At the end of last week, the last five blocks of IP Version 4 addresses were handed over to their distributors. While they are not projected to run out until September 2011, that has still left many in a panic; what will they do when the addresses run out?

There is a new scheme in place to expand the addresses to IPv6, but this will not take full effect for years. So what does this mean for you?

It shouldn’t inspire you to panic or worry too much. Businesses still have IPv4 addresses and at present these do not need to go anywhere. It’s clear that IPv6 is the long-term solution, so businesses will need to make the transition eventually. In the meantime, however, there’s no need for the extensive panic and hype which has overtaken the news over the past couple of months. It’s a great thing that businesses worldwide are aware that the transition is necessary and upcoming, but it should provide no real distraction to your everyday activities at any point in the near future.

What should you do to prepare for IPv6? You should decide when you’d like to allow the wild IPv6 addresses into your space or whether you plan on sticking with IPv4 for that much longer. What’s most important is to hire or train staff in knowledge of IPv6 and the switchover. This will be essential for the long term and it’s always better to be prepared. While your IPv4 address won’t suddenly be turned off, the switchover will happen eventually. When it does, you should be as ready as any other business to ensure minimum disruption to your work.

To make this a little easier, it may be worth investing in a ‘translation technology’ which will assist you in making the switch over. Ensure your IT staff are prepared to use the technology to continue working on a day to day basis. You may wish to participate in World IPv6 Day on 8^th June, where companies around the world will test out IPv6, including Cisco, Yahoo, Google, and Facebook.

Overall, while the transition phase is likely to last years, get your company’s equipment upgraded and tested out before it’s all over. You may choose to fit existing hardware with a system that can handle both or just upgrade on your next purchasing cycle. There is certainly no rush, but awareness and training are at the forefront of what’s required today.

Those of us who work in the computer industry can fall into the easy trap of believing everyone knows everything that we know. Recent news suggests that this is not the case, and that in fact a study has shown that no less than 43% of UK SMEs don’t even know what cloud computing is. 74% do not currently use it, while 36% of those who do understand choose not to use it at all. While the cloud may be the way of the future, these companies are at risk of being left behind – suffering large expenses and reduced productivity levels for no other reason than lack of research.

While cloud computing isn’t for everyone, it can certainly provide benefits to those who use it. And the concept is fairly simple, given that many of us are using cloud computing in our everyday lives without even realising it. It’s similar to a VoIP telephone system; you are in all likelihood using it in your office, but you don’t know the specifics of precisely how it’s working unless you are IT Support. You just know it works. You may not even know it’s VoIP, or what that stands for.

For the 43% who do not know what cloud computing is, the concept is really quite simple. The cloud is the internet, and cloud computing is storing your data and accessing programs through the internet rather than through a machine sat next to you. If you use a webmail service, such as Hotmail or Gmail, you’re already using the cloud for your emails – they’re not stored on your computer, they’re stored and sent through the internet. These days, there is a cloud application for nearly everything. It’s commonplace now to store photos and documents online, to let someone else find space on a hard drive rather than keeping everything yourself. Smart users will always have a backup of their own, but there is no question that cloud is increasingly popular, cost-effective, and convenient.

For example, cloud applications such as Microsoft BPOS enable users to work in real-time with one another, even when they aren’t in the same place. With documents stored in the cloud as opposed to on a computer, you have access to them wherever you go. So, for example, if you work on a desktop normally at work, you’ll have your documents stored there, which makes them less than portable. Even laptop users may not want to carry their computers back and forth constantly. Storing your documents in the cloud means you can access them anywhere, at any point, as long as you have a computer and internet access.

The reasons it’s cost effective are simple. Remote backups and the like stored in the cloud make more sense because they are cheaper. You don’t have to worry about buying a new server or a bigger hard drive because you can acquire that same functionality on the internet for far less. With this knowledge, businesses can and should be able to save money and focus their time on the things that really matter.

The only question left is whether security is an issue. While you shouldn’t blindly trust companies on the internet, using cloud computing wisely is a smart decision, and, we predict, will become an essential one in the future.

Many of us here in the UK receive technology equipment from our workplaces. For many, a laptop received at work or a smartphone becomes something that they use at home as well, just like a company car. Employees are charged above their work allowances and in exchange no longer need to purchase a personal mobile or laptop should they choose not to. With this, however, come risks, as expensive equipment is entrusted to employees who can do whatever they choose with it at home.

