proactive diagnostics and their real-time alerts on select devices with Smart Call Home. 

And depending on the who you buy your Smartnet from, you can also benefit from a list of value adds such as:

-coterm: bringing all of your individual Smartnets (per service level) onto a single contract so instead of tens, hundreds or even thousands of contracts you can have anywhere from 1-3 different contracts.

-making sure you are only paying for your own Smartnets: larger entities with a large number of contracts occasionally (due to RMAs or incorrect serial # entry) have a number of Smartnets under their name, which they pay for, but are not associated with company hardware.  It can be a bit of work, but a reseller can acquire the proper information to make sure that you are only paying for the correct Smartnets.

-Pull data and manage contracts for you:  Once given permission by the customer, a Value Added Reseller can pull your Cisco data, evaluate the usage of your current Smartnets and manage those contracts for you or along side of you.  Depending on how they were purchased, Smartnet management can become messy after only a dozen devices and that can lead to missed renewals or TAC calls that are unable to be picked up.

-Help you determine End Of Life and End of Service Life for your current product.  This is very helpful to the coterm process in assuring that the hardware will be supported for the entire life of the contract.  Additionally, this is crucial in any network strategy planning as EOL/EOSL product has a drag through effect and can often cause disruptions to larger portions of the network.  Having a predetermined strategy for products which are going End Of Life helps to assure an easy and painless transition.

Smartnets can either be hours of frustration or a useful friend depending on how they are set up and managed.  If your Smartnets are not easily managed and you are not aware of the EOL roadmaps for your current products, it is highly suggested that you contact a Cisco partner for assistance.

Here are a few other Dave-picked blogs that have great Cisco Smartnet info:

Cisco SMARTnet Hardware and Software Maintenance by J Burgess

Is your Cisco Router End of Life… by David Davis

APC came over to MNJ Technologies for our weekly training recently. This was a pretty big event, not because we don’t see APC often (they stop over pretty regularly), but because they came to announce a new generation of UPS’s. Generation 4 came out in 2001, so it’s been about 8yrs since anything major has changed in the APC world. And from what I have seen, this new generation (4.5, which will transition into G5 in early 2010) is going to be a nice step up. New design, more efficient “green” power/battery use, and most important an LCD screen on every unit (no more 4 light combinations to translate).

Here is a list of the new features on the SMT (Tower) and SMX (Rack) units:

Tower-SMT- new benefits/features

Informative LCD interface – provides detailed information in an easily understandable format. The LCD is a great ‘window’ into the changes we made under the hood.
High efficiency “green” mode – achieves efficiencies up to 99% which saves utility costs. It also has limited bypass functionality to provide an additional level of fault tolerance.
Controllable receptacle group – provides the ability to remotely reboot, load shed non-critical loads during extended outages, and sequenced start-up.
Enhanced battery management – intermittent charging capability prolongs life and a patent pending algorithm projects the month and year recommended to replace the battery.
Flash upgradeable firmware – provides for easy field upgrades as new features are added
3 year warranty on UPS – matches most servers and provides an additional assurance of reliability

Rack- SMX- new benefits/features

Flexible 2U form factor – provides versatility to operate in our out of a rack enhancing our customers ability to standardize
Advanced high frequency design –makes the unit lighter as the heavy transformers have been reduced or eliminated. This makes the units easier to transport and install.
Higher power factor-the models have 0.8 and 0.9 power factors meaning more real power is available
Added controllable receptacle group(s) – the X series adds one group at 750 and 1000VA and 2 additional on units 1500VA and larger
Intelligent battery packs – units can sense external battery packs and automatically adjust runtime
Voltage adaptability – 2kVA and up –allows multinational companies to standardize by allowing more flexibility

Typically, when I post a Weekly Training I like to list the Cons that I see with the product. However, since this is a new generation of product, there are only additions here. While the pricing of G4.5 and G5 will be consistent with G3, pricing is the only negative that customers ever report with APC. In the desktop to rack range we are discussing here, APC always gives an enterprise experience. While some competitors have a few of these features, no one comes close to matching the enterprise features of the G4.5 and G5s. If you want/need a full enterprise product, I suggest APC. If you are looking for a functional unit, but do not care about some of the enterprise features (such a low power consumption, longer battery life, network control) then you will do just fine with APC or some of their less expensive competitors.

