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CDW tech experts on how to get the most value out of technology.

Do you WANt to optimize?
09/05/08
The explosion of corporate data and rich media has strained LANs and WANs alike, but with the latter it can be particularly costly to accommodate the new demands. That fact has given rise to a host of new WAN optimization technologies.
What servers and your clothes dryer have in common
09/04/08
With prices for many everyday goods on the rise, small and medium-size businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs and increase their return on investment (ROI). Even if “going green” hasn’t earned a spot on the IT staff’s priority list, there’s an easy solution to cutting power and cooling costs – and it’s no further away than the electrical outlets in your server room.
Complying with payment card security requirements
05/22/08
Compliance is one of those words that send chills down the spine, inspiring nightmares that involve blood-thirsty lawyers, courtrooms and large amounts of money. Handling customer credit card data is a serious responsibility with some attending requirements that are well worth understanding, but it needs not be all that scary for small retailers.
Bring me a password. Now bring me another and another ...
05/19/08
Chew on this statistic: Worldwide spending on identity and access management reached almost $3 billion in 2006, according to a 2007 IDC study of the authentication technology market. That's $3 billion to bridge the Internet Age moats around our castles, but it does not include the cost of aspirin for headaches that password issues cause network administrators and users alike every year.
Video teleconferencing: "Meet me half a world away – in five minutes"
05/09/08
Travel has become the bane of many companies' existence, thanks to escalating fuel and travel costs, unpredictable and increasingly frequent air travel delays and metropolitan gridlock. A face-to-face meeting can cost thousands of dollars and several hassle-filled days, yet small businesses often have customers at great distances.
Tighten your e-mail security
02/13/08
E-mail: we hate it, but we love it and need it. More than 80% of small business owners believe e-mail is a key to the success of their business, according to a recent survey by SurePayroll, an online payroll service.
A comprehensive data strategy will keep you out of the data swamp
01/17/08
As with everything else in business, data management requires a strategy for success. Developing a good strategy will save you time, money and heartache. Simply stated: it will make your life a lot easier.
Techno-sugarplums: IT’s holiday wish list
12/21/07
On the 12th day of IT, I gave to my boss: 12 workers whining, 11 computers crashing, 10 printers printing, 9 Windows updates, 8 phones a-ringing, 7 servers hanging, 6 vendors nagging, 5 worn out mice, 4 failing drives, 3 dead phones, 2 power spikes, and a bigger budget for IT.
Virtual IT is emerging reality for small businesses
11/26/07
Virtualization is a six-syllable (and very-high-Scrabble-value) word meaning “make the most of your IT hardware,” which is exactly what every small business wants to do. Until very recently, however, virtualization has primarily been a strategy for big organizations with large data centers, large IT budgets and -- especially -- the expert resources to implement it.
Unchain your computing power: Develop a wireless network plan
11/05/07
Computers empower today’s employees to do things that no individual could have accomplished a generation ago, but desktop technology does tend to chain workers to their desks. Small businesses are discovering that providing employees with mobile computing power increases the value and productivity of information technology and the employees themselves.
Options in optimizing
10/22/07
Ask business executives what tools they are focused on and eight out of 10 times they’ll say server optimization. It is little wonder why. Most servers are grossly underutilized, processing at a fraction of their potential capacity, while still eating up a nice chunk of your IT budget. By optimizing those underachieving servers, you can harness that capacity more effectively either to increase the business return on your IT infrastructure or reduce the investment and expense required to maintain it.
SSL VPNs a good option for remote access
10/08/07
Companies of all sizes recognize that remote access has the power to drive productivity, improve customer service and add agility to the corporate business model by allowing users timely and secure access to valuable resources regardless of location. Consider SSL VPNs.
Why tomorrow is too late to think about business continuity
09/26/07
Designing and implementing a functional business-continuity plan is a multimonth process. Here's what to consider.
VoIP update: What small and midsize businesses should consider
09/17/07
 Although the self-anointed tech-savvy often deride them, late adopters of technology sometimes have a distinct advantage in that they are working with proven, mature technologies. The key step for late adopters is knowing when the pendulum has swung from business risk to lost advantage and cost savings. For organizations yet to consider VoIP, please note that in this area, the pendulum is moving toward the latter very quickly.

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Whitepapers

File Integrity Monitoring: Secure Your Virtual and Physical IT Environments

Discover the capabilities your file integrity monitoring solution should have to effectively secure...

6 Simple Steps to Disaster Recovery Planning

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PoE Plus: Impact on the PoE Market

The standard for Power over Ethernet (PoE), IEEE Std. 802.3af(tm)-2003, advanced networking,...

Harnessing the power of communications to increase workplace performance

Due to the convergence of IT and telecommunications technologies, the business workplace has been...

Stay out of the headlines: Detecting and preventing network intrusions

How do YOU stay out of the headlines? There is no denying that risk exists in our computer-driven...

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Special Reports

The New Network/System Management Challenges

Increasingly popular technologies such as virtualization, wireless networking and data center...

How to lower software costs, complexity

Discover how Software as a Service is the economical alternative to expensive on-site software,...

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Company Description

Emerson Network Power and its Liebert power and cooling technologies increase IT system flexibility and availability, while lowering the total cost of ownership.

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