2009 Product of the Year Award
2009 was a big year for mobility. In part, this was due to the increasing acceptance of Apple's iPHone by the business community. Late in the year, the new SmartPhones with Google's ANDROID operating system came out, and they have been extremely popular as well. Businesspeople now have an attractive and fun phone that synchronizes data with their business computer system.
So, is our "Product of the Year" Award going to be the iPhone? Android? SmartPhones??
No! Instead, the award goes to the technology that makes it so easy to sync smartphones with your business computer system - Microsoft's ActiveSync software. This software comes standard in Microsoft's Small Business Server package. Once enabled and configured, it is very simple to configured a smartphone to syncronize email, calendars, contacts and tasks.
ActiveSync is not a new product - it has been around for a while. But it was only recently that devices hit the market and became so popular that it triggerred the implementation of this technology.
So, Congratulations to Microsoft! I'm sure Bill Gates will be thrilled......
** Matrix Solutions is a leading provider of business networking services, on-site service and support, network monitoring, computer repair, and basic technology consulting to businesses in Central Mississippi. We cover Jackson, Madison, Ridgeland, Richland, Brandon, Canton, Clinton and surrounding cities. Visit our website at matrixsolutions.com**
10-15-2009 My Experience with Windows7
I keep 3 workstation on my desk - one machine dedicated to programming, one machine to run Time Matters, write letters, process email, etc., and one machine for testing. This week, I converted my 'testing' machine from WindowsXP to Window7. Here's what I experienced.
1) There is no 'upgrade' process from WindowsXP. XP users will have to reinstall all data and applications after W7 is installed. At first I was disappointed. However, since we haveSuperDOC with all of our CDs and license keys
2) When I inserted the W7 cd, it took me through a wizard that had me download a 'system checker' tool to make sure that my hardwares is compatible with W7. I am using a 5-year-old workstation - a Dell Optiplex GX260 - with 1.25GB of memory and a P4 2GHz. ( These specs are shown when you right-click on MyComputer and choose Properties.) So, it's not a speed-demon. The wizard reported minor incompatibilities with my network card and my sound driver and said that running Windows Update after the upgrade would fix the problems.
3) Next, the install wizard had me download a 'backup your settings' program. This program requires a Katrina drive ( external USB hard drive ) and backs up your local data. So, if you are on a home machine or otherwise have lots of documents and photos saved on your local machine, you can use this wizard. I am on a network so I have NO data stored locally. However, I ran the wizard and it took about 30 minutes to back up my local settings.
4) Next, the actual installation occurred. There was a reboot or two, but everything installed just fine. At this point it was if I had a brand new machine - so I had to set everything up. First, I had to reconnect the machine to our network. Then I installed MS Office, Time Matters, PCLaw, Acrobat, and a few other miscellaneous programs.
How is my system working now? Generally very good.
My machine performance is excellent with only 1.25 GB of memory.
I can find my way around the OS pretty well - still looking for the best way to search files and folders.
The user interface is really nice. The screen savers, desktops, icons, etc., are all very beautiful and in high resolution.
Overall it is a very positive experience. I would not hesitate to purchase W7 on a new machine, but I would not upgrade an XP machine unless you had a finite reason to do so. Vista users should upgrade as soon as they can.
** Matrix Solutions is a leading provider of business networking services, on-site service and support, network monitoring, computer repair, and basic technology consulting to businesses in Central Mississippi. We cover Jackson, Madison, Ridgeland, Richland, Brandon, Canton, Clinton and surrounding cities. Visit our website at matrixsolutions.com**
09-30-2009 Update from the Lexis Nexis Practice Management Conference
I just returned from the 3rd Annual Practice Management conference put on by Lexis Nexis(LN,) makers of Time Matters, PCLaw, HotDocs, and Juris. This conference is open to all independent consultants and LN clients and has several purposes:
1) to provide an opportunity to network with other consultants, customers, and LN Management
2) to be a forum to discuss the direction and plan for the practice management(PM) software and services offerred by LN
3) to offer training on upcoming releases of LN software and services
Overall, the mood was very positive. Many of the people we have been working with have been replaced by a new set of people who are definitely marketing-oriented. There appears to be a sincere effort to define the market for PM products and to continue to research and clarify the needs of the clients. A fellow CIC summed up the mood when he told me: "MY B-S Detector is not going off like it used to."
Many CICs are still reeling from the cancellation of the excellent program Billing Matters. Lexis announced a 4-year sunset of the product - meaning that they will continue to support it and release bug fixes but that no new features will be added. In 4 years they will stop supporting the program.
In a shocking move, LN announced that PCLaw would replace Time Matters as its entry-level practice management solution. That means that small firms ( 1-5 attorneys ) wanting to implement a practice management solution will be steered towards PClaw. In addition to timekeeping, billing and accounting, PCLaw also includes calendaring, document management and email management features.
People that have been using Time Matters, especially those that use extensive customization of the program, will realize that the limited features of PCLaw are by no means a complete practice management solution. However, since PClaw contains billing and accounting, it may be a nice starting point with which new firms can get their feet wet.
In another startling shift of policy, beginning January 1st, clients without AMP agreements will no longer receive support - EVEN IF A CIC IS INVOLVED! An AMP, or Annual Maintenance Plan, is an annual fee that allows end-users to access LN tech support as well as free service releases and product upgrades.
There was a nice selection of vendors at the show that offer products and services to users of the PM product line. Offerings included integrated credit card processing, rules-based docket management, feature packages, integration with network scanners, and more. We will definitely be doing more to promote the add-on vendors in the coming year.
Overall, the conference was positive and it looks like a bright future ahead for the LN Family of practice management products.
** Matrix Solutions is a leading provider of business networking services, on-site service and support, network monitoring, computer repair, and basic technology consulting to businesses in Central Mississippi. We cover Jackson, Madison, Ridgeland, Richland, Brandon, Canton, Clinton and surrounding cities. Visit our website at matrixsolutions.com**
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