We are here to help
In our regular look at readers' IT woes, Business Solutions' panel of experts look at data backup, disposing of old computers, automatic shutdown software, and secure access for remote workers
This month the panel sorting out your IT worries consists of Michael Keefe, managing director of Surrey-based computer dealer Wizard Solutions; Dino Wilkinson, solicitor with Kimbells LLP; Phil Wilcock, CTO, 1E Consulting & Software; Graham Arthur, counsel to the Business Software Alliance; and Gary Jones, security analyst for MIS Corporate Security Systems.
Business Solutions welcomes queries from readers with IT difficulties. If you have a problem you would like to be considered in the next issue of Business Solutions, then email online.feedback @guardian .co.uk or write to Business Solutions, Online, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER. We will endeavour to publish as many answers as possible.
What with everything from the threat of war to the increased risk of flooding in our area, can you tell me more about data backup? All the systems I read about are aimed at (and priced for) corporate users backing up terabytes every night. I want to find something more suitable to my business, an independent estate agency with 10 employees.
Michael Keefe: I refer to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) as the forgotten 99%. According to the DTI, 99% of UK companies are SMEs, yet 99% of disaster recovery, off-site storage and business continuity services are aimed at enterprise-level and corporate users. But there are various options available to you. Backing up to tape has traditionally been popular. Financial outlay is minimal, but it does require a member of staff to have the onerous task of managing the nightly backup, taking the tapes home with them, and so on. Consider OnStream (www.onstream.com). Another common occurrence is for small offices to have a separate, dedicate external hard disk drive (Maxtor are worth a look at: www.maxtor.com). They can just drag-and-drop the files which have been updated before they lock the office door at night. Of course both of these options are susceptible to Murphy's law. The night you forget to run the tape of hard drive backup and take them home is the night your office floods. I personally recommend DataFort's "off-site" system; your data is backed up via your phone line or broadband connection to their own secure server farm via an automated interface. Have a look at www.datafort.co.uk.
I run a small office and we need to upgrade all our computers. How can we dispose of the old ones without demolishing either the environment or our finances?
Dino Wilkinson: Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste problem in the world but there are alternatives to dumping. Specialist recyclers can remove and dismantle old equipment at varying cost. Alternatively, there are charities such as Computer Aid International ( www.computer-aid.org) that refurbish unwanted computers for schools and community organisations. The disposal of hard disks containing personal information can have data protection implications, so you must ensure the data is erased. New legislation should come into force in the UK next year, making it illegal to simply destroy unwanted IT equipment and placing more responsibility on manufacturers to recycle their customers' obsolete stock.
Recently I spent a small fortune on a contractor who charged by the hour to install some new software in my company. The cost almost doubled from the quote he had given. He said the extra time equated to that that he had spent logging people out of their PCs, despite the fact that I had told my employees that they must turn off their computers at the end of the day when maintenance is planned. Is there a way I can ensure they do this short of brute force?!
Phil Wilcock: There is software available that can take care of user logoff/shutdown automatically. I would also suggest that you consider automating your software installation. There is no reason these days to visit every desktop every time you want to update some common software. Automation of this type can save you money, not only on the cost of the contractor but also in the pure energy savings associated with good power management practices. This saving can be as high as £100 per PC per year.
We've recently bought a batch of second-hand PCs and are using the software that came with them. Does this constitute an infringement of copyright, and is so, what can happen to us as a result?
Graham Arthur: Most software applications are supplied with a licence so they can be installed on a computer. When a PC is bought second-hand, licences for the software installed on the PC must be transferred to you also: you should receive all disks, packaging, manuals etc, for the software on the PC. If you do not, the safest bet is to delete all the software on the PC and purchase the software you need. Using software without licences constitutes copyright infringement. Unlicensed use can result in having to pay costs and damages, and can also constitute a criminal offence.
There are a few remote workers within my company who use ADSL to access the corporate network. How can I ensure secure access for these users and protect my network?
Gary Jones: This is an important issue right now with the advance of ADSL and the rising number of remote and home workers; and many smaller companies don't realise that they may be just as much at risk as the enterprise companies. Fortunately, there are two easy ways to ensure secure remote network access. One way to extend the security of a network to remote users is to install a firewall/intrusion detection system (often referred to as serverware). These systems are available for as little as £300 to £500, and offer an easy to manage security solution for remote workers. Another solution for secure remote working is to ensure that each remote worker has a personal firewall installed on the system that he or she is using to access the network.
