Q.  I have a small business with 25 employees that rely heavily on email as a communication method with our customers and business partners.  We have been struggling with managing our current email system that is running on a server in our office.  Should we spend the time and effort to upgrade our server and email software or is a hosted email solution a good alternative?     -  David B, Philadelphia

You just sent a prospect or client an important email? Uh Oh, what happens next?

We are a trade association and are trying to use our website to do more with our customers online.  One of the areas that we struggle with is trying to determine who is coming to our website and where they go once they arrive.  Is there an application that provides this type of information that is easy to use and affordable?   - Mark S. 

Question:  I am with a trade association in DC that has about 40 employees and we have one internal IT Manager but we are constantly experiencing system wide outages that last a few minutes to several hours.  We also have many little problems with our individual computers all the time and I am wondering if this is a common occurrence in the business world or if we just happen to be unique.  What types of technology problems are other organizations experiencing on a regular basis ?  Liz C., Washington DC

Question: In these tough economic times, we are trying to save money where we can, but we have a server that is 5 years old and some other equipment that was purchased around the same time.  How long should we hang on to this stuff or should we replace it now ? - Will H, Maryland

Due to the wide variety of organizations located in the Washington DC area, we have an opportunity to review and test a number of products each year in search of solutions for our customers’ unique business requirements.One resource we often consult is Computer Reseller News (CRN). 

Is tape backup the best solution for your critical information ?

The answer we are hearing from more and more businesses is an overwhelming No!   Numerous clients have referred to some of the many recent instances of stolen laptops that have contained thousands (or more!) of sensitive customer records that have potentially been compromised from their backup tapes.  Other clients have mentioned critical financial data being lost or damaged as a result of flooding.

A small business today faces many of the same technology challenges as larger companies.  However, for a variety of reasons, many small businesses have not implemented any type of comprehensive network monitoring tools. Be proactive, implement a 24/7 monitoring solution in your environment today and sleep easier at night!