If you own a 6510b, like I do, you may have noticed that your fan is working overtime.
HP support will try to tell you that this is “normal”, but it isn’t. The simple fix that I found for this annoyance, is to update the BIOS to the latest version. Here is the link. Good luck!
If you currently have Vista Operating System running on your computer, then you may want to find out if it’s worth upgrading to Service Pack 1. Before you decide either against or for it, the following list of features may prove helpful.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been meeting with IT Managers and Directors for medium to large companies in different industries. I enjoy the opportunity to present our managed services solution to these technical folks whenever I can. They are the men and women in the trenches that deal with the daily IT issues, who understand how IT Vizion’s processes and people could have a positive impact on their overworked and under budgeted department.
In this blog, I briefly want to answer a question that seems to always come up which is “How does IT Vizion do IT?”. Our approach is Agent based. Basically a small client install has to happen on every desktop, laptop or server that we will help manage. These installs do not require reboots. Once installed, the Agent communicates via TCP/IP to our remote Datacenter server. The server sends down command primitives to the Agent to perform rudimentary tasks such as writing a file, getting a file, executing a file, auditing the hardware and software on the PC, prompting a user with question and waiting for a response, rebooting, monitoring resources, and more. These rudimentary commands are combined to perform management tasks, such as remote controlling the PC, deploying patches, monitoring the resource utilization of the PC, installing programs, enforcing policies, and more.
That’s a high level overview of how our process works. Because of the secure communication that happens between your systems and datacenter our server, we are able to have an up-to-date inventory of your IT assets (hardware, software). We eliminate the need to have 3rd party tools deployed and managed within your environment. Some typical systems that we can replace as part of our integrated system include:
The concept of managed services does appeal to most IT Managers. Because it effectively enables them to offload a portion of their IT operations without relinquishing full control as they would in traditional outsourcing arrangements that lead to the transfer of the assets to an outside vendor. It boils down to the fact that the Executive Management is no longer satisfied with their current IT suppliers reacting to problems. They “expect” a proactive approach.
By partnering with IT Vizion, the overworked and overstretched IT Manager gains an upper hand in managing their heterogeneous environment, while increasing both customer satisfaction and greater visibility of their IT department. After all, shouldn’t your role as IT Manager be enjoyable and satisfying? I mean most IT Executives become IT Managers because they do what they love. Work with technology and see the superior results when applied to their organization’s business processes. Allow us to make it more enjoyable…
If you’re an IT Manager or Director, what concerns do you have about managed services? I’d be happy to respond.
I’m Pat, Sales Executive for IT Vizion. Those who know me personally will refer to me a blunt, straightforward, and “bottom-line” kind of person. I usually say what I feel and provide various points of view. I try to be as precise as possible. I tend to say things as they are and of what people are thinking of.
I’ve experienced the good and bad in our facility and with some of our current and potential customers. The strangest thing I’ve encountered so far is that the staff at IT Vizion has a different level of confidence in the service provided to current and potential customers. I was working on bringing on a new account with a non-profit organization in Ontario, CA. and provided this prospect with useful, helpful, and one of the best information they can possibly get if they were a customer. Most people would call something like this “being hustled or taken advantage of.” Our staff provides those insights to current customers and prospects.
Does companies have a business code of ethics when it comes to certain information that one company has that another does not? Of course, but IT Vizion has a totally different approach. IT Vizion encourages prospects to have the latest information regarding their IT investment (computers/servers/network) and even if we do not gain a client, we gained the reputation for a company with many resources. The non-profit agency received some technical help and information relating to programs available for their type of business and criteria. IT Vizion provided this prospect with tools and information that saved them $1000’s of dollars, without asking for anything in return. How can a company do this and operate? A company’s reputation speaks for itself. We did not acquire this non-profit as a client; however, this company may refer us to some of their clients and so on. This approach is slow, but certain.
Another encounter experienced was from customers that felt they needed to become a part of every function IT Vizion provides. If this were the case their wasting money with our services. Customers need to understand and trust that we are the professionals when it comes to IT. If customers have a feeling that they can perform better at our business then its simple, don’t utilize us. I’ve experienced unnecessary problems from customers. Leave the IT work to us, we are not here to deceive. Customers who don’t have confidence in our work to change things within a process cause more work and series of frustration. I feel for IT Vizion’s staff and CEO. I don’t mind someone yelling at me for their own mistakes, particularly if it involves a voluntary mistake.
