The Ubuntu Linux desktop screen, courtesy of ficablok38

Virtual desktops mean you can have more than one screen or window of information available to you during the same session. With virtual desktops, you can choose on which desktop you’d like to have a certain application run. This feature is not generally available with a Windows system, but if you are lucky enough to have Linux installed on your computer, virtual desktops are waiting right at your fingertips.

Most Linux distributions place four virtual desktops at your disposal by default. To access these desktops, look at the taskbar. You’ll see four rectangles, and one of them will be highlighted. These rectangles represent your four virtual desktops. The one that is highlighted is the desktop in which you’re currently working. Click on one of the other rectangles, and a new desktop window appears, replacing the screen you were on before. If you had applications running in the other desktop, you won’t see those now. Start a new app in this desktop, then switch back to the other. See what happens?

A virtual desktop means you can run two instances of the same application on different screens, or just keep your windows organized. Even though this isn’t possible with Windows,  it is very easy to get a copy of Linux and give it a try, without changing your current computer setup at all. For instance, you can download Ubuntu Linux for free, burn it onto a CD, and run the operating system directly from your CD drive in order to test it. If you like it, you can set aside a partition on your hard drive and “dual boot,” using either Windows or Linux as your operating system. At the least, it’s a great way to demonstrate the concept of virtual desktops, for free.

In fact, says research think tank IDC, precisely because money is tight, IT departments will spend MORE this year on green initiatives in their departments.  Yes, that’s right, more. But it will be attributed to cost-cutting measures long term.

But here’s a familiar twist – server consolidation is listed as the number one “greening” technique that IT managers will turn to. Kandy Williams of Enterprise Management Quarterly wrote recently that 46% of CIOs at a recent National Association of State CIOs conference stated that consolidation was their “top green strategy” for 2009.

So, whatever color you want to call it, call it virtualization for the New Year and the new economy.

Obviously, IT departments can and should cut down on paper waste by doing more electronic communication, whether it’s via email, content management systems, or a combination of the two via a company intranet. These methods largely eliminate the need to print documents, but still maintain recordkeeping integrity by leaving an electronic “paper trail.”

Computer hardware and components are filling up our landfills in record amounts, but these items can be recycled. When end-of-life for systems approaches, check with local schools, libraries, or recreation departments. Oftentimes these organizations can bring new life to hardware by installing small footprint operating systems like Linux, using one systems as the server and making thin clients with no hard drive from the rest.

Server consolidation is another way that IT departments can help the environment. Virtual servers do the work of several machines in the space of one, using products like VMWare or Parallels. Virtualization is helping IT departments not only save money on hardware by drastically reducing the number of servers needed, but also lowers power costs and floor space requirements too.

For more information about going green on the IT shop floor, check out The Green Grid, a “global consortium dedicating to advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems.”

Dell’s support subscription, dubbed “Your Tech Team service” costs $12.95 a month or $99 a year, which gives you the option to speak only to American customer support reps on the phone. Reaction to the plan so far has been mixed; ranging from righteous indignation that Dell would deign to charge its paying customers for what many feel should automatically be the default scenario, to a collective sigh of relief accompanied by an enthusiastic, “Sign me up!”.  What do you think? Should Dell charge for domestic customer service, or should it be included in support contracts by default? Leave a comment and let us know.

The name can be misleading, but it is really the simplest form of blogging. Twitter allows its users to post updates about what they are doing, reach out to others who are “following” their updates, and network with other tweets. By giving the users the ability to follow and be followed by others it opens up large world of social networking.

To get connected:
1. Go to Twitter
2. Create a user name and password
3. Start adding people

You can search the network within Twitter by name or email to see who you already know who is using Twitter.

Wired Magazine had this to say:

“It validates the Twitter concept as something that people want. And people want it all over the world.”

Twitter is a part of the blinding speed that social networks are accelerating. It is more than addicting it is something that creates amazing results. Networking, community, and relationships that can all help you get the word out about what you and your business are great at doing. Not only are individuals using Twitter to boost resumes and get their skills noticed but also, churches, schools, sports teams, newspapers, are all using it to have a bigger broader voice; you name the source and I bet they Twitter.

There are applications for iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, and other phones. You can use it on your desktop through applications like Tweet Deck (my favorite), on your iPod Touch and through SMS messaging. 

The Future is Social:

Favorite Tweets:

(you can search for them on Twitter after you get a Twiiter account  or read what they are saying to get better aquanted with posting.)

Shama Hyder (Click to Client)

Robert Scoble (Scoblizer)

Biz Stone (Twitter Founder)

Adam Root (Root & Madison, LLC.)

