Well, it’s all over the internet, there seems to be a new ‘virus’ in town.  The surprising thing this time is that is for a mac.  Yes, we know, macs don’t get viruses, and we’ve got good news, its not really a virus.

Mac haters, you’ll have to get off your high horse on this one.  MacDefender is more Malware than anything else.  This vastly little program does little more than fool mac users into entering their credit card information in in order to stay “protected”.  DO NOT INPUT YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION.  If you have already entered your credit card, call your bank immediately.

Removal of this little program isn’t too bad for even a beginner.  Just follow this link on over to TUAW to learn how to remove it.

Case in point that “If you don’t know what it is, don’t click it or give it your password” is good advice for macs too.

(UPDATE:  We should note that we use the term virus to refer to everything from Adware to Malware to Viruses)

Recently, it seems like several times a week that we get calls from both new and existing customers about a virus.  The one that seems most prevalent right now is fake anti-virus programs.  These programs often get installed onto your system from a website popup that claims you have 300+ viruses and you need to click to remove.  If you try and close the window, you get some ominous message like “ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR SYSTEM INFECTED?”  As we tell our customers, if you don’t recognize it, don’t click it.  If you are ever unsure about a popup, please feel free to call us and we can log on and have it looked at.

What can you do to help protect yourself?  There are a few simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting viruses.

1. First, get a reputable anti-virus software, wether that means Avast, Symantec, or your favorite flavor (we happen to hate McAfee and aren’t that impressed with Microsoft Security Essentials right now).  Not having an anti-virus program is like begging the world to make your computer unusable.
2. Second, don’t browse questionable content or download things you shouldn’t.  What do we mean by that?  Facts are, if you browse pornography, hacking sites, illegal software download sites, and other questionable content, you will get a virus.
3. Beware of items being given away for free as posted on your Facebook status.  Often, these are another virus that one of your friends has gotten.
4. Be cautious of domains other than .com .net .org and other common domains in your country.  It seems to be more likely to come on a virus from a .ru than a .com
5. Don’t open every attachment and link you get.  If someone sends you an email with nothing but a link, contact them and ask about it.  I cannot tell you how many people just open every attachment, I would know, I hear from them a lot.
6. DO NOT OPEN ANYTHING THAT SAY YOU HAVE A HALLMARK ECARD.  These attachments are always viruses.  If it does not open on one computer, do not proceed to another computer on the network and open it there also.

Those are some quick tips, but those do not guarantee you will not get a virus, it will just limit the frequency and likelihood of getting one.  If you already got a virus and you are at work, unplug the network cable.  Many viruses enjoy going through and infecting every file they can get there hands on (like dd.exe).  Save your company some headache, unplug and call your technician.  If you don’t have a technician, feel free to contact us by clicking here or on contact above

It’s not everyday you wake up to mass panic, but every once and awhile, bad things happen.  Such with the case with one of our clients yesterday.

After spending some time on the road, David decided to let his kids use his work laptop to help keep them calm.  All was going well until they hit their destination and he realized that all the documents that he had been preparing for his next major appointment were GONE.  Sure, depending on the field, quite often you can just recover these or have someone redo it quickly, but not in Dave’s field.  These documents accounted for over 80 hours of work in the past week and a half.  Needless to say, Dave called me panicked.

Queue the importance of remote support.  When Dave called, we put off the lectures about backing up important data and pulled out our superhero capes and set out to get the job done.  Using some very special tools and a bit of ingenuity, we were able to work with dave to recover all of his data.  Luckily his kids had just been clicking around and happen to delete and then empty the recycle bin, but we found them nonetheless.  Had we not been using Bomgar Remote Support Appliances, Dave’s night in California would have been much longer, and needless to say, his client would not of been happy.

Chalk another win up for Remote Support offerings from Inevat, and Dave, back up your data.

It may just be 0200 in the morning here in Utah, but we have already had a painstakingly difficult, gut-wrenching, brain-numbing experience trying to purchase Verizon iPhones for customer and yes, even ourselves.  Sadly, one hour later not one phone was successfully ordered.  Not saying we didn’t get close, but as soon as the order was ready to process, it failed.

Now the whole process is not the websites fault, as we spent a fair amount of time trying to understand why some of the lines that should have been eligible for upgrades now mysteriously weren’t.  That part, for all we can figure, had more to do with our specific business rep than Verizon itself.

