Smb on Sonia Cuff

Find me at Microsoft Summit Sydney 2017

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 09:33:03 +0000

Want to know a productivity hack to tidying up all those loose ends? � Schedule some time away from the office. There�s no motivation like an immovable deadline!

Next week I�m travelling to Sydney for three Microsoft events. This time I�ve booked an AirBnB and the family are coming with me. I�m looking forward to some quality time with them, when I�m not mingling with my tech friends.

You�ll find me:

Microsoft 365 Business � not a rebrand or a marketing wrapper

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 09:42:38 +0000

After the announcement of Microsoft 365, I�d pushed it into the �look at this�later� pile. A recent Microsoft presentation at a reseller event�flicked the switch for me on how Microsoft 365 Business�could really help SMBs who are still stuck on Windows 7 or Windows 8, and how the device management can help with Macs, Android and iOS.

I blogged about my thoughts for 24�7 IT Connection:�https://24x7itconnection.com/2017/10/17/microsofts-strong-smb-story-with-microsoft-365-business/

If you�re looking for more technical information on Microsoft 365, here are blogs from some fellow Microsoft MVPs. If you have any other good resources, feel free to leave them in the comments:

Calling all SMB Innovators � Where are you?

Tue, 23 Feb 2016 05:10:09 +0000

Warning: This is an opinion piece and quite honestly, a rant. You have been warned.

Our business has been supporting the technology needs of SMBs for 12 years now, after we stepped out of the corporate world. The early years were comparatively easy � a business wanted I.T. support, we�d upgrade a server or two to newer software and bigger hardware and the addition of remote monitoring and management tools consolidated our efforts across our customer base. Nothing really extraordinary there.

How SMB IT service providers view the Cloud

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 06:04:13 +0000

It�s not news that IT is an ever-changing industry. The skills that I learnt when I first started are now mostly irrelevant. I say �mostly� because some of the fundamentals of disks, files, networks etc still hold true (once we�d migrated off token ring anyway). And I still use the command prompt to search for files. But when I started, there was no Cloud, no social media, no phishing, no virtualization, no sector based backups and no ADSL. File storage was done on a Novell Netware server or three, with a bank of dial-in modems for remote access.

Cloud Myth #1 � It�s bulletproof

Mon, 21 Jul 2014 06:11:33 +0000

I�ve seen a few discussions amongst the Australian IT community recently from people who are very anti-Cloud. Aside from privacy concerns (NSA access to data centres not located in Australia) and Internet infrastructure concerns (yes, many businesses still have pitiful Internet speeds), the next favourite objection involves every time a Cloud service has ever has an outage.

Microsoft�s Office 365 service didn�t help my cause today with a 3hr�degradation in service, where emails couldn�t be sent or received for a number of customers. When the service was restored though, all the emails caught up.

What are we selling?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:31:11 +0000

I�ve picked up a great book called �Stop bitching, start pitching� by Marty Kellard & Ian Elliot.� It�s forced me to really stop and think about how we pitch our managed service product, B.E.S.T.� They claim it�s not enough to have the best solution and the best sales message for it.� Instead you really have to do your homework and analyse the wants & needs (written and unwritten) of your customer and the key decision makers and influencers, then ensure that you are addressing those.� Especially for new business, a customer needs to be able to picture you working with them to solve their business problems, and taking it much further than just replacing the current IT guy that they are unhappy with.

Storage in the Australian SMB Space

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:33:17 +0000

Day 2 of the New Zealand Computer Troubleshooters conference was full of very talented kiwis highlighting open source, retail shops/service centres, and job management systems.� James Caldwell didn�t have to try very hard to�remind us�why we love AVG (especially when they sponsored the Friday night mini-golf/spit roast dinner/drinks/prizes & more drinks).

But the topic that�really made me think was Storage Management, presented by Jeff Maslen.� With credentials including HP, IBM and Ingram Micro, it�s great to see someone of that calibre at our conference.� He was such an engaging speaker, that a lot of people walked out of the room saying �I don�t know what he was talking about, but I want one�.� With Jeff warning that the days of direct attached storage (e.g. hard disks inside servers) are numbered, he advised us to get onboard with technologies such as iSCSI SANs etc, even in the SMB market.� Now, I�ve always understood the reasons for SANS, Blade servers etc in the corporate world (where data volumes are huge and floor/rack/data centre space is limited AND expensive � but for SMBs?� And when we talk SMB, we talk less than 30 PCs � more likely less than 10 PCs.� Jeff�has enough experience�and knowledge for me not to dismiss his ideas completely, but instead make me interested enough to find out more and see just how�SMB owners can be sold on the value of $10,000+ storage solutions.� Not to mention the fact that I know his name from somewhere�and it�s driving me crazy trying to figure out from where!