This article describes ten things that you can do to keep your computer in the best shape possible.
Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category
Have a Happy Computer
On November - 4 - 2009
Like us humans need good diet and excercise, computers need housekeeping and administration to keep them in shape.
Backup Backup Backup
On November - 3 - 2009
Backups in their simplest form are copies of the data files that are important to the business that owns them. These files might be letters, emails, customer designs, or anything that might have some value to the business or might cost money to replace. When asked,most business owners understand that there is a need to backup important data.However there are many companies that don’t understand the consequences that a damaged hard disk or a malicious staff member can bring.
Furthermore, under the Data Protection Acts of 1988 and 2003 there is an obligation on all data controllers, among other things to take “appropriate security measures must be taken against unauthorised access to, or alteration, disclosure or destruction of, the data and against their accidental loss or destruction.” In addition a minimum standard of security must include a backup procedure put in operation for computer held data, including off-site backup. While the legal requirement is compelling, the practical result of even a limited amount of data lost is worrying too.
The key factor in studies which calculate the cost of data loss to companies is whether the data loss is permanent or temporary. If the loss is temporary, the calculation (from the US) is that the cost to the company will be on average $557 [€350]. If the loss is permanent then the average cost is $20,557 [€12,934].
What is clear from our experience of developing and implementing hundreds of backup solutions, large and small; for our customers, is that any backup system, has to be simple, workable and effective without being cumbersome, time consuming and unreliable. There are, a large range of backup options available to businesses.
However experience tells us that any solution should meet a defined set of requirements before they should be considered as a permanent solution. With the ubiquity of modern day computing, backups are probably the single most important topic in Information Technology today. Richard Greenane, Technical Director of SupportsIT, looks at some of the solutions available.