Apple (Apple)

According to Edward Alexi of Tangent, Inc: “… approximately 90% of the day’s business communications are performed via email or by way of unsecured instant messages.”

Think about it, 20 years ago correspondence between offices was, just that, correspondence. With pens and paper. Now every topic, meeting, memo and conversation is done electronically. The paper trail is no more. 

What are the Rules:

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure govern the production of evidence in Federal cases. The FRCP is designed for the civil federal court system, with input from the US Supreme Court, and approval by the US Congress. Seventeen states have adopted the new rules for electronic stored information (ESI) discovery and eighteen additional states are considering adopting the new rules for state civil litigation. Companies that find themselves subjected to lawsuits within the federal and state courts system need to be prepared to meet the requirements as written and supply information immediately as it pertains to individual cases.

Amended Rule 26:
As of December 2006, all institutions must meet the eDiscovery requirements as stated in the FRCP. This amended rule was created to assist specifically at helping courts and litigators navigate the new world of ESI. The eDiscovery requirements recognize all electronic communication, especially email and IMs as now legal to request at the court’s convenience. Organizations now have a clear responsibility to produce ESI or face the penalty of the law.

Penalties of not following FRCP eDiscovery Requirements:
As outlined in Section V, Rule 37 “Failure to Make or Cooperate in Discovery; Sanctions,” penalties include paying for the expenses of the opposing party, contempt of court, imposing of sanctions against your case, heavy fines, or even an automatic guilty verdict. (ITworld.com)

There are some really great options to help you implement these laws.  Using a virtual desktop or server, backing up to an online source like .mac/MobileMe, google, or your companies online database,  will get the job done without slowing down operations; as if you just saved all these emails to your hard drive.  The ability to save these emails in one place, and retrieve them in one easy search is what is most important. 

This is something that, if put off will cost you time, money and could bring other unpleasant government consequences as well. 

When The Dallas Morning News requested specific e-mails last month from the county’s information technology director, the district attorney’s office said it would cost about $720 to pay someone to conduct a manual search. (Dallas News)

To help you with this transition, we at AIO Network Solutions can answer all your questions and give you options to meet your companies needs.

Outsourcing major functions of the day-to-day and gaining more with spending less. To which we say “awesome,” we welcome the change and the direction to which the nations economy is being forced to reconsider some of the decisions made.

The concept of David & Goliath, something small does not mean inefficient or blind to fact that big business could womp on David if so choosing; but big bad business that once clung to the idea that business must have bigger stuff to make bigger and better deals are not so anymore. David, has the advantage. Smaller resources are giving companies the ability to focus on customer service, make changes within the structure to rebuild foundations that had cracks and were unstable. David is stronger than ever and setting the standard to which Goliath must comply.

Big is the New Small:

VoIP (voice over IP) something mentioned and blogged about but not really understood or accepted as a mainstream form of communication. There is a perception it would be unreliable. Sure it is less expensive and more individualized but is going to be the same equability and performance than having multi-line phone system? Yes. It also gives more use of wireless functions. Being connected to the offices while in a business meeting in Japan, through your iPhone, for instance.

VoIP gives access to mobility which a phone line cannot. Mobility gives way to choice and options, something every business owner desires to have and also pass on to his clients.

Sally M. Cohen with Forrester Research says, “cable will continue to drive VoIP technology to the average US household, growing to almost 23 million lines by 2013 and pushing the overall VoIP market across the 28 million-line mark over the next five years.”

The main idea is the US is moving into a “change”; kind of like a diet. Unknown at first, but then as you get into it and can walk up the 14 stairs to your office without 3-4 stops the momentum gains; and no longer is it weird, it is exciting. Change is needed to move forward.

Someone very wise told me:

“If you want something you have never had, you must do something you have never done.”

This applies to all things. Want your business to grow, need more clients, choose to change what you are doing. Allow others to help, and embrace some of the really cool and mind blowing things that can be done to help your numbers peak and business to not only be more efficient but be profitable.

This week I will be discussing some great ideas and options within AIO Network Solutions, as well as getting some inside thoughts on the industry. Join us.

Sean Silverthorne author of The View from Harvard Business praises what 37signals is doing, Silverthorne says:

“When you’re competing against companies that have so much more, the only answer is to do less … do less than your competitors to beat them. Instead of one-upping other companies, one-down them. Instead of out-doing other products, under-do them.”

Sometimes the greatest ideas are the most simple. With Basecamp and other online tools, mobile business and management is simple. Create simple ideas that work perfectly, have excellent customer service, and treat your clients as partners to what you are moving towards achieving. Constant struggle to out-do the other guys will only bring more work, more headache and less gain. The simple adage of K.I.S.S always applies.