Aside from traditional risks of theft, viruses, and malware, IT equipment used at home and at work also poses the unique problem of segregating different parts of employees’ lives. A computer used to check both home and work email, for example, means that employees could be distracted during the workday, wasting valuable time with distractions better left at home. Bookmarks synchronised across browsers and different computers mean that distractions can be visible in a way they wouldn’t be were the PCs kept separately. Little interruptions add up. Furthermore, sometimes employees are made uncomfortable by knowing that their workplaces can essentially see into all of their personal data, but occasionally personal tasks cannot be put off just because employees are at work.

For smartphones at least, Research in Motion, the developers of BlackBerry phones, have developed something of a solution. They are currently in the process of developing software which effectively separates the two functions of the phones – enabling BlackBerries to act as two smartphones in one. While some companies have provided employees with iPhones and even Android smartphones, BlackBerry is still the best choice for business with its enhanced security and system features. The new software, BlackBerry Balance, will allow IT departments to keep tabs on business emails and calls, but leave the browser, social networking, and photographs separate.

For some companies, this could be the ideal solution. Employees will be kept satisfied by having a phone they can use regularly, while IT departments can still manage the important data side of things. It also provides a great solution for employees who may have their own phones but would like to check their company emails on the go without carrying two smartphones or a laptop.

BlackBerry Balance isn’t available quite yet – it’s still in testing – but the software satisfies a need that is going to become more and more important as technology takes over our lives. For many of us, our work isn’t over just because we’re out of the office. Merging of our professional and personal lives, especially with regards to technology, is only going to progress. Already many employees check their work email while on holidays and on weekends; shouldn’t a secure way be provided for them to do so? We look forward to the software and further developments in this direction from the many other companies providing IT hardware.

When considering platforms to use for cloud computing as a business, there should be many considerations going through your mind. Security, ease of use, business productivity; these are all important things to prioritise before signing up. To make the task that much easier on you, we’ve isolated our top 5 tips for cloud computing, and are happy to share them with you to make that task a simpler one.

1.      Look for security issues. How much do you trust the company you’re sending all of your data to? Who else do they work with? Have any of those companies experienced ‘leaks’? Research is the key here, as is a great professional network. Knowing whether or not a company has had a security breakdown before can be a good indication of whether they will in the future. Conversely, a company which has struggled previously can recover and become even more committed. It’s important to gauge reputations as you go along and use that as your decision.

2.      Fully investigate the functionality of your chosen system. How much can you do while you’re away from the office? Some programs have limited functionality, so you might be able to access documents but not edit them. Don’t go with one of these; there are much better options and you should be able to do the tasks you need no matter where you are.

3.      Examine what you need to get out of it. How many employees will you be expanding to? Are you going to need more space in the future? If your service offers expansion later at a reduced rate, you may want to choose that program rather than one which remains static over the course of your subscription, or charges large amounts for exceeding your limits. Don’t purchase more than you’ll actually use just because it looks fancy or because the salesperson is persuasive.

4.      Find the cloud computing system that is right for your business. There are dozens out there, and almost every business function has a cloud-based solution. For photography, as an example, there are many choices supported by a range of big-name companies, and frequented by both amateurs and professionals. These all have different ranges of functionality and utility, so it is truly up to you how much you’ll get out of it.

5.      Consider the uptime of your cloud computing service. It’s fine and dandy to store your data for a cheap price, but if you can’t access it 99.9% of the time, you might as well not have it there. Having your server go down at a critical time for your business is an absolute nightmare; it can happen if your data is hosted inhouse as well, but you’re paying for uptime. Ensure you sign on with a service who will deliver it to you and who will only take down systems for upgrades and fixes outside of your work hours.

Cloud computing doesn’t have to be a tough decision. It’s a good time to jump on this latest phenomenon, but as long as you remember to consider security, utility, and access, you’ll have no trouble at all.

In this day and age, nearly everyone who is connected to the tech world has a smartphone. Most of us find ourselves carrying iPhones, BlackBerries, and even Android phones, whether we’ve purchased them ourselves or have them for work. If you’re relying on a BlackBerry, it’s likely a work mobile. With the release of the new Windows Phone 7, the mobile phone market is about to heat up. All of these competitors will not only be vying amongst consumers but for business use as well.