We had SpectorSoft come over for a visit to MNJ Technologies recently. SpectorSoft has been over before and let me tell you, I am scared to death every time I hear their name. SpectorSoft really only does one thing and that is to give your IT admin complete insight into what you do on your desktop or notebook. With this software you can see everything that a single user is doing or you can pull it back and use that info to see what an entire network is doing. Very scary and very informative data. SpectorSoft records: Web sites visited, Online Searches, Emails (including webmail), Chats/IM, Keystrokes, Program Activity, Network Activity, File Transfers, Documents Saved/Printer and Screen Snapshots.

Pros:

-By far the best software that I have seen for monitoring users. This software will give you a detailed list of time spend on each individual site, site/application category, or even screen shots from each site. This includes both active and passive time.

-Very small footprint. Also, administrators can choose if icon is visible to end users.

- Very robust dashboard that can display up to 30 different reports.

- License options: per user, concurrent or subscription

Negs (besides scaring me to death):

-No mobile devices

-Can handle Citrix, but nothing is yet created for VDI.

While I am personally scared by the Big Brother nature of SpectorSoft, I am equally impressed with it’s performance. For whatever your reason: increase in productivity, investigations about violations, policy enforcement, “insider” theft protection, or compliance requirements, SpectorSoft offers a number of different views and reports to make the job easier. A great product who doesn’t really have competition.

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This week BTI (Battery Technology Inc) came to MNJ Technologies to share the wonders of 3^rd party batteries.  I have used BTI for years and it has always been a good experience.  Unlike OEM battery manufacturers, BTI quickly picks up their phones for either VARs or end users.  Since batteries are their business, they are able to give very focused feedback and quality tech support. BTI has batteries for a number of items (UPS’, notebooks, cameras/camcorders,…), however, I primarily use them for UPS battery replacements.  Needless to say, I’ve been a big fan of BTI for a long time and will continue to let my customers know about them for the following reasons:

 Pros:

-First and foremost, cost.  BTI UPS replacement batteries are anywhere from 10-45% less than their OEM counterparts. 

-Quality.  While BTI has the same warranty as OEM (usually APC in many of my orders), I have never had to work with a return for a DOA or battery with short life.

-Configurator.  The BTI configurator is extremely easy to use.  You can either enter text into the search field or use a series of drop down menu’s to get the exact unit you need.

-Availability.  Unlike OEMs who depend on purchase cycles and can often be out of stock, since BTI manufactures everything themselves, they always have stock on hand, or at the very worst, a week(to custom create) away.

-Built in the US (so they are trade compliant)

-They completely reverse engineer their batteries.  This is key for notebook batteries so that both the color and slot/grooving is exactly the same as an OEM battery.

-A full line of batteries, they have most of the APC RBC product line except for the big boys for Symetra’s and such.  The two remaining batteries they don’t have RBC 31 and RBC 32 are coming next month.

Con:

-There is one con, that is really the only reason I suggest OEM batteries to my customers and that is the return of old batteries.  APC sends a call tag with their replacement batteries, so a customer can return the old dead battery.  BTI does not.  BTI does send a return shipping label, but they don’t pay the return freight.  These batteries can get heavy, so that can be a problem.  Usually, the saving far outweighs the cost of return shipping, but it’s an extra step.  The other alternative BTI offers, is they share with the customer the closest local battery return center.  Most Sears or  Batteries Plus locations will take batteries back (for free), but you just have to drop them off.  It’s a small thing, but some customers are willing to pay the extra 10-45% premium to not have to worry about the battery return.

