If I had a significant amount of stock in Blackberry I would be concerned.  I love my Blackberry and it’s a fantastic device.  The exchange integration with a Blackberry Enterprise Server is still second to none.  However the draw backs are obvious.  The additional infrastructure, the licensing, the ongoing support, etc.  It’s mostly a cost issue, but the iPhone is quickly making it a style issue also.

Even at this early stage, the Droid and iPhone are viable business devices that look like they will cause big problems for Blackberry.  Migrating from a BES infrastructure is a big decision (larger company=larger decision), but the long term ROI can be astounding.  The iPhone and the Droid have proven that with some tweaking and an app here or there that they are viable Blackberry alternatives that can reduce cost (TCO) significantly, which equals compelling value.

Blackberry will need to do something big to hold the competition off over the next 18-36 months.  As a Managed Services Provider, ARHD is very interested in how this trend plays out.  We always strive to provide the best solution and the best value.

Apple has unveiled the iPhone OS 4.0 — and it’s adding new features for enterprise users, including mobile device management and SSL VPN support.  If Apple continues down this path, which we should fully expect, the appeal of the iPhone will be difficult for the competition to eclipse.

The Droid isn’t as far along the path and isn’t nearly as widely adopted as the iPhone, but it’s a very cool device that ARHD CTO Josh Lippy is conducting a pilot with.  I received the email below from him last weekend.

“This device is awesome.  I just had to share.  I’m up in PA and realized on the way here that I’d need to tether to get internet access. Well, that isn’t available on the Droid through VZW yet.

So I did some searching and found that there are apps that allow you to share the Droid’s internet connection without any special plan from VZW.  I’m currently tethered with a free application I downloaded through the mobile app store.  I also paid $15 for an app to improve my email functionality and I can file emails again.

While the device isn’t without some major flaws (which do seem to have calmed down a bit after a week of use – possibly because I’m not using the built in mail application at all anymore), it is extremely promising and I don’t see myself going back to a Blackberry (right now anyway!).”

That’s a strong statement from one of the most skeptical users I know.  I’m very interested to hear what other users out there think about the future of business devices and the current options available.  Could you give up your Blackberry?

Viruses and spyware are a plague in today’s interconnected environment. In our day to day IT Support activities we are often asked how to mitigate the risk of a machine becoming infected and also how to manage ongoing viral infections.

Unfortunately there isn’t one answer that fits all. Viruses and spyware can be complex. Good internet browsing habits alone are not enough.  Working on an outsource help desk the user base and skill level is diverse and I have seen even the most prudent users become infected.

Here is a list of things you can do to mitigate your users’ exposure to Viruses and Spyware:

For IT Departments:

1. Content Filtering: Use content filtering to limit the websites you or your user base can surf.  In an enterprise this can be accomplished with a hardware appliance like Barracuda or SonicWALL.  You can also utilize a SaaS (Software as a Service) application like Message Labs or WebRoot.  Though often too restrictive, strict content filtering is one of the only reliable preventative measures available at this time.
2. Limit End User Permissions: Removing the user’s local admin privileges prevents them from installing programs and other activities that may leave the PC open to an infection.  Using an asset management or desktop management tool, you may be able to further limit applications or easily modify group policy to enforce additional restrictions.
3. Outsource your Endpoint Security (Desktop Management):  There are a variety of Managed Service Providers and Outsource Help Desk and IT firms that will “manage your desktops”.  This usually involves a suite of managed services targeted toward endpoint security, which removes distraction and allows an internal IT team to focus on other projects more aligned with business needs.  If you require complete management of the desktops and end user support, these services can usually be bundled with outsource help desk support, sometimes 24×7.
4. Enforce Best Practices – Raise Awareness: Make your service desk and help desk teams acutely aware of the best practices of your support center.  If you’re working with an outsource help desk managed service, ask them what their standards are and ensure they align with your expectations.  Empowered, the team will naturally educate users and look for risks while working on unrelated issues.
5. PC Imaging: Get an imaging process in place so you can quickly restore a user’s PC.  If they’re properly managing their files this should work without losing data.  It would be an inconvenience and could act as a deterrent from them engaging in future activity which could cause their PC to be imaged.

For End Users:

1. Internet Explorer Active X Settings: Internet Explorer is the most commonly attacked browser, most often via ActiveX that automatically downloads the malware..  However many SaaS (Software as a Service) and web based applications are optimized for IE.  Disabling ActiveX can help. Disabling IE scripts from running automatically will also secure the system but unfortunately will reduce the improved functionality of the browser.
2. Web Surfing Habits: Being aware of where you are going on the Internet is your best protection against any attack.  Beware of pop up windows and sites that have them with any frequency.  If you go to a website and you get a pop up message that says anything to the effect that the site detected a virus and wants to clean it up, run the other way.  Hit escape, back, alt+F4, or anything else but clicking OK.
3. Choose your applications wisely: Often times freeware applications (applications that don’t require purchase) come with a cost in the form of bundled spyware and even viruses.  If you want a freeware application you can often find user reviews that will alert you to these issues, so do some research.  Downloading illegal software of any kind will often leave you infected for a number of reasons.
4. Run an Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware/Malware program: There are free programs that you can attempt to piece together to protect your system (e.g. AVG Free, Spybot), or you can pay for an anti-virus suite like AVG Professional, with improved reliability and functionality.  There are also SaaS (Software as a Service) and MSP (Managed Service Provider) offerings.
5. Use an alternate browser like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.  While these browsers may provide better security against Internet Explorer targeted attacks, you should not expect a system to be completely safe.

Though it didn’t make many headlines, those in the IT Managed Services space relying on Cisco are acutely aware that their increasing lead times on products peaked in February.  While it’s true that in the past some resellers have had shortage issues, we don’t see that happen with large purchasing services that manage their volume and ensure product is in stock and shipped quickly.  However, as of last week we were actually quoted 4 months for a firewall from a multi-billion dollar partner.  We were able to go to another partner for the same equipment.  However some of Cisco’s channel partners with reseller agreements or Managed Service Providers without diverse IT purchasing operations are feeling some pain.

After experiencing this, we stocked up on some ASA firewalls just to ensure that if something happened with a client’s network infrastructure we could address the issue expediently.  The only article I found referencing this (from the UK interestingly enough) has some jabs from Watchguard expecting sales to pick up due to Cisco’s inability to deliver.

Last year Dell had the same issue, struggling with some assembly engineering problems on new products.  It was taking 4 months to get a laptop and indeed a large number of clients gave other vendors a try.  If the incumbent vendor performed well, they didn’t switch back.  As a managed services provider focused on quality we aren’t prepared to  consider a switch from Cisco for network infrastructure projects, but we will be watching the situation closely.