Verizon promised the world that their launch would go on without a hitch, well Verizon we have bad news.  With this big of an issue with just the pre-orders we are beginning to think to ourselves…is this just the launch that is going to have problems, or could Verizon be greatly overestimating their networks capabilities as well?  Perhaps only time will tell, but as for now, we will let Verizon explain to our customers why they won’t be getting iPhones anytime soon.

Chances are you have at least friend that has Verizon and that person has probably not stopped talking about the new Verizon iPhone that comes February 10th.  With all the hype though, there are some very good questions about the phone and Verizon’s service.  Let’s cover some of those questions now.

Antennagate

There was a lot of hype over the antenna problems with the original iPhone 4.  If you ask most of us here we will tell you that the issue was more with the signal calculations than the actual antenna.  The fact did remain though, if you held the iPhone in an ever so specific way, you could make the signal go down.  While there have been some antenna redesigns with the new iPhone, the root problem still exists with the iPhone as it does with all phones.  The truth of the matter however is that you have to hold the iPhone quite unusually to have any problems.  Our verdict:  This isn’t going to be a big issue, so don’t let this sway your decision.

No Simultaneous Voice and Data

Sorry folks, this one is true.  While it is easy to say, well I will never use that anyway, there are some times that it would be very useful.  Some examples of this are using navigation  and receiving a phone call, using the new wi-fi hotspot and the receiving a call, and even receiving and looking at an email with a client on the phone.  Unfortunately, this is a limitation of what is called CDMA, the network that Verizon uses.  LTE, the next version of Verizon’s network that is being built out now, will support voice and data at the same time.  If you are a current Verizon subscriber, this will not affect you, if you are coming from AT&T or T-Mobile however, keep in mind that this may be a feature you will miss.

Leaving “The Nations Fastest Network”

Sure, AT&T loves to say that they have the nations fatest network, but in our experience that is not entirely true.  Sure, AT&T may have some areas that are very fast, but they are not as consistent as Verizon.  In our experience, the speed you get from Verizon in the city, is pretty much the same speed you will get everywhere.  So yes, you may lose some theoretically speeds, but don’t fret too much, I am sure next years iPhone will be LTE, and Verizon is one of the big dogs there.  In the mean time, think about trading some possible speed for the ability to actually make phone calls almost everywhere you go.

So what do I get?

The one big thing that Verizon really has going for them, even though their network may not be as advanced is the pure amount of coverage they offer.  The biggest complaint I hear from AT&T subscribers (albeit not from all of them as many enjoy their service) is that they love the phone, hate the service.  Quite often I will be on a call with clients in Vegas and they drop.  We call again, and then 2 minutes later, we drop again.  This is something that we find is much less common on pretty much everybody but AT&T.  So what do you get?  A network that actually works where you live, work, and play (thats not a guarantee, but there are pretty good odds.)

Our overall verdict

If you are sick of your current provider, we would highly suggest looking into switching to Verizon now that they have the iPhone.  If you need a great business rep, we suggest calling the same guy we use, Patrick White.  Please contact us for his information.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We have been in this field for a while, and uncovered hundreds of Mac hating IT guys. To be completely fair, we have met a several that hate Windows and Linux too, they just don’t seem to be as plentiful. The fact of the matter is, most IT professionals don’t know much about Mac and they don’t want to.  There are quite a few good reasons for IT guys to hate Macs, so let’s have a look at those first.

If you are part of a large organization, you most likely have been using Windows XP Pro, or Windows 7 Pro for a while now with good reason.  Many larger organizations use Windows server to host their Active Directory, or in lamans terms, the server that holds all of the usernames, passwords, and computer configurations for the company.  Macs just don’t play as well with these servers right out of the box.  See, these servers allow people like me to control most of the features of a windows system from the server.  For example, I can control the way a Windows system receives updates, what programs are installed when you turn the computer on, what icons are on the desktop, even what sounds the computer makes.  Macs, they think a little more independently than that.

Availability is another big reason that IT guys hate Mac.  If you think about the people you work with, most of them probably have a PC.  That simple fact plays into the hands of the IT team.  Most companies I have worked with have no less than 3 extra computers that should have probably been thrown away running Windows XP.  Bob’s computer just broke? Easy, grab that old XP tower and log into that.  It will work until I get you another system.  Most companies, other than those that have a huge mac user base, just don’t have extra Macs laying around for a few reasons.  One, I have to setup that Mac for any user that needs it, it doesn’t just work on our network.  Two, let’s face the facts people, Macs cost more than PCs.

