BYOD (Bring Your
Own Device) is the allowance of employee-owned equipment onto company
systems. Typically, this involves employees using consumer computing
devices (such as iPads or Surface tablets) to get work done, either in the
office, at home, or on the road. Many of these devices are not designed to “get work done,” but instead to consume content (e.g., checking email, reading news, social media, etc.). These devices are not managed and may lack even the most basic security features enabled. Here is the problem: If your BYOD strategy is not planned correctly, this can spell disaster for any corporate network. How is your company protecting its data on
devices out of its control? What happens when an employee leaves the company or a device is accidentally left behind at a coffee shop?
Today, in an announcement by Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Team, Azure RemoteApp is being retired. Microsoft Azure RemoteApp is an application virtualization platform in the cloud. Using Remote Desktop technology, applications can be presented to users without the need of installing anything on the user’s computer. In addition to ease of management, it allows users to access applications securely on just about any device with internet access. Azure RemoteApp was launched less than two years ago. Continue reading
When deleting user profiles, it is advisable to use the built-in GUI (graphical user interface) interface in Windows (Start >> System >> Advanced System Settings >> User Profile – Settings). This should delete all references in the registry, and the user’s profile folder (normally located in C:\Users). But what if this doesn’t work as it should? Continue reading
Until recently when we thought of computing devices, we usually thought of PCs and laptops. Today, with tablets and smart phones selling in the millions on opening weekend, we have a very different picture of what a computing device is.
If you’re not familiar with it, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is the idea of using a consumer computing device (such as an iPad or Surface RT tablet) to get work done, either in the office, at home, or on the road. Most of these devices were not designed to “get work done”, but instead to consume content (ex: checking email, reading news websites/apps, etc.). These devices are not managed, and may not have even the most basic security features enabled. This can spell disaster for any corporate network. Continue reading
In the Windows 2003/Windows XP days, printing on a Remote Desktop server was limited to those servers who have drivers for that particular server. Drivers for any locally attached printers would not only have to be installed on the PC that they were attached to, but also on the server you were remotely connecting to.
Now with Windows 2008 R2, Remote Desktop users have the ability to use printer redirection using Microsoft’s EasyPrint. Basically EasyPrint is part of Windows Server, and allows print jobs in a Remote Desktop session to be sent to the client for print job handling, instead of trying to print the job itself. While this is slightly slower than the old method, it allows for a much larger number of compatible printers without the need of installing drivers on the server.
Which printers will work? Well most printers that work with Windows 7 will work with Microsoft’s EasyPrint technology. If you are planning on purchasing a new printer and want to ensure that it will be fully compatible with any Remote Desktop servers you are connecting to, then check out Microsoft’s Windows Catalog database.
Any new printer you are considering should be certified for Windows 2008 R2 to fully ensure it will work well with a Remote Desktop server.
There is no shortage to the number of methods one can use to remotely access another computer. Now I’m not talking about any kind of Spyware, but rather remote control software or services which are perfectly safe, legal, and on the up and up.Continue reading
There are many definitions as to what constitutes “Cloud Computing”. Some organizations say that server failover clustering is a requirement. Others say that metered services are required. At its core, cloud computing simply means that these products/services are hosted on the web and you pay for what you use (to varying degrees). Continue reading
Few can argue that carrying a cell phone is very convenient for both us and the people trying to contact us. For many of us it is an absolute necessity to be reachable for at least part of the day regardless of whether you are in the office, home, or on the soccer field with the kids. For many years IT Pros have been forced to carry multiple devices. Some were personal devices (cell, iPod, etc…), while others were work related (work cell, PDA). Luckily, now there are some new technologies which allow us to consolidate to one or two mobile devices. Continue reading
When is a computer too old? This question is getting harder and harder to answer. Traditional PC lifecycle thinking says that a PC is efficient to use up to 4 years old, and no longer cost effective to use beyond 5 years old. This is because the cost of maintaining the system is greater than the value of this old PC or laptop. Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://www.robertborges.us/2012/02/cloud-computing/when-is-a-computer-too-old-the-cloud-may-be-changing-how-we-think-about-this/
Few can argue that carrying a cell phone is very convenient for both us and the people trying to contact us. For many of us it is an absolute necessity to be reachable for at least part of the day regardless of whether you are in the office, home, or on the soccer field with the kids. For many years IT Pros have been forced to carry multiple devices. Some were personal devices (cell, iPod, etc…), while others were work related (work cell, PDA). Luckily, now there are some new technologies which allow us to consolidate to one or two mobile devices. 