Hot Tips on Microsoft Word 2007

Don’t linger on the Review tab!

There is currently an issue with the review tab in Word 2007 which affects the speed of some processes. For example, cursor movement slows down considerably when moving between letters using the cursor keys, and even when using the control key with the cursor keys to jump between words.

Switching between tasks using the alt and tab keys is also affected. Our advice is, if you need to use the review tab, for example to turn on change tracking, then click to another tab to continue editing your document.

Need a useful FTP (File Transfer Protocol) tool?

I get asked quite often by people what I’d recommend as a useful FTP (File Transfer Protocol) tool.  Here is my answer!

There’s a lot of software out there that does this job, and everyone has their favourites, but I must admit that I’m a big fan of SmartFTP (http://www.smartftp.com/).

This type of tool is really useful for manually moving data files around systems in your organisation, and between your organisation and third parties.  Sometimes email just isn’t practical, especially if the files are large.  Also, a good FTP tool is essential if you ever need to upload to, or download from, your website anything that isn’t dealt with via some sort of content control process on your site itself.  For example, it’s how we update the database that contains our tips and case studies on our site.

I’ve been using SmartFTP for 8 years now.  It’s user friendly, it gets the job done well and I find it very intuitive to use.  Also, it doesn’t cost the earth - the standard version costs under £20.  They’ve recently released version 3.0 and it’s even better than ever.

So, if you’re looking for a powerful but useable FTP tool, I’d recommend you try SmartFTP on a 30 day free trial and see what you think. Like me, you might never look back!

Internet facing ‘meltdown’ by 2010

It has been claimed that the internet is running too much data on too little infrastructure. As a result there could be a dramatic slowdown by 2010 as the sheer scale of data exceeds the ability of the networks to cope.

The conclusions come from the Nemertes Research Group who have spent the past year analysing data flows over the internet and the core infrastructure that carries that information. Their conclusion is that that serious bottlenecks will occur in three to five years.

“Our findings indicate that core fibre and switching/routing resources will scale nicely to support virtually any conceivable user demand. However internet access infrastructure will cease to be adequate for supporting demand within the next three to five years.” Say the reports authors.

“I don’t think that the report’s authors are suggesting that the entire internet will collapse by 2010, but business owners are ever more reliant on broadband technology” comments Derrick Cameron MD of IT firm Eximium. “If access times and bandwidth constraints fall to the levels predicted it is bound to have an effect on innovation”

E-commerce will also be hit hard as access times will be erratic, and customers will be turned off and less able to make purchases. “As business owners and as consumers we have quickly become used to all the advantages the internet can offer. As a result it has become an integral part of most business models and the future of the economy. If the reports findings are accurate, then action needs to be taken sooner rather than later” adds Cameron.

Smaller firms suffer from “silo working”, survey says

New technology is creating a worrying form of “silo working” at small firms, where information is not freely available to the whole organisation. A survey of 100 small firms employing up to 250 people has found that “do it yourself” IT is causing the problem.

The survey, commissioned by Apple database firm FileMaker, says the increasing IT skills of the office worker, coupled with the ease of use of modern technology, is creating new and worrying “micro-silos” of data at UK SME businesses.

This is putting productivity, compliance and profits at risk. Although the technology available to UK businesses has never been better, end-users are taking IT policies into their own hands.

In doing so, they are creating dangerous micro-silos of data within their organisations, typified by crucial documents being locked away on individual PCs and in e-mail accounts, creating “a wilderness of data outside existing policies and processes”, comments Derrick Cameron.

The survey found that 64% of IT managers questioned believed their business suffered from a micro-silo mentality when it came to company information, with almost half (45%) believing this is a result of poor IT management.

“IT free-styling” is now much more prevalent, with 77% thinking it is easier to create/customise critical business applications than three years ago, resulting in essential data residing with single users. “Whilst it is important that staff have a level of freedom over what they use and introduce” comment Derrick Cameron from Eximium “it is important that central data is stored centrally. Otherwise confusion will reign and important work will be replicated or at worst lost forever”.

CIOs must ‘reassess role of IT function’

IT directors and CIOs need to reassess the role of the IT department as tech-savvy end-user departments buy their own systems and make use of web collaboration tools.

The respected analyst group Gartner said at its Symposium conference last week in Orlando that since users can now buy what they need via the web, businesses must re-evaluate the IT function.

