As usual, there are a lot going on here at the CIU INC headquarters, and there are a few things we’d like to share with you, our valued clients.
CIU Turns Five!
First and foremost, CIU celebrated its 5th anniversary on February 9th. Thanks to all who make us run successfully!
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| What is new @ CIU? |
CIU is proud to announce a new partnership with Ingram Micro’s Seismic Level Platform Managed Services. What does this mean for you?
By becoming a managed service provider, we are able to proactively manage any potential risk to your IT infrastructure 24 x 7 and ensure your systems are running at their optimum performance levels.
Bottom line; we’ll know about any potential problems that may put your systems at risk long before you do, allowing us to fix the problem and eliminate costly downtime and lost productivity. CIU’s monitoring packages include:
• Continuous Monitoring including alerts, pre-failure indicators and monthly reports
• Asset Management to manage inventory and warranty tracking
• Security Assurance that continuously monitors for viruses, worms, spam ware and other malware and
automated verification of data backup completion
• Preventive Maintenance for automated scripting and automated patching
• Quarterly Business Reviews to set objectives and plan for improvements
To hear more about how CIU’s partnership with Level Platforms can help you, CONTACT US.
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| IT Tech Tip of the Month |
 So you are one of those who purchased HD-DVD's. What do you do with them?
Warner Bros. HD-DVD to Blu Ray exchange that's what.
Upgrade your Warner Bros. HD-DVDs for new BLU-RAY discs.
www.red2blu.com
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| IT Topic of the Month: Should I upgrade my computer to Windows 7? Which version would I need?
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Microsoft has redeemed itself with Windows 7 which is light-years ahead of its predecessor; Vista.
Does that mean we endorse it for everyone?
Simply put… NO.
There are several factors to consider before upgrading.
How old is my computer? Will it support Windows 7?
I often here “My computer is only a few years old”. Unfortunately in computer years (similar to dog years) that just may be too old. Windows 7 was developed for today’s computers, which are bigger and faster than just a couple of years ago. Windows 7 requires at least 16GBs of available space and 1GB of RAM, but we recommend 50GB and 4GB respectively. Contact us and we will let you know if you can make the change.
Should I perform an Upgrade or Fresh Install?
We always recommend installing a new Operating System with a fresh install. Upgrades seem to cause issues with Hard Drive fragmentation and Start up applications. To see the full benefits of Windows 7, backup up your stuff and reformat.
Do you run any legacy applications?
Some older applications will not run or are not supported on Windows 7. We can let you know if your applications will run on 7.
What version do I get?
There are technically 3 versions of Windows 7; Home Premium, Professional, & Ultimate.
If you are one of CIU's clients, you need Pro.
One more thing to consider… there are two versions of each. 32bit or 64bit. 32bit will only allow up to 4GB of Ram, where 64bit will go much higher (depends on the version). I would recommend going to 64bit only if all your applications and hardware will support it. Oh… and keep in mind, you cannot upgrade from 32bit to 64bit
Bottom Line: I would only recommend going to Windows 7 with the purchase of a new PC. Only get 64bit if all your software can handle it.
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| Tech Gadget of the Month: Powermat |
 Sick and tired of the cord clutter at your home or your office? We saw this cool new gadget and thought it would be perfect for many of our clients:
Powermat http://www.powermat.com/us/home/
A slim, sleek charging mat for your home or office that wirelessly charges up to 3 Powermat-enabled devices simultaneously (plus one USB power port). Works with all Powermat receivers. Universal Powercube with 8 tips is included to enable you to charge hundreds of different devices.
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| Tech Word of the Month: Googol |
Googol: (pronounced Google) Most of us know that Google is one of the most robust and powerful search engines on the internet, but a few of us from the old days of Cosmos with Carl Sagan remember that a Googol is a 1 followed by one hundred zeros, or 10100 or; 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000. Googleplex is the name of the Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA, but a googolplex is 1 followed by a googol zeros or 1010100. I would attempt to write that out, but it would be physically impossible, since doing so would require more space than the known universe provides.
Bottom Line: We are geeks.
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