IT Solutions Blog | Trigon Technology

IT Support | Apple Introduces Volume Purchase Program For Enterprise

Press Release via MacRumors:

Streamline your purchasing process and put more power and productivity in the hands of your workforce. Every paid app in the App Store is available for businesses to buy in volume through the program website. Simply search for the apps you need, enter the quantity you want to buy, and complete the transaction with your corporate credit card. Apps are available for purchase at the same price listed in the App Store.

A few years ago, I would have been slapped in the face if I had brought up the possible enterprise implications of the iPhone. Have you ever had a frappé slapped out of your hands sending the sweet, delicious drink onto your khakis? It's not enjoyable. Or financially wise, for that matter.

However, this volume licensing does matter financially for companies that need to sort out many hundred, thousands...or even tens of apps for their employees. It can get hairy passing around an iTunes account for users and keeping tracks of apps. That should get easier with iCloud but now the big bosses can buy apps in massive quantities and keep track of their items that way. Boom! 

I'd like to see if Windows Phone 7 can make things like that happen. They're a little slow to the draw on many features but they seems to be catching up slowly but surely. At this point, I wonder if Ballmer now considers the iPhone a threat in the enterprise market?

IT Support | Microsoft Office Over Google Apps?

- by Andrew, "Speak Softly And Carry A Big Stick", Levin

1. Interface - MS Office has always provided a very rich user experience, especially with the 2010 release.  The Google interface has always been a bit bland, and lacks the aesthetics which Office so proudly displays.
2. Integration - Each Office application integrates seamlessly with each other and makes transitioning between various workloads a breeze.
3. Familiarity - Most of us have grown up using Office products, which makes it very hard to lean towards another solution.  Google Apps is fairly new and transitioning to a new system makes anyone a bit wary.
4. Features - This point is simply non-negotiable.  Office reigns supreme as each one of its applications can satisfy the basic needs of a novice, all the way to the advanced needs of a professional.
5. Could - Originally, this was the most advantageous reason to use Google Apps. It being a cloud service simplified deployment, management, maintenance, DR, etc.  However, Microsoft's push of Office 365, SBS 2011, etc., will ensure Office will dominate in the cloud as well.

IT Support | Microsoft Office vs Google Apps

- by Joseph, "No Nickname Because I Don't Know Him Well Enough", Figaniak

With both Google Apps for Business and Microsoft Office released for consumer use, there must be some users who prefer the new, web-based product of the Google Apps for Business to the trusty ‘old’ ways of Microsoft Office.  But wait what’s that?  Microsoft Office also has web-based services?  Yes Microsoft also has the web-based service, Office Web Apps and a beta version of the new Microsoft Office 365.

So what exactly makes either solution better than the other?  Personal preference?  Features?  Pricing?  Well the answer is most likely personal opinion, but I’m not writing this article to tell you what you already know.  I’m here to tell you why one is better than the other.  So without further ado, these are the 5 Reasons to Use Microsoft Office Instead of Google Apps for Business:

1. Compatibility – Although Google boasts that it supports popular formats made famous by Microsoft Office, it responds poorly when it comes to formatting, inserting images, and imported content from the rest of MicrosoftOffice products.  If you don’t want to be reformatting the document you just uploaded to Google Apps to a ‘similar’ version of the original, skip the Google Apps and head straight to Microsoft’s Web Apps or Office 365.  These two online services mesh smoothly with Microsoft Office installed on your PC.  Documents retain all their formatting and inserts, spreadsheets keep all their formulas and functionality, and presentations preserve their animation capabilities.
2. Connection – Nowadays the world seems to be moving towards a totally interconnected network of information, accessible from virtually anywhere.  With that being said, it is great that both Google and Microsoft are moving in that direction allowing users to create, edit, collaborate, save, and print, all from a browser screen.  But, on the off chance there is an unreliable connection to the internet, no connection at all, or worst case scenario, a business’ server fails, it is always a great feeling to have a failsafe back-up.  Microsoft Office installed on the PC will allow a user to continue working without the worry of a dropped connection or maintaining a solid and reliable connection.  With Microsoft Office, a user has all of these capabilities and back-ups available to them without an internet connection.
3. Features – Both services provide the basic features needed by any business such as a reliable email service and calendar, the ability to create word documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and a way to collaborate and share documents and calendars with co-workers.  This is all well and good for a standard small business, but what if the business is in need of more tools?  Microsoft also offers a few more products to suit most businesses nicely.  Publisher, OneNote, Access, Communicator, InfoPath, and SharePoint Workspace are all offered by Microsoft that communicate with Office as a whole, for a streamlined feel unlike Google Apps, which does not support these useful programs that might be needed by a particular company.
4. Pricing – Most businesses use some form of Microsoft Office on a daily basis, whether it’s Outlook for email or Word for documents, so why would you want to completely switch from Microsoft Office to Google Apps?  The thought of practically throwing away paid-for software to use only web-based applications is absurd.  Taking for granted that a business is utilizing Office already, but is looking for a web-based collaboration interface, adding Office 365 to the business’ arsenal of tools would make much more sense.  For roughly the same price both Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps can be obtained on a flexible, low-rate monthly plan, but Microsoft goes one step further and offers plans for different sizes and types of businesses.  For a business already using Microsoft Office, it only makes sense to move forward with a completely compatible service such as Office 365.
5. Versions – Although it is best to keep up to date on hardware, software, and technology in general, some users might be hesitant to update for any number of reasons, whether it’s lack of funds, comfortability, or indecisive on product choice.  A main issue with web-based apps for business is that they will be updated without consent of the end user, meaning if a user gains a comfortability with a previous version and logs-in one day to find features moved around, it will be up to them to ‘relearn’ the new version.  With a software copy of Microsoft Office, the user is prompted to purchase the recommended update to utilize new features.  This places a comfortable feeling in the users who aren’t quite ready for the ‘latest and greatest’ features of the given business app.

These are the main reasons as to why previous users of Microsoft Office should stay true to their roots and opt for Office 365 over Google Apps, and also why new users should adapt Microsoft Office over Google Apps.  Microsoft provides an excellent software-based and seemingly excellent web-based suite of applications for all forms of business.  In the IT field, we all know that it is wise to back-up work, so why not back-up your work with the reliability and support of Microsoft Office and compliment it with Office 365, providing compatibility, functionality, and yes, even more back-up.

HP Slate Running Windows 7 Emerges on the Internets.

Before reading, check out the YouTube clip.

Thoughts?

I'll give mine first. That was awful. I hope this is a prototype that will never get made, let's be honest. Can you image a CTRL-ALT-DELETE hardware button? Ouch.

This video continues to show that Windows 7, or any other Windows OS was not designed for a tablet experience. It doesn't matter what kind of fluff you put on top of the OS, it just won't work. The new Windows Phone 7 OS looks to be a better user experience, in fact. I would not want to be the Managed Services company in charge of those products. Wait, what's that? We just signed up for a fleet of HP Slate tablets? There is someone in Wayne, PA that needs IT support? I LOVE those tablets! They are so easy to use in the enterprise sector!

(.....)

Love or hate the iPad, the usability is never questioned. The entire operating system was designed with touch in mind. Windows 7 was not. I'd love to use Windows on a tablet, but we're several years from that happening and not wanting to throw that same tablet out the window.