A good training by BTI.  I was pleased to hear about RBC 31 and RBC 32 coming into their portfolio.  They also mentioned that they are expanding into projector bulbs.  This is a great market due to the high cost and margin that OEM’s make on bulbs, but I have not seen any pricing yet, so I’m not sure if it will be a benefit to customer yet.

[digg=http://digg.com/hardware/BTI_Battery_Technology_Inc_Weekly_Training]

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So as almost everyone has heard by now, HP has purchased 3Com for $2.7B. While all of the final signatures are not in place, it looks like this is most definitely going to happen. Yesterday I received an email from Alex Dobson, the VP and GM of 3Com North America (full letter is below). The letter was focused on sales partners like myself, but it got me thinking about how this is going to effect my customers.

 First , the 30,000 ft overview from everything I can collect so far. When this goes through, HP will have enterprise Ethernet switching options (through H3C), routing, VoIP, security (through TippingPoint) and even telephony (through NBX). So HP has the potential to go from the core to the edge with products in almost every category in the data center. I don’t think HP is going to rebrand and start selling all of these products (especially the NBX). They might become integrated into current HP products or a new product line, but HP is definitely not going to start off by biting off more than they can chew. In the near future, I expect HP to leave 3Com alone and not force the companies to merge quickly and have similar product lines compete. I think HP has learned this lesson from EVA and MSA which competed with each other (and still do) at the detriment of HP.

This acquisition will give HP the horsepower to be more competitive with Cisco’s networking superiority (and ego). Cisco is very comfortable with their 70% of the networking share. Their annual profit shows that they do not feel as if they have competition and can price accordingly. The new HP/3Com line should be able to change some of that. With 3Com technologies, over the next few years HP should be able to product a line of products that are comparable to most of Cisco’s networking line-up. HP (and 3Com) have both done a very good job competing with low end Cisco and price (including warranty/support price) has been a large driver in that. If HP can start to move up the enterprise network ladder, I think they can provide comparable and much less expensive products than Cisco. This will either provide a large market share increase for HP or a drop in price from Cisco (probably a combination of both).

 From the perspective of the customer, not much will change right now. According to this letter from Alex Dobson, it’s business as usual at 3Com (probably not so, but they are at least selling like it is). If this acquisition moves along the standard track, HP will probably begin phasing out 3Com products over the next 12-24 months. However, HP will probably keep a decent number of 3Com techs around to support the legacy 3Com products well past the product end of life. How well this service goes will weigh in heavily on the 3Com customer’s decision to move to HP or Cisco. I’m guessing HP ProCurve will continue with their same immediate product line releases as well. For the next 12-18 months I’m guessing the only change will really occur for current 3Com customers who will see their current products go end-of-life. They will need to make an HP or Cisco (or Brocade) decision for their immediate needs.

The real customer change will happen around the 2011 time. I’m guessing that is when HP will begin releasing Enterprise networking that will give customers an HP or Cisco choice. Current Cisco customers should see a price break as Cisco will need to drop their prices to stay in line with HP. I don’t think SMARTnet is going anywhere and it shouldn’t, while it isn’t free like other manufacturers support, it has value comparable to it’s price. At that same time, unhappy Cisco customers along with non-Cisco customers will then have a choice to look at the HP line. While Cisco has always dedicated a lot of budget towards R&D, we will see a lot of HP focus on R&D for this new networking product line and that should bring about some great new product features. This development fight will only benefit everyone.

The wild card here is Cisco’s new SmallBiz Pro product line. Cisco made a pre-emptive (psychic… maybe) move and came out with a product line for small business that competes directly with HP ProCurve and 3Com’s line. This Cisco product addresses a number of customer complaints (support price and GUI interface) but still has Cisco engineering. I feel as if Cisco’s migration of the small business line along with their enterprise products might keep Cisco a step ahead of HP on this one.

No matter how you slice it, the 3Com acquisition is going to change the entire networking world. Customer’s will be the ones who benefit most as this will bring about choice. And this choice will yield lower prices, increased product development and a merged network structure that will allow products to play nice with each other.