Microsoft Word Ban in the USA!

Aug 19 09 under News | Leave a comment

Late on Tuesday 11th of August Microsoft were faced with the news that they were banned from selling Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 in the United States and fined over $240m for violation of the US intellectual property laws.

The Toronto based firm i4i who are a collaborative content solution and Technology Company own a patent that covers a way of reading XML (extended mark up language) documents. They brought the lawsuit against Microsoft on the basis that they’re Microsoft word products can open XML, .DOC or DOCM files or better known as XML files. However XML is the basis of Microsoft’s Open XML document formats, and is used not only on Word but a number of Microsoft applications such as Vista and NET.Framework.

The question most people are debating is whether the injunction should have been passed in the first place… and Intellectual Property Law in the US or in the state of Texas is too fast to prosecute and over support patent lawsuits, so much so to earn the term “A haven for Patent Pirates”

It will be interesting to watch the progression of this case, as it may well prove to be a historical moment – due to the scale of the punishment, the high profile status and the already believed flawed intellectual property law system in the United States with regards to the issue of technology patents.

In some courts in the US and in particular the court in Texas that has issued the ban on Microsoft, are being accused of issuing patents that cover prior art, which should prevent them from being issued in the first place. Therefore it has been argued if something is not done about the procedure of issuing patents then the price of technology will keep rising and as a result putting more and more technology innovators in the US out of business. Therefore a revision of the law may well be the outcome of this high profile case!

What could happen to Microsoft?

If Microsoft do not either buy the rights for the use of XML or have the injunction over turned they will see a vast expenditure to redesign and redistribute not only Word but the whole Office package, and major distributors such as Dell and HP to name a few could see major disruption to their sales.

However to look at it from another point of view, Microsoft are the worlds dominating software manufacturer and the thought of not being able to buy a new copy of the Office may send the businesses and individuals of the United States in to a panic buying frenzy before the ban date in just under 60days!

Public Sector – Key Propositions and Green IT

Jul 30 09 under News, Printing, Public Sector | Leave a comment

Public Sector

ICT spending by local authorities increased by 5% in 2008 and now overall spending has to be reduced by over 20% due to the Global economic position. In light of prospective cuts of £1 billion to the Scottish Government budget from Westminster between 2010 and 2012, Councils will share £11.8 billion from the Scottish Government during 2009-10 to deliver public services. Authorities throughout the UK are still planning to spend over £3bn on ICT in 2009/10. Of these costs, staff account for 44% of overall spend.

Driving down operational expenditure is at the forefront of ICT Heads’ strategies. In the current financial environment ICT needs to be able to demonstrate it delivers business benefit wherever it is used. In addition to providing support and managed services in line with Government efficiency plans, the continuing reduction in the cost of technology means that more can be bought for less. This has presented a massive opportunity and influenced Aspen to extend its offerings in Managed Print Services and Infrastructure Support.

Green IT

The Green IT agenda seems to have left centre stage globally, mostly due to the economic climate and lack of awareness. At Aspen, we have been well aware of the Government’s Green IT initiative, even though, many public sector IT managers remain unaware of the strategy.

“In a report produced by Global Action Plan and commissioned by Cisco, the research identified that 60% of public sector IT managers were unaware of the Government’s green ICT strategy, with 41% of national government respondents ignorant of the strategy even though it encompasses their area of responsibility.” (Cisco Report - The path to a greener government)

With a focus on operational expenditure reduction, both central and local government departments can obtain massive savings by introducing Green Solutions. With our commitment to the environment, we have provided services to reintroduce redundant hardware to many third world countries in line with WEEE regulations. Aspen have recently introduced a unique and innovative way to solve IT disposal issues. This convenient service offers a secure and fully compliant way to dispose of any unwanted IT equipment. The GreenIT Box can be provided to organisations to fill with redundant IT equipment, is uplifted when requested, and a Waste Disposal Certificate provided to ensure you meet your legal IT disposal requirements.

At Aspen, we not only establish significant savings, but help significantly lower customers’ carbon footprints whilst maximizing productivity and efficiencies. These messages are at the forefront of our campaigns.

Did You Know?

Server virtualisation helps reduce your number of servers by a ratio of 15:1, and every server virtualized saves 7000kWh of electricity annually, or about £500 in energy costs.

“Virtualisation improves server utilization rates from 5-15% to 60-80%. Running fewer, highly utilized servers frees up space and power. 4 tons of CO2 are eliminated for every server virtualized – the equivalent to taking 1.5 cars off the motorway.” (VMware - See how VMware customers are cutting energy costs.)

Desktop Virtualisation

There remain some big opportunities for ICT to transform local public services.