There is one remaining thing that I really see as being a catalyst for Mac haters, reliability.  Sure, people will argue that the only reason Macs don’t have viruses is because there aren’t as many of them, so no one makes viruses for them.  The fact still remains however that malware just isn’t as big of an issue for Mac users.  Through on top of that the fact that Macs just don’t bog down in time as much as PCs do, and you have yourself an IT guys nightmare.  Not that less work isn’t a bad thing, but less work means less people needed to do the same job.  I guess if I didn’t know much about Macs, that would make me hate them too.

So we know what the problem is now, how do we fix it.  Let us make it simple for you, replace your IT guy.  Most companies under 60-70 employees really don’t need an in-house IT guy if they have a reliable out-sourced IT company to work with.  If your out-sourced IT guy doesn’t know about Macs, get a new one.  While that may not be the most pleasant truth, it is the best solution.  Mac sales are growing at a much faster rate than any PC manufacturer.  Customer satisfaction of Mac users is the highest of any computer.  The average lifespan of Mac computer is much higher than a PCs.  If your IT guy doesn’t want to help you to be part of that, he is not looking out for you.  Keep in mind, not everybody that owns a PC should switch to Mac, but it should be your choice.  Let us help you make the one that works best for you.

As the end of the year nears, almost every company we work with is looking for any additional purchases that need to be made.  Whether their workstations and servers to be upgraded or the they need some additional network gear, we never seem to have any trouble finding something if they need it.  The one suggestion that is always on top of our list, however, is the Cymphonix Box.

Cymphonix fills an amazing hole in most networks that companies are not even aware exists.  The fact of the matter is most managers and owners spend so much time having to put out fires that they do not realize they can stop some of them from ever popping up.  That is exactly what Cymphonix does for our customers that have one.  Not descriptive enough for you?  Lets look at some of the things it can help with.

Pervy Peter

Let’s face it, quite a few offices, and apparently even the federal government, have this guy working for them.  This is the guy that browses questionable if not flat out objectionable content.  Peter spends what seems to be about 80% of his time looking at lingerie websites and the other 20% chatting online.  The unfortunate thing for you is Peter is currently crucial to your operations and you can’t fire him.  The Cymphonix box configured by Inevat’s support team can help resolve this situation.  With Cymphonix, you can manage not only access, but also network speed allocated to any website or category of website.  No more porn Peter, sorry.

Sharing Sharon

Yes Sharon, everyone knows you like the Dixie Chicks and Green Day too.  No Sharon, that doesn’t mean you can download their music using peer to peer software illegally at our office.  Did you know that it’s not just Peter that is leaving you open to lawsuits, but Sharon too?  In fact, Sharon’s rampant file sharing spree could get your internet shut off by your ISP and even infect your network with all matter of viruses and spyware.  How do we fix it?  At Inevat, we suggest setting up your Cymphonix box for zero tolerance with file sharing, or at least limiting the amount of bandwidth it sucks up.

Oscar the Owner

Yes we all know the the same rules don’t apply to everyone, especially Oscar.  Oscar started this company 5 years ago with no funding, and we all have jobs thanks to him.  Oscar, with Cymphonix, you can have a free pass.  We don’t suggest you use that free pass to show your employees all the wonderful things you can do on the web while they are limited to your hearts discretion, but if you want to, Oscar, go for it.  With Cymphonix and Inevat, each department or individual user can have customized access to the internet, this way every user gets the exact amount of access they need for what they do.

And so much more

Traffic categorization, QOS, live traffic stats and monitoring, guest internet limitations, custom department access, email reports, network antivirus and antispyware, and so much more.  The Cymphonix box is the perfect write off to keep your network running smooth and safe for years to come.  Want to get on in before the new year?  Just give us a call at 801.810.5050 or contact us here.

To put it simply, your IT infrastructure is like the engine in your car.  Not everyone is going to need the biggest engine in order to get going at the pace they want, but they will need something that allows for some future increase in speed and power.  The biggest problem we see with many of the companies we work with is previous purchases have left them bottlenecked.  They or they’re previous IT group purchased what they needed for then, and never planned for the future.  Depending on the setup that was designed for them, the lack of planning could lead to a major IT overhaul in order to keep up with their needs.