If this next part is true about you or someone you know you WILL agree: (A parent tells their child not to touch the hot iron and the child touches anyways), this is me, I’m one of those guys who does not listen to the warnings and… gets in trouble or hurt.
I wouldn’t tell my parents that they should have told me to touch the hot iron, it does not make sense!
There is nothing wrong with a company that chooses to educate for the right cause, this is how we do business and retain relationships. Our services are not free or cheap; however, we provide the best and more cost-effective solutions for prospects and our clients. Many of our clients including those we had meetings with will confirm the above statement. Our position in this market is to provide support. We have staff members that change their shifts to meet our customers needs and then stay later to meet the needs of others.
While I continue on my path for greatness, I wish the best for the company that acquired me, all staff members, and the CEO for helping me really understand the environment that was given. Throughout the experience and challenges this company may bring, I hope I leave a true legacy with the company as I grow within.
What is Managed IT Services? What does this do for my company? Can I afford this service?
My name is Pat, Sales Executive for IT Vizion. Many of our new customers are not aware of what this service is and what the services can do for their company. A majority of the cold-calls I make daily result in customers that are not interested in the Managed IT Services itself. One of the major problems that I noticed is that few people are aware of what Managed IT Services is and what it can provide for their company.
“Bottom-line” and in a “Nutshell,” its outsourcing any virtual IT function that can be done in-house through another company enabling themselves to focus on more important matters such as increasing company revenue or re-positioning the company for more business.
Managed IT Services ensures the level of knowledge that a current IT staff would ensure on-site. IT Vizion provides many services including DesktopCare and ServerCare maintenance which includes some of the following: patch management, network-performance monitoring, intrusion detection and prevention, remote backup and storage, virus prevention, customer relationship management, and a help desk. Anything that pertains to boost an organization’s productivity and off-load the burden to a third party can be considered a managed service.
IT Vizion does everything your IT Staff does without having to train, make up for vacation, or any other issues that would keep one IT personel from managing the company systems.
Properly implemented managed services have the potential to create more consistencies and higher profit margins for solution providers while streamlining business processes and efficiencies.
Relying on a Managed IT Services is provider is one of the best ways to handle problems like system downtime, our company is a “proactive” solutions company. Proactive means constant process to prevent abrupt issues causing company downtime.
Managed IT Services is absolutely affordable because IT Vizion already has the dedicated staff employed to service our clients with any needs pertaining to the services provided. The cost of having an IT investment is higher than outsourcing the promise for “piece of mind” in company operating costs.
I spoke to another prospective customer previously and they asked if something like this was extremely expensive, some were immediately deterred from the idea itself because the cost for Managed IT Services was presumed as a higher cost compared to having an IT Staff in-house. Depending on needs of the company, I would say the cost of having Managed IT Services is less than the cost for one head IT person. “Think about this for the bottom-line.”
Yes, Managed IT Services is affordable! Meet with us and we’ll show you how.
Ok. So let me break away from the Oracle OpenWorld related side of things, and discuss my new adventure. Because of my long interest/affair with Linux (#307589), I picked up a copy of Oracle Unbreakable Linux and decided to install it on my laptop (HP Compaq 6510b).
Here is a bit of my install experience of what I had to do to get to this point, where I’m ready to install the Oracle Database.
My system is setup (now) for a dual boot between both Windows XP Pro & Oracle Linux. I had to repartition my drive (Paragon Partition Manager worked just dandy), start the Oracle Linux install (which is basically a recompiled version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5), created my Linux partitions, selected the Software Development + Web Server package, and let roll. 15-minutes later it was complete. After a reboot I noticed that the X didn’t start (startx). The problem is that the new /etc/X11/xorg.conf (as of RHES 4x) didn’t discover my laptop’ video/display information. So I hacked my way through it and added/modified the Monitor and Screent sections of the xorg.conf. This is part of how my xorg.conf looks:
Section “Device”
Identifier “Videocard0″
Driver “vesa”
EndSection
Section “Screen”
Identifier “Screen0″
Device “Videocard0″
Monitor “Monitor0″
DefaultDepth 24
# Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″
SubSection “Display”
Viewport 0 0
Depth 24
Modes “1280×800″ “1024×768″ “800×600″
EndSubSection
EndSection
After updating the xorg.conf, issued a startx and voila! Xwindows (gnome) is up and running… Now, on to getting the database installed …. Cheers.