With secure information now stored on phones and sent across mobile data networks, security again becomes an issue. You can shore up your IT security as much as you like, but if your mobiles are not safe, you could find yourself losing money very quickly.

The latest mobile phone problem is with the newest, Windows Phone 7. As we might expect, a new phone is more prone to flaws than one which has been tried and tested over the course of a couple of years. Windows Phone 7 isn’t releasing any secrets in this case, but it is sending phantom data over 3G networks, which naturally racks up the costs. If your business has transitioned to this platform, it’s well worth investigating whether you’re getting charged for data your employees don’t actually need. If you’re using an unlimited data plan, no need to worry, but if there are caps, you may be surpassing them without even realising it.

Not all phones are perfect. We all remember the antenna problems that plagued new iPhone 4s at launch, and which may persist if you haven’t purchased a rubber bumper. It’s easy to forget that mobiles are mini computers, so they can crash and have problems just like a desktop PC can.

The problem is that they are now as prone to data leaks as a laptop. So, a few tips while taking your smartphone out and about:

1.      Keep your 3G internet turned off when you’re not actively using the phone. Most of us don’t have apps that truly need always-on internet access, unless you genuinely need to get your emails constantly.

2.      Cautiously connect to wi-fi networks. You may find you’re sharing information you’d rather not over them. This is also applicable to laptops.

3.      Be careful with apps you download. Many apps ask for privileges they don’t really need, and as a result dodgy ones can hack into your phone and take your data. Because smartphones are a growing sector, it is difficult to say just how high this threat level is. Still, if you’re using a work mobile, best to keep it plain and simple and avoid any apps not sanctioned by your employer.

4.      Most importantly, be observant. Take note of the bills coming through for your business’s use of mobiles. If anything at all looks on the suspicious side, it’s worth investigating – calls to expensive numbers, excessive data use, and the like are all flags. And even if nothing suspicious is happening, it’s worth questioning whether or not that employee should be entrusted with a smartphone or whether they should simply use VoIP to connect from home.

Smartphones are a new and growing sector of mobile phones, especially in the business world. We’ll keep an eye on security developments over the coming months, but in the meantime, keep these simple tips in mind for maximum security.

We’ve established recently the risks of jeopardising your IT security. Recent articles on Wikileaks and from the BBC have established that there is an ever-increasing risk from hackers; if your organisation is particularly important and your data needs to remain secure, this is more important than ever. Ever more sophisticated malware and attack methods ensure that you can’t rest on the laurels of 2010’s security; it’s something to keep up on throughout your IT systems.

But something that’s also worth keeping in mind when setting up your systems for the new year is the very high cost of your systems going down. Many businesses suffer unnecessary costs due to system downtime. A recent US study found that when IT systems fail, businesses’ ability to generate revenue is reduced by 29%, and is still delayed after systems are recovered while data is restored. For small businesses, the situation could be even more dire, as such an immense loss of revenue is catastrophic to those with small margins and difficult targets. They regularly lose more money over periods of downtime than larger businesses that can more easily handle the blows. If your systems are critical, do your best to keep them up.

How to Prevent Downtime

It’s impossible to 100% prevent systems going down. There are, however, plenty of things that can be done to minimise both the chance of it happening and the damage it will do if it does happen. Here are three easy tips.

1.      Detect problems before they happen. This sounds impossible, but trust us, it isn’t. A vigilant IT systems manager will be fully aware of bottlenecks and hiccups in the system. Even if it doesn’t look essential, fast response to any problem as soon as it’s detected will ensure the issues don’t get worse and take  your systems down with them. Regular monitoring is essential.

2.      Ensure support is available round-the-clock. If you notice a problem but work has finished or the employees responsible are on holiday, your business is guaranteed to face increased downtime should it happen. Carefully monitor schedules to ensure someone is available to maintain the systems while they’re operational.

3.      Keep on top of updates. This can’t be emphasised more; updates are essential. They fix those security holes and problems when they’re detected. Once that hole is out for the world to see, you’ve opened yourself up to attacks. Keeping updated will ensure that you’ve done all that you can to keep your systems live and secure.

If you rely on your IT systems but don’t have the manpower to devote to it, why not consider hiring external IT support? Proactive monitoring, regular updates, and 24/7 report comes standard with our managed IT support service. Your crucial systems are safe in our hands.