So what should you look at when it comes to purchasing your companies IT infrastructure?

Expandability

Unless you are starting a company that you know will not grow, you need to factor in growth to your equation.  It may be hard to justify spending that extra money on a server now, but it will be even harder to justify having to start over again in a year because no one factored for growth.  Heres the facts, if you don’t factor for growth, your servers will limit your ability to grow.  This is one of the occasions that spending a few hundred dollars more on a server may really help.

Supportability

There has been a strong push to go open source and there are a lot of good options now, but going open source has its drawbacks.  Sure, you may be saving some money up front, but often these open source products lose their value when you look at setup and support of the system.  The big benefit of going with a product like Windows or OSX is that everybody and their brother knows the product, maybe not as well as our Support Team, but at least they are familiar with the product.  When you move to something like a Linux distribution running open source or less common software, you are seriously limiting the pool of qualified support teams out there and as you do that, often the support costs go up.  (Don’t worry, we support Linux, and for an affordable price too.)

Price

Every company needs to start somewhere with their servers, and unfortunately price is typically a limiting factor.  The trick is to balance the other two options within your price range.  Keep in mind, just because your company has server needs, doesn’t mean you should bring everything in house.  You can use options like hosted exchange, web hosting, and even project management software hosting without increasing your internal infrastructure cost at all.  Our suggestion to you, don’t buy the smallest server around or try and use a old workstation to do the job of a server.  Spend a little bit extra and get a server with redundancy built-in if possible, you won’t regret it in the long run.

There is one question that we are asked now more than ever before: Should I switch from a PC to a Mac?  This question is one of the hardest ones we answer as it has so many variables, but the simple answer is, it depends.  There are several questions that you should ask yourself before jumping in and making the decision.

What am I used to, and am I willing to change?

This question may seem like one of the silliest questions, but it is perhaps the most important.  Several of the clients that I deal with have PC’s, but love the idea of the Mac, and who can blame them.  They are typically more pleasing to look at, lighter, and have the promise of just working.  The love affair for these clients stops there however.  Changing systems for these clients means learning something new, which with as busy as work is now, is just not a possibility.  It takes time for most people to make the switch from a PC to Mac, and it isn’t always pleasant.  Add-on the fact that there is almost always a 10% restocking fee for the mac if you don’t like it and you have yourself a standoff.  No one likes being locked into a decision they are not sure about.

Are the programs I use available on a Mac?

This is the second biggest problem we see with our customers.  The fact of the matter is no, not all the applications that you have on your PC are available natively on a Mac, this does not mean however that you can not run them on your mac.  I realize that the previous statement may be a little confusing, so let me expound on that.  While developers may not have created a version of their program to specifically run on a Mac, there are several options (AKA virtualization) that will allow you to run windows apps on your system.  Companies such as VMWare (we should say that they are a partner) and Parallels offer solutions that allow you to run full copies of windows on your Mac.  There are inherent problems with these solutions, namely the fact that they load a whole second computers Operating System on to your system which eats up hard drive space and when its running memory and your processing power.   The easiest solution if you have a arge portion of the company switching is finding a web based solution or moving to a terminal server (a remote computer that allows several people to connect and run windows without affecting their systems performance).

Will my company support a Mac?

This question is entirely for your boss and/or IT Team.  If Inevat manages your IT needs, the answer to this question is normally yes.  There are some exceptions to this rule and we would ask that you speak with us directly before you make any decisions.  Some companies do not allow the use of Mac on their sites due to the fact that company wide policies which are applied by server may require additional software to work on Macs.

So what should I do?

Well folks, this is where the bad news comes in.  The answer is entirely up to you.  Be aware, that switching from a PC to a Mac is a big commitment.  Like anything else, you will have some growing pains that you just have to endure.  Once you get used to the quirks of the new operating system, you should grow to enjoy the functionality of Macs.  Keep in mind that we are not suggesting that a Mac is right for everyone, but quite the opposite.  Think objectively before you make your purchase.

Well its about time we did this.

Inevat is finally joining the world of blogging.  Here you will find weekly tidbits on solving some of the issues we see on a daily basis.  From Office compatibility issues, to web design tidbits we will cover it all.  This all ties in nicely with our complete site redesign.

Feel free to let us know how you feel about that here also.