This year Frugal IT obsessively covered every aspect of SpiceWorld 2009. So if you couldn’t make it this year, it’s all good I got you covered. How you ask? Bookmark this page and you will have a list of the best links and RSS feeds coming at you in REAL TIME! I’m talking even the after parties!

Here are a few important links to get all of happenings (If I am missing some please feel free to post them in the comments so they can be reviewed, thanks):

• Spiceworld 2009 Agenda
• Spiceworld 2009 Live Video Feed
• Spiceworld 2009 REAL TIME Feed (Powered by FriendFeed)
• jdorfman FriendFeed
  
• Twitter Streams:
  • @frugal_it
  • @Spiceworks
  • @SpiceworksNews
  • @dscammell
  • #spiceworld2009
• Flickr Streams:
  • spiceworld2009
  • Spiceworks
  • Frugal IT

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Ready or not Windows 7 is coming.  I admit it, I skipped Vista like many IT Pros did. I have been beta testing Windows 7 and I have to say, Microsoft delivered the goods this time.  I will no longer have to request “No Vista! Only XP SP3 please!” Anyway enough of me kissing Microsoft’s ass and lets give you what you came for:

Microsoft TechNet just released two 9 minute videos on how to use MDT 2010 to upgrade your XP boxes to Win7 with out too many headaches.

First Video: Part 1: Building the Deployment Environment

Learn how to build media that will automatically migrate computers from Windows XP to Windows 7 with user data, custom applications and drivers. This demonstration will walk you through the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) Deployment Workbench and how it works.

Explore the user experience for migrating the Windows XP computer to Windows 7 and how brief - or "lite touch" - interaction is required up front to automate the entire process of data migration, OS installation, driver and application customization, and domain join.

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Improve the overall efficiency of your business by implementing these easy to do methods.

This Article was written by CDW Corporation’s Small Business Team. Stay tuned for more Money saving tips by Subscribing to our RSS feed.

1. Be sure to size uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) appropriately to maximize power savings. With a UPS that is too small, the load can exceed the capabilities of the UPS, while a UPS that is too big can be a money-drain. If you have more UPS capacity than you need and currently use single-phase power, look into three-phase, which is more efficient.

2. To save power, have employees turn off their monitors, task lights, etc. on nights and weekends, while leaving the CPU running. To make it easier, use intelligent power strips that turn off peripheral equipment automatically. The price points on intelligent power strips are going down, while availability is going up. Also, implementing a policy at organizations for peripheral usage could alleviate headaches.

3. Replace traditional fluorescent lighting with new light emitting diode (LED) lights. Because LED lights don’t emit heat, they use just one-tenth of the power draw and equate to a twenty percent longer life cycle. Additionally, LED price points are starting to decline and the cost savings over the long-term are dramatic.

4. Enabling the sleep mode on computers will save energy when the user is idle. If IT departments need to conduct nightly updates, they can simply send a wake-up signal to the device at the appropriate time and then let it go back to ‘sleep’ when the maintenance is finished.

5. Going green can do wonders for your pocket book. When purchasing hardware, only buy products that are ENERGY STAR compliant. When a product has performed to U.S. government energy efficiency standards, it earns the ENERGY STAR distinction. ENERGY STAR compliant hardware may cost more initially, but we all know that energy efficiency saves on total cost of ownership (TCO).

6. Implement motion-sensing lighting in your office. This technology shuts the lights off when it senses no one is in the room. Motion-sensing lights can potentially save companies hundreds of dollars per year. To top it off, use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) for further energy efficiency and savings.

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When I was 13-14 circa 1998 I knew what I wanted to be: an IT guy.

I saw the IT guys that worked for my dad and they had their feet up, downloading music, wearing jeans & t-shirt, browsing Slashdot and finding answers to questions using this website called “Google“. I fell in love with the fact that you could be do all of the above and have the same respect that the office manager that had to wear a tucked in shirt and slacks everyday. Fast forward to 2004 my dream came true. I started my first IT gig at a SMB (Small Medium Size Business) and since I have learned a few things.

1. Love Thy Product Vendors. Find a a couple of vendors (Fry’s, CDW, TigerDirect, NewEgg) just in case another doesn’t have what you need.  Try to build relationships with your account representative.  Don’t be afraid to ask if they can meet or beat a competitors sales price.
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2. Open Source & Freeware are not always the best solution. I used to believe that open source and freeware should always be considered first before paying for software.  Oh boy was I wrong. The problem with open source/freeware is that there is no one to call if it breaks.  Yes there are forums, and Google might have the answer but what if you are out of town?  If someone is trying to do something that the program YOU installed isn’t doing guess who will get the call?  That is just one example.  Untangle, mission critical
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3. Download, Install and Use VNC. This primarily applies to businesses that still run Windows 2000 (we do on some older stations). XP and Vista have RDC (remote desktop connection) installed.  So many times issues can be resolved by connecting to an end users desktop remotely.  VNC will save you so many unnecessary trips to the back of the office saving you and the end user time.  While writing this post I used VNC twice!
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4. Loosen the Password Policy. This might be a controversial practice but if you are a one man shop and want to keep your sanity you might want to consider it.  Assuming you are using Active Directory, by default Microsoft enforces a pretty strict Password Policy.  Customize your Password Policy to meet your needs.  Don’t get me wrong, I do believe in using strong passwords because no company is immune to security breaches. But when end users call you everyday saying that their password expired or they can’t remember the one they made because they couldn’t create the same one as last time your patience will soon run out.
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5. Read, Read, Read! If you are not keeping up with what is going on with the IT world you will miss out on so much.  I subscribe to Information Week Magazine (Free) and my Google Reader is full of RSS feeds that keep me posted. Also consider getting a Twitter account and Follow IT related people/companies.

To be continued…

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.sysadminday.com/

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