Each upgrade represents a significant investment in licensing, migration time and user training.  To make matters worse, some software vendors require an upgrade by discontinuing support on products as soon as 24 months after release!

For those looking to break the cycle of software upgrades there is an option: a move towards Software as a Service (sometimes called Cloud computing). A prime example of Software as a Service is Google Apps. With any web browser Google Apps users have access to a suite of products that are very competitive to Microsoft Office. No installation, no security patches and more importantly, no upgrades!

In addition to controlled costs and easy scalability, one of the major benefits of Software as a Service is the ease of obtaining updates. In fact, new Google Apps features are rolled out almost daily, but there is zero impact on the user as upgrades are done on Google’s Servers. The next time a user logs in new features are available. It’s that simple. No upgrades, no overtime, no risk of losing data. Since the changes are done on a regular basis vs a completely new interface every few years no user retraining!

Given the prospect of staying on the software upgrade cycle and considering a move towards Google Apps what makes sense for your business? If you are struggling with this question, or other ways to effectively manage your technology, we encourage you to contact us at 858-270-3595 x 1 to learn more.

My experience with AskSunday was not good. Here’s a breakdown.

Inputting Service Requests. To start a new request you can send an email, login via the AskSunday website or call. Since I am a heavy Internet user this sounded great. Unfortunately this was anything but great. Email notifications that my request was received were delayed. If I’m offloading a task from my todo list to AskSunday I want confirmation that they received that request immediately. The web interface was very slow. PAINFULLY slow. That is unacceptable. The design and user interface are circa 1999. The only positive is that at least they weren’t requesting you to fax in requests. OK, maybe there were no positives. Grade: F

Request #1: Resolving a billing dispute with TiVO. I requested that AskSunday resolve a billing dispute. I received no response other than the automated email that my request was received. That was 10 days ago. Grade: F

Request #2: Cancel a recurring subscription that was no longer needed. I requested AskSunday to contact a vendor and cancel my recurring subscription to their service. Again, 10 days later I have zero updates other than the fact my request was received. Grade: F

Request #3: Cancel appointment. Due to a hectic schedule I needed to cancel an appointment to see my physician. This task was completed, but I didn’t receive confirmation for 24 hours. Grade: C

Request #4: Book a hotel room. I requested that AskSunday book a hotel room and obtain a special group rate I was offered. 24 hours later I was informed the rate was no longer available and therefore AskSunday did not book a room. This would be OK if I received the information within a few hours but receiving it 24 hours later could have caused problems. Grade: D

The free trial. To sign up for the free trial you have to provide a credit card. Although AskSunday completely ignored two of my requests for 10 days they still charged my credit card when the free trial ran out. So, I’ve submitted one final request to have those charges reversed and my service canceled. Grade: F

I had high hopes for my virtual assistant. Unfortunately, 10 days later I feel like Donald Trump on The Apprentice because all I have to say is “You’re FIRED!”.

This deal signals the capabilities and cost savings large organizations are finding with Google Apps. Those same types of savings are available to businesses of all sizes.

More about our view on Google Apps for business is available here.

The full Google story is available here.

Congrats to all involved in this rollout and welcome to the Google Apps family.

While the above definition of Twitter is true, it only scratches the surface. Twitter is also described as a micro blogging service. Users can update their readers with mini-posts on a very frequent basis. Consider that power users on Twitter have upwards of 50,000 subscribers to their Twitter feed and over 17,000 updates. That is a lot of direct communication to a specific audience. That’s straightforward, but there’s more…

Twitter has a pyramid effect. If I share information on Twitter and people who consume it also share with people who read their Twitter and they share with their friends, you see that a single post can rapidly spread. There is already the “Twitter effect”, defined as when a popular Twitter user shares a website link and the resulting swell in traffic crashes the site.

Further delving into the question of “What is Twitter?” Some would argue that Twitter is the tip of the Social Media spear. Social Media is another relatively new term. From Wikipedia: Social media are primarily Internet and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings
Still with us? Great, why should you care about Twitter? Twitter is impactful because people are moving towards consulting their peers in real time about their experiences via Social Media. Had a great steak? Take a picture with your phone and share it, instantly, with all of your followers. Wondering why traffic is so bad? Ask the “Twitterverse” and find out. Looking to interact directly with the consumers of your products? Bingo! Twitter is your answer!

Not convinced about the power of Twitter? Consider this, the first pictures from the crash of flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January were posted via Twitter and picked up almost immediately by mainstream media!

There are a lot of resources about Twitter and how to use it for personal and/or business gain. We suggest you spend some time learning about Twitter before actually using it. If you have any questions, feel free to get in contact with us. We would be happy to get you started. And of course, we’re also on Twitter.

ConnectWise is a Business Software Automation company providing services and guidance to the nation’s top IT Consulting firms. Proven ConnectWise partners are eligible to join the ConnectWise Network. Once certified, the ConnectWise partner can tap into the prequalified talent pool from other partners across the United States. Managing client branch offices or supporting remote sites is now just a few clicks away. Service Level Agreements are managed the same in remote locations as they are right here in our home office in San Diego.

“The ConnectWise Network extends our reach from coast to coast. We can now support our clients as they grow beyond traditional geographic boundaries while providing the same high level of service they’ve received in Southern California. We’re very excited to join this elite group of Service Providers.” – Stuart Hall, President, Network Velocity

For more information on how Network Velocity can help your business, call us at 858-270-3595 x 2.