“Some of the new emerging technologies can be exploited to transform local public services, delivering better more cost effective customer service.” (Socitm – Local authority ICT spend in 2008/9 reaches an all time high according to Socitm IT Trends 2008 report – January 2009)

Desktop Virtualisation is one such area Aspen can help customers meet such objectives. Desktop users can access through traditional desktop, repurposed PC, laptop or Thin Client. There are huge Power savings – less processing power and less storage requirements (Thin Clients lower the Carbon Footprint further and do not need refreshed as PC’s do). There is secure encrypted access which supports users out with the network’s firewall. A virtual machine can be cloned or moved easily and provisioning is like a single copy rather than installing several applications, user profiles etc. Storage costs can decrease by up to 70% – improving service levels, providing higher operational efficiency. There are up to 40% savings on TCO – These savings are real and can be used e.g. to support other company initiatives. Another benefit is that users can access applications whilst unconnected from the network.

Security

Security and privacy of information has also leapt to the top of the agenda in all organisations. High profile cases of data loss reported in the past twelve months have served as a wake-up call for all public sector organisations. New technology, out-of-date management practices represent a serious threat to organisations. Ministers have recently revealed the number of laptops lost or stolen from their departments, with the Department for Work and Pensions mislaying 41 laptops last year.

“Figures for the Department of Health and its agencies show that the number of laptops lost or stolen reached a peak of 36 in 2008-09. Minister Phil Hope said all the devices were encrypted, minimizing the risk of exposing sensitive or personal data.” (Departments reveal laptop losses - GC News July 2009)

Amongst other departments losses were the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which has mislaid two since 2004; the Northern Ireland Office with five missing since 2004; and the Department for Children, Schools and Families which had six lost or stolen in 2008-09.

As more and more paper is being replaced by soft filing systems, more data requires to be secure. Hardware encryption, data recovery, infrastructure security, single sign on solutions, growing storage, backup and disaster recovery are only a few solutions Aspen can assist with for business continuity.

Managed Print Solutions

Due to the current economic climate and shrinking hardware margins Aspen Solutions Ltd view MPS as key to growth. Providing Managed Print Services (MPS) has helped Aspen to shift from capital to operational expenditure, and benefit from fixed and predictable pricing on a monthly or quarterly basis. As such, we are in the transition from selling hardware to selling services.

Most organisations are unaware of expenditure on printing, due to the lack of centralised print management. As a result, devices become underused, costs, security risks and downtime increases – and user satisfaction decreases due to poor service quality. An audit of the print environment provides the first steps to a MPS, where organisations get cost visibility i.e. which device, where, who is printing etc. Rationalisation can maximise the use of printers, lower running costs, and increase uptime and user satisfaction.

With Aspen partnering with Xerox we are able to utilise enterprise tools which enable us to provide services to assess, design, implement and manage customers’ print environments. As cost reduction is high on the agenda for most organisations, MPS provides an opportunity for us to provide visibility customers need on print costs and enables us to develop long-term and profitable customer relationships.

These messages need to be shared – not only with Public Sector but with all customers in order to assist adaptation to change, enable growth, remain secure and meet the continuing demands from the Government.

Aspen Solutions Ltd is an enabler of change for the future.

Netbooks for business and fun!

Jul 28 09 under Up and coming products | Leave a comment

With the advent of the mobile office came the need for a more portable PC which while being smaller kept all of the functionality of the traditional office PC or notebook. As a response to this requirement, ASUS came up with what is arguably the fastest growing phenomenon in I.T technology, the netbook. ASUS invented the netbook and Acer quickly came to dominate the market .

While both are very much the cost effective option and still lead netbook innovation, most other hardware partners have now got onboard with products ranging from the fun Samsung NC10 range in a variety of colours which is ideal for home or small office use through to Sony’s top of the range VGN-P11Z series. There’s something for everybody in the netbook range! With offerings now available from Dell, Toshiba and HP as well as a range of products with XP Pro/Vista Business, there’s never been a better time to speak to Aspen about changing to a netbook!

I.T in the Recession………Saving and Upgrading!

Jul 28 09 under IT Support, News, Printing | Leave a comment

Now that we are in the depths of the recession, companies across the world are looking to cut costs and the I.T departments role in the cost cutting process is extremely important. Studies show that 91% of IT Managers/IT Directors in the UK have seen a reduction in budget in the last 12 months.

Without properly functioning Telecoms & IT systems, the modern business, whether it be SME or Enterprise finds it extremely difficult to function properly, and more importantly, finds it difficult to compete in the increasingly competitive marketplace.

Telecommunications Systems

Keeping a careful eye on your communication contracts is vital, with new and improved solutions like the Cisco UC500, which has been branded the “office in a box”, as it manages voice, data, video and security, plus lots more, ensuring increased productivity without the need for many different hardware products or software solutions to be purchased. Included with the product are basic call centre facilities, soft phones, music on hold support and voicemail, and as this is being aimed at the SME market, the costs are not as much as one would imagine.

