The following column appeared in the April 2010 issue of the Central Illinois Business Magazine.
Going Mobile and a Reminder of April Showers and Lightning-strike Power
By Jeff Facer (Owner and CEO, Area-Wide Technologies)
Every month, the technology industry’s leading manufacturers unveil laptops more powerful—and more compact—than anything ever before seen by computer connoisseurs. However, for many on-the-go company executives and decision-makers, sleek, powerful laptops no longer hold the appeal they once did. Indeed, laptops have been shoved aside by the newest technology accessory: the so-called “smart phone.”
Many readers are undoubtedly intimately familiar with smart phones, the most popular incarnations of which include Apple’s iPhone, Blackberry’s established line of mobile devices, and the Google-backed Droid. Virtually every major manufacturer of mobile devices has issued its own line of smart phones, with a number of these devices operating on a Windows-based software platform designed specifically for cellular telephones.
I’m often asked whether I consider this leap in technology to be a blessing or a curse. To be sure, the computing power of these devices—including the ability to synchronize the user’s business email, calendar, and contacts between his or her computer and mobile phone—can create a sense of never truly being “out of the office.” Additionally, I.T. administrators and service providers across the country know first-hand that configuring such devices for use in conjunction with corporate technology infrastructure can present a series of headaches.
That said, smart phones have enabled users to remain connected to their businesses despite hectic travel schedules, frequent time on sales or consulting calls, or any other out-of-office endeavors. Decision-makers no longer have to find a computer with an Internet connection to access email messages or stay abreast of emerging issues at the office; indeed, smart phones update these decision-makers in real-time and allow users to reply to email messages, view Word and Excel documents, and otherwise harness the power of a laptop computer—all from the palm of their hands.
Storm Preparedness as Spring Approaches
As I’ve written in this column the last several years, the lightning strikes that often punctuate springtime storms in Illinois can wreak havoc with your company’s technology infrastructure. There is no defense, of course, against a direct lightning strike, but annual storm data reveals that the majority of problematic power surges originate from a lightning strike to a power transformer or other conductive surface near the affected company’s place of business.
Placing surge protectors in strategic locations can help mitigate the enormous energy that can bolt across electrical 2wiring and telephone lines. Over my more than 15 years in the industry, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating consequences suffered by companies unprepared for the possibility of damage from the storms that gather over the skies of Illinois every spring and summer. Consequently, it’s never too early to consult your internal I.T. administrator or third-party services provider for recommendations, which may range from the deployment of the aforementioned surge protectors to the offsite backup and storage of your critical data as part of a more comprehensive corporate disaster-recovery plan.
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