Archive for August, 2010
Protect Your Businesses With Hosting From Dps Software
In January 2005 Carlisle was hit by wild weather which plunged half the county into darkness and brought boats on to the city streets. Floods of up to 13 feet deep put Cumbria into headlines worldwide. It is no wonder that in the aftermath of such a disaster, the residents of Carlisle feared any warnings of flooding.
Determined not to be defeated by flooding again, Carlisle residents took measures to protect their homes and businesses, so that when heavy rain had caused flood warnings to be issued in October 2008, they could be ready.
One such Carlisle-based business, Malcolm Dodds Solicitors, took out a hosting policy with DPS Software in order to protect their IT infrastructure in the face of such disasters.
Hosting is the process by which software that is traditionally run from a desktop PC is run over the internet in virtually the same fashion. All that is required is broadband internet access to the DPS data centre, other than that, users go about their work in exactly the same way. As IT infrastructure and maintenance is carried out off site, flooding and other such disasters do not effect IT systems and provided the building is accessible, hosting allows clients to carry on working as normal.
Hosting ensures that software is kept up to date while the host carries the burden of keeping hardware performance checked and maintained. In addition, the need for IT staff and expertise is removed to the hosting provider. This allows firms to capitalise on not only a wider variety of software, but also more advanced versions of hardware. This is beneficial for firms as they can use the same software as much larger competitors offering high levels of client service without the major upfront costs.
Malcom Dodds commented: “Hosting guarantees a trouble free software system. I no longer have any networking problems and I have not had to call on engineers since I went hosted. This has saved me a considerable amount of money, time, and lowered my blood pressure to acceptable levels!”
He added, “Updates were becoming a problem with crime as the LSC introduced contract changes on a regular basis and I was having to install all these on the computer on my network, but these are now dealt with by DPS.”
“I have always found the support staff at DPS to be excellent since I became a client over 14 years ago. It also makes the system more mobile and I can access my case management system from anywhere and particularly with the advent of digital dictation working away from the office becomes a viable alternative. It is all worth serious consideration.”
Home computer to the rescue
Thank goodness for computers, eh?
What a lifesaver…especially when your television packs up just at the wrong moment.
And what moment could be more disastrous than your 32″ TV going kaput three minutes before kick-off of the most important match England has ever played. (Although perhaps the way they are playing EVERY match is the most important match they have ever played!)
All the staff at Eflex Computers had come in to work two early so they could knock off two hours early to watch England take on Slovenia in the crucial, must-win game.
Gary, Paul, Kirstie, and Jan had all decided to go to the pub – but family-man Alex had promised to watch the match with his kids who had also been allowed to go home early (nice to see the education system gets their priorities right sometimes!)
So while Gary and the others were supping beer and nibbling pork scratchings with three minutes to go before kick-off, Alex was busy getting the lemonade, and Pringles together on a tray.
He was in the kitchen signing “Three Lions On A Shirt” quite loudly to himself, when he was interrupted by the sound of his son and daughter screaming:
Dad! Dad! The telly’s gone! The telly’s gone!
Alex rushes in to find a smoking Goodmans smouldering away on the smoke-grey tabletop, and puts his hands to his head in utter dismay.
“Do something, dad,” the kids scream, “do something!”
It was obvious by the wisps of grey emanating from the back of the set that it wasn’t a simple fuse problem.
Okay, says Alex in his calmest voice. There’s only one thing to do – reach for the loft!
What? his kids wail.
The spare TV, of course.
But it’s only a 14″ and anyway, it doesn’t have a scart socket.
Oh yeah, says Alex.
Come on dad, only a minute to go.
What about the PC, says his daughter knowingly. Of course! thinks Alex. Why didn’t I think of that? Because you’re a twit, says his son under his breath, as Alex rushes over to their AMD home computer and it’s glorious 19-inch widescreen monitor, super VGA graphics, and mega fast 160 gig hard drive! Ideal for a family with young children, the AM3 Sempron processor makes it perfect for day-to-day home and office use…and for watching live television streaming!
And within seconds, Alex has got the home computer up and running, just in time to see Wayne Rooney staring at them during the national anthems.
Phew! Say his kids, that was close. And England made sure they got one-step closer to that elusive prize – the World Cup – with a great Jermain Defoe strike, and a much better all-round display, that leaves everyone at Eflex shouting once again: Come On England!