Data Storage and Retrieval

Document storage and access is a commonly underestimated drain on business cash and resources. Have you ever thought what it costs to hire premises or use a part of your own premises to store paper documents, and how long in staff time it takes to store and retrieve these document on a daily basis? The cost to the modern business can run into tens of thousands of pounds per year, even for an SME. An electronic document management system could solve many problems. All paper documents would be scanned into the system from a current device within the network, documents can be easily stored and retrieved at the touch of a button. A good system, properly installed and configured can remove any costs associated with storage of paper documents, and cuts down the time of retrieval immensely, ensuring better productivity of staff and is a potential money saver. This helps to serve your customers faster with immediate answers to questions, reduced printing costs, helps keep processes locked down and secures all documents safely and improved security of company documentation.

Virtualisation

One of the big talking points at the moment is virtualisation, but what exactly is it I hear you ask………
“Virtualisation is an abstraction layer that decouples the physical hardware from the operating system to deliver greater IT resource utilisation and flexibility to the user”. Virtualisation put simply, allows multiple operating systems to be run on one server, with the servers resources shared between each one. On the face of it, many think that it sounds a costly and difficult exercise. In practice, if you had 4 servers, it would be acceptable to think that these could be reduced to one server running all of your business applications, thus reducing your yearly support for the redundant servers, saving space, reduced power usage, reduced capital and operational expenses, reduce downtime and lost revenue, not to mention the obvious environmental advantages involved. Read more on virtualisation and access the cost saving calculator by contacting Aspen Solutions directly.

Printing

Finally a major cost to most businesses today is printing documents, with the capital expenditure involved in procuring devices, consumable costs and the ongoing running costs involved. One way of making a quick cost saving is having a print audit of all of your devices, this looks at what type of documents you are printing, how many devices you have and could they be reduced, what is the average toner coverage on a page, what the total cost of ownership is (TCO), and finally could you reduce costs dramatically whilst increasing end user productivity. Contact Aspen to arrange a free no obligation print audit.

Some IT departments that are ahead of the game maybe adopting some of these products already, and will soon align their IT strategies with the financial focus of the business, proving to the shareholders that they do understand what’s going on and can make a positive contribution to the situation.

Aspen Joins the United Nations Global Compact!

Jul 21 09 under News | Leave a comment

At Aspen we have recently pledged to stand by and adhere to the 10 principles of the global compact, giving us the advantage of United Nations established procedures and policies.

In this day and age being environmentally friendly is an important part of everyone’s lives – we are made aware of the disastrous effects that global warming is having on our planet every day, therefore the need to be ‘green’ is one of Aspens main goals!

The United Nations are leading a global environmental campaign called “seal the deal” where the Un Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is urging all world leaders to sign a definitive equitable agreement on climate change in Copenhagen in December 2009. They have set up a petition for all members of the public around the world to sign, in agreement with the collective world climate change.

Read more about Aspen’s participation in the compact on our website.

Microsoft Windows 7

Jul 20 09 under News | Leave a comment

Microsoft have recently announced 22nd Oct as the release date for their widely anticipated Windows 7 operating system.

After a somewhat muted response to Windows Vista, they’ve spent the last 2 years asking PC owners exactly what they want from their operating system and building it accordingly. Although only available in Release Candidate version for free download at the moment http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx , initial opinions seem to suggest that this is very polished product with many new and enhanced features.

Much has been made of the interface changes with the new version, but some of the smaller changes are just as compelling with benefits for home users wishing to store their music right up to company administrators remotely accessing systems http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features .

For those worried about ordering new hardware before the release date, different manufacturers are shipping a variety of qualifying PC’s which will be upgradeable free to Windows 7 when it arrives and if you upgrade your current PC with a qualifying edition of Vista you’ll be entitled to the same upgrade.

On the negative side, according to Microsoft, European users will pay up to twice as much as those in the US, even although the new operating system will ship without a browser in Europe. When the company launches Windows 7 on Oct. 22, it will price Windows 7 Home Premium, likely the most popular of the three editions available at retail, at €119.99 in the European Union (EU) and charge £79.99 in the U.K. Those prices are the equivalent to $168.66 and $132.14 U.S., respectively, at Saturday’s exchange rates.

Speak to us about Windows 7 today!

An Introduction to Aspen Solutions!

Jul 12 09 under Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Aspen Solutions are growing! – and along with our new e-commerce website we’ve now started this blog to help us communicate with our customers, people like you.

As a leading provider of IT hardware, software and services, we aim to use the vast experience and up-to-the-minute knowledge of our staff to keep you informed of the latest trends and developments in the sector. By using the blog format we hope to enable a two-way flow of information and questions and answers that will help you to make the right procurement and purchasing decisions, whatever size of business you run. And maybe provide some humour and gadgets as well.

We trust you’ll find our posts informative and illuminating and we welcome all feedback and constructive comment. Feel free to have your say: ask us questions, bring up new ideas and new points of view.
We look forward to talking with you!