We are proud to announce that TSI is an official Gold Sponsor for Network World IT Roadmap taking place in at The Boston Convention Center on June 18, 2008. 

An IT Roadmap private expo - free of convention crowds and trade-show hype - is the perfect place to source, compare, and evaluate the latest in IT while screening potential new technology partners. You'll accomplish in a day what would take weeks to achieve back at the office.

Please register (Free entry to qualified professionals) and come visit our booth and discuss IT Management Services and Internet Security with one of our representatives. 

http://www.networkworld.com/events/2008/ or if you prefer to apply by phone, call 1-800-643-4668.

 

We were asked by Microsoft last November to participate in the Windows 2008 Rapid Deployment program. We sent one of our engineers to a week-long prep. session in Redmont and we deployed Windows 2008 internally at TSI's and at 2 other customer sites. Microsoft has made significant changes to their Server Operating System and Windows 2008 is the resultance of these changes.

Want to know more about Windows 2008 and how it will affect your IT decisions for the next few years? Come and join us for a Lunch and Learn session on February 13 from 11:00AM to 2:30PM at the Endicott House in Dedham, Massachusetts but Hurry! we only have a few limited spots and they are going fast.

Technical Support International, Inc. Attains Microsoft Gold Certification

November 2007

Foxboro MA - November 1st, 2007 - Technical Support International, today announced it has attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program with multiple competencies in Microsoft Network Infrastructure and Information Worker Solutions, recognizing our knowledge and impact in the technology marketplace. As a Gold Certified Partner, Technical Support International has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customers' needs. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training and support, giving them a competitive advantage in the channel.

Technical Support International was selected by the CMP Group to be included in its list as one of the 2007 CRN fast Growth 100 IT Solution Providers in the USA. This is a a nice recognition considering that we really all worked our butts off this past year.  The bottom line is that we we owe it entirely to a very motivated staff and a trust that customers keep placing in us. Our company's ranking on the 2007 Fast Growth list was # 99. We are close to the bottom but heck, we made the cut!

Now for the official definition of this list!.  CRN’s Fast Growth 100 award winners are recognized Solution Providers selected for their ability to drive industry-leading sales volumes and use innovative methods to grow their business through services-oriented technology offerings. Developed by CRN’s editorial staff, the Fast Growth 100 list provides detailed insights into which solution provider models and technologies are proving to be the most lucrative.

To read more about the CRN fast Growth 100, http://www.crn.com/crn/fastgrowth/

Save the date! We are hosting another interesting event at Microsoft in Waltham on May 30^th, 2007. We are presenting a seminar that will focus on matching small businesses with cool technologies.
 
I often meet with my small business partners and customers and I always make it a point to listen to their problems with IT.  Invariably, the discussion turns to the difficulties associated with using computers and how frustrating it is for most of them with keeping up with technology. Throughout  the course of these discussions,  I would point to simple and affordable solutions to the problems they expose but inevitably the conversation turns into “Huh! I am not sure this product would work for me, my company is too small” or “We are a small business, we really can’t use that stuff anyway”.

Well, if you were to take a deep look at what is going in the business world, you would soon realize that they could not be so far from the truth. There are thousands of IT products on the market that have been conceived and designed for the small business market and serve nearly every segment of the industry. The problem is when it comes to information technology, it doesn’t matter if you are a small business with five employees or an enterprise business with hundreds of locations, many people experience the same problems; Information overload. What is that means? Well, for one, we get so much bombarded with information that our ability to screen products and comprehend their purpose gets diluted in the mix. Big enterprises have dedicated people that are paid to understand this stuff and do the screening but many small business owners and managers rarely have such resources and slowly develop mental barriers to technology. As a result, many small organizations miss priceless opportunities to enhance their operations by adopting the newer tools that technology offers. Here we come to save the day. We understand the small business market well and we redefined our new mission in life to not only tell you but to also demonstrate how a few selected products can be such a great fit to your business, so one more time, save the date and come experience this for yourself on May 30^th.

Interested to attend? http://www.tsisupport.com/home/EventRegistration/tabid/13678/Default.aspx

Hope to see you there.

~ Gerard

I just came upon this article in Computerworld regarding Windows Home Server Edition and I must admit that I was a bit surprised and a bit amused.  First, I had no idea that Microsoft was about to release a "Home Windows Server"; I did not even know that they were even working on it, hence came my surprise...