Gartner said that the IT department should define what it is really good at, and for other activities play the role of advisor and facilitator. Derrick Cameron from Eximium comments that “It used to be the case that the IT team would assume all responsibility for such matters within the organization. Now they should no longer assume responsibility for supporting and managing all IT systems that workers use. Instead, users must take personal responsibility for experimenting with new software and communities”.

Whilst this would have seemed unthinkable a few years ago, because of the pace of change it has now become inevitable “Technologies such as Web 2.0 and software as a service will give business units and selected users more independence to set their own IT direction” added Cameron.

Small Firms unaware of Data Protection issues

Small businesses have a much lower awareness of the principles of the Data Protection Act than larger organisations, according to a new research commissioned by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Whilst over half of small businesses recognise the importance of keeping customers’ personal information secure, only 22 per cent are aware that the Data Protection Act requires them to keep all customer information accurate and up to date.

In an age when the risk of identity fraud is increasing, these findings are a worry and a potential risk to smaller firms. Derrick Cameron of Eximium comments “Whilst individuals are regularly urged to protect their personal information, companies of all sizes also have a responsibility to be certain that customer data is secure and accurate. This is a serious issue that can easily come back to haunt companies - ignorance is no defence in law”.

Full information on the law is provided in the Good Practice Notes published by The Information Commissioner’s Office.

Eximium becomes a McAfee partner

Business IT specialists Eximium have announced a new partnership agreement with international security software provider McAfee.

The Luton based firm are already a registered Microsoft partner and believe that this new relationship with one of the world’s biggest IT security software companies will have a number of benefits for their customers.

“There are a huge number of products on the market and we carefully evaluate anything before we consider re-selling. After extensive testing we were very impressed with the McAfee products ability to cope with viruses and spam, its flexibility, and the fact that it allows us to install and update the product on our clients’ computers quickly and without leaving the office. This means we can offer a faster service but for less money” comments Eximium’s Technical Director, Derrick Cameron.

Survey reveals IT is secret behind UK business success

Recent survey finds that good IT was instrumental to businesses achieving the 7 identified attributes of successful businesses.

A recent report carried out by Henley Management College, and sponsored by Hewlett Packard, identified 7 key attributes of successful companies, including staying focussed and having big ideas. It was shown that all 7 of the attributes were supported in some way by IT.

The survey found that IT helped companies achieve their goals and remain innovative, among other key success factors.

Richard Wright, HP’s vice president personal systems group for the UK and Ireland said, “IT is the hidden eighth. It is key to business and helps enable the rest of the habits.”

Derrick Cameron from business IT specialist Eximium comments “IT can be a great asset to a company but it can also be its worst enemy. The key to great IT, and clearly to business success, is to make sure that your IT delivers what your business needs from it and not just what it can manage with.”

For more information about how to harness the power of your IT, contact Eximium for a free IT Fact Find worth £500.

Research shows poor planning is cause of IT failures

New research shows that planning is the most important factor behind successful IT projects.
Poor system specifications in the design and preparation stages of IT projects are the reason that more that 66% of new initiatives fail. The lack of clear and properly planned technical and business requirements combined with poor design criteria and descriptions are derailing 2 out of 3 IT projects.

Research conducted by Coleman Parkes for vendor Avanade says inadequate business understanding, badly thought out selection and lack of funds also contribute to the problems.
“Businesses tend to blame the IT team when an IT project fails. But this research shows that often it goes back to the old saying – when you fail to plan you plan to fail. In this case, technical staff are being blamed for a lack of focus on essential planning tasks needed by senior business management. It is important that business management take ownership and get more ‘hands-on’ with the IT team, to ensure that they are going to get what the business needs from the project” says Eximium’s Technical Director, Derrick Cameron.

Eximium becomes a Microsoft partner

Business IT Specialist Eximium announced today that they are to become registered Microsoft partners with immediate effect.

Microsoft is one of the world’s largest companies and offers the most widely used software on domestic and business computers. The new relationship means that Eximium can offer specialised advice and more flexibility to customers.

“We are delighted to now be considered as a Microsoft partner and are looking forward to offering new services to our customers, including sourcing Microsoft products directly from us” comments Eximium’s Technical Director, Derrick Cameron. “This also means that we can work with our customers to ensure they have the best licensing arrangement for new and existing software, so that they are not paying more than they have to, but can also access the latest Microsoft products”.