As time moves forward, technology is close behind; always advancing and changing. Computers have been around for years and we’ve seen them decrease in size but increase in power. We’ve seen new operating systems and better screens, but the one thing we haven’t seen at a consumer level is the change in hard drive technology. While early super computers used Solid-State Drives (SSD) and similar technology, the high price and larger storage options for traditional electromechanical disks made them a popular option for both enterprise and consumer-grade systems. In a traditional hard disk drive, a set of metal platters spin at anywhere from 5400 rotations per minute (rpm) to 15000 rpm providing storage capacities upwards of 4 Terabytes. In fact, you can check out what a spinning hard drive in slow motion looks like to really understand how quickly the data can be read/written. However, moving parts mean hard drives have an expiration date. Also, if a moving hard drive is dropped, there’s a good chance that drive won’t function correctly again. So, what’s the next step in hard drive technology? SSD.

Unfortunately, the time has come for Pandora, the beloved online music channel to introduce a cap on our mobile listening experience. Over the course of one month, users will only be allowed to listen to 40 hours of music before they’re prompted to pay an additional amount to continue listening. If they decide not to pay more, the user will have to wait until the next month before continuing their listening.

I believe a lot of companies are starting to realize that many people would rather stick with their gently used laptop than run out and purchase a new tablet. However, at the same time, I believe that laptops, in a sense, are disappearing due to declining popularity. When a user’s laptop dies, instead of spending $800 on a new laptop, they would rather spend the $500 on a tablet. The problem lies in the tablet companies getting their devices in the hands of users who need laptop replacements and people who would rather have a laptop instead of a tablet.

To combat this, many tablet manufacturers like Microsoft are releasing tablets that have the option for a keyboard to be attached. One of these machines is the Microsoft Surface Pro. Pictured above, the Surface Pro has laptop-like speed and capabilities along with an easily detachable keyboard/mouse to suit your needs, depending on the activity you’re currently working on. The keyboard helps when typing up an important document or working within a spreadsheet. However, removing the keyboard gives you just the screen for ease in browsing the internet or playing a touch based game. It’s not just Microsoft that has the keyboard for their tablet. Asus has an optional keyboard along with the popular Apple branded iPad.

So the overall question: do the tablets of today make a compelling argument to switch from a laptop to a tablet? Do the faster processors and detachable keyboards make them a good alternative to their heavier, more bulky counterpart? What do you think? Would you replace your current laptop with a new tablet?

If virtualization seems like just another buzzword, think again. Virtualizing your environment offers a hefty amount of benefits, including saving you money and providing increased flexibility and mobility. So just what is virtualization?

Virtualization is a technique that allows the consolidation of multiple systems or servers to run on a single server or device. Many companies use virtualization to consolidate several physical servers to a single server, saving a lot of money and up-front costs in hardware, and providing long-term cost savings for on-going maintenance, management and energy usage. But, virtualization is not just for servers – it's also available for networking devices, disk storage and even desktop computers. Simply put, virtualization provides the ability to accomplish more with less hardware and less management.

One major benefit of virtualization is the overall cost savings in needing less hardware and devices to provide the same technology services. Less hardware means less on-going support and maintenance costs, too. Companies will also benefit from the increased redundancy and data protection that virtualization solutions provide. For those looking to move to cloud-based services, implementing virtualization in-house will provide a much easier path to the cloud. Finally, the increased flexibility and mobility that virtualization can provide allows a business to quickly adapt to market fluctuations and stay competitive in the marketplace.

If those benefits don't intrigue you, there's more. Virtualization can provide every part of an organization with enhanced capabilities, whether it’s increased remote access for a mobile workforce or providing a test environment to insure smooth and tested technology upgrades. Companies should virtualize to consolidate servers, provide redundancy, increase efficiency of their workforce, and to reduce costs.

With virtualization you can focus more on your core business needs, not just on supporting your technology systems. Businesses that use virtualization are quicker to adapt to change, more responsive to customer demands and better able to align their technology system to their business goals.

To set up a consultation to begin virtualizing your environment, call IT Resource today at 616.837.6930.

Part of being an IT Consultant is the ability to build partnerships with several different companies. With these partnerships come opportunities to try new products and work with new software and hardware. Just in the beginning of this year, IT Resource decided to build a partnership and relationship with EMC, a Cloud computing and IT Solution provider. After talking and working with a few different EMC representatives, we decided to purchase a demo product; an EMC VNX5300 SAN Solution.



The SAN was shipped to us within a miniature rack bolted to a pallet which was dropped into our back room. From there, Kevin, our Data Center Handler, put together a plan to get the SAN moved out of our back room and into our Grand Rapids area Data Center. He worked with a few resources in the building to find some space in our racks, set up access to our network, and determined the best route for getting it installed. Once that was all figured out, several of us gathered together to get the job done!

Step 1 was to figure out a place to put the new device. Kevin organized this location on our Rack:

The next step was to disassemble the device(s) from the rack it was shipped in. Here I am taking the necessary screws out in preparation of the move. The devices have been removed already, but the rails for mounting also need to be moved.



Once that was finished, we moved into the Data Center to get everything installed. We had individually carried the devices over to the data center and set them down while we moved the mounts that I was removing. After the mounts were installed, we moved the devices into the rack. Here Todd and I are moving one of the devices into the rack.



After everything was installed, I put the final screws in and made sure everything was mounted correctly and securely.



To finish off the installation, Todd and Pat connected all the individual devices together to get them working as one. Here they are hard at work.



After everything was all hooked up and secured in, the SAN was ready to be configured! Here is a shot of our finished product.



Now that it’s installed, Kevin will organize a time for everyone to meet together and start configuring the EMC SAN for use in our west Michigan Data Center. The purpose of this installation was to configure and use it normally so IT Resource can evaluate the product and determine if it’s right for new and existing customers. IT Resource strives to give our customers the best and most reliable equipment with expert service to go along with it!

What does your IT roadmap look like? Is your business on the path to efficiency, or are you staring at a wrong turn sign? As we begin a new year, now is the perfect time to ask yourself those questions.

As a businessowner you understand the importance of a solid IT infrasructure, but in order for your organization to run efficiently, you need a trusted partner who can handle those vital aspects of the company. Imagine how smoothly your business would run if you had continuous optimal communication lines amongst each employee. Or, how important a solid and speedy internet connection would be to your entire organization. It's not just one or two projects that require the assistance of a trusted IT partner, it's truly the entire backend of your business.

You see, at IT Resource, we understand that so many aspects of business rely on technology. That's why we've implemented a staff that has specialities in networks, software, hardware, and everything in between. We look for clients who we can partner with on a full scale level. When we are brought on as a member of your team we can insure that your business is running as efficiently as possible. So often companies have leaks that can really add up over time - slowly robbing your business of valuable time and money.

As we begin 2013, your objectives may include taking a look at upgrading your software, adding on to your facility, or purchasing new hardware. When you involve IT Resource from the start, we can work with you to insure you are making the best investments for your business - saving you time and money in the long run. We look for clients who we can team up with - call us today to see how we can help you start your year off right.

On Thursday the 10th of January, Java came under attack once again with a Zero-Day vulnerability. The immediate advice of Oracle (the company that maintains Java) was to promptly disable Java running on any machines to minimize the damage done. A Zero-day vulnerability is a flaw in the software or code that the creator or maintainer isn’t aware of at the time of the attack. This means, at the time of the major attack on Thursday, Oracle had no idea the vulnerability was being exploited and thus had no way to fix the issue right away.