Windows Home Server Edition is designed for the home user market and is not intended to be sold individually as another Microsoft Operating System but instead to be bundled with an appliance.While reading the article, I was also amused by the number of bugs reported for this product.  Every product has bugs and it is expected that many will surface during the BETA period but so many, not really! I doubt very much that Microsoft can in good faith release this product mid-summer 2007.   .  

Obviously, this stuff is far from being ready and anyway who needs a "Home Server"?  Some could argue that it is not a bad idea as far as the product goes but will it sell?  Do home users need a dedicated Windows Server?  Will soho's (Small Office Home Office) adopt this as an alternative to purchasing a "Real Server" running Microsoft or Linux, I am not sure... One the other end, I have no doubt that some "Home Power Users" will purchase the Microsoft Home Server Appliance and find it a place between the TIVO and the Video Server but as far as I am concerned, Microsoft will really need to show me the goodies to attract my attention.

For the full article: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9014183&source=rss_news50

 
There has been a lot of “buzzing noise” in the various patch management groups regarding the installation of Windows 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) and if Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) should be de-installed prior to installing SP2. 
The initial reports from Microsoft clearly seemed to indicate that you need to 1st de-install IE7, then Install SP2, then re-install IE7 but as the outcry grew and as the process movedforward, it seems now that YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THIS....

Microsoft is now saying  that Only ONE of these 2 scenarios should apply:  

A. If you have previously installed Internet Explorer 7 on a computer running Windows Server 2003 with SP1 and are now installing Windows Server 2003 SP2 using Microsoft Update, the downloadable SP2 update from the Microsoft Download Center, or the SP2 update CD, your computer will retain Internet Explorer 7 as expected.  

B. If you have previously installed Internet Explorer 7 on a computer running Windows Server 2003 with SP1 and are now installing the integrated version of Windows Server 2003 SP2 (that is, the full operating system integrated with the service pack), the computer will have Internet Explorer 6 as the default browser in Windows Server 2003 SP2. You will need to reinstall Internet Explorer 7.

Luckily, this will be transparent to our Managed Service Customers as we will evaluate first, then deploy this patch automatically.  I believe that managed services are the best way for many clients to handle the tedious and time consuming task of handling patch management.  Check here for more information TSI offering with our Managed Services.

According to the Microsoft DST web site, Windows 2000 has passed the end of Mainstream Support, therefore only customers with Extended Hotfix Support can obtain the Windows 2000 hotfix. 

If you are counting yourself (as 99% of small businesses do..) without that "Hotfix Support Agreement", do not despair!  Microsoft will allow you to purchase a kit including all DST update tools for a mere $4,000.00, what a deal! 

For the more "economically challenged" among us, there are a few other options that will allow you to deal with resolving issues with Day light Saving Time updates for Windows 2000.

Option A:  Update your clock Manually
Adjust the system clock manually four times each year:

1. In mid-March, when the new rules start, set forward the clock by one hour.

2. In early-April, when the old rule would have started DST, the clock will need to be set back one hour. This is necessary because the change will already have been made manually three weeks earlier, so the change programmed for April must be cancelled.

3. In late-October, cancel the programmed clock adjustment by setting the clock forward one hour ( DST now runs for an additional week)

4. Finally, in early November when DST now ends, set the clock back one hour.

Option B: Download the tzedit.exe tool using the link under Windows 2000 from the Preparing for daylight saving time changes in 2007 Microsoft web page at http://support.microsoft.com/gp/dst_topissues#A5

Unzip the files into a Windows program directory such as c:\Program Files\TZEdit
1. Exit out of applications.
2. Run the executable tzedit.exe using Start > Run, provide the full path, for example: c:\Program Files\TZEdit\tzedit.exe
3. Your current time zone should be highlighted. Click the Edit button.
4. Set Start Day to Second Sunday, March.
5. Set Last Day to First Sunday, November.
6. Click OK.
7. Click Close

You need to change your time zone twice using the Windows Date and Time Control Panel.
1. From the Start menu, click Settings > Control Panel and then click Date and Time.
2. Click the Time Zone tab.
3. Select a different time zone and click Apply.
4. Now, select your time zone and click Apply, then click OK.
5.Restart your applications.