Itil help desk

Network Attached Storage - An Alternative To Tape Back-up
By Mark Allen

Businesses have been using tape to back up their data since the early days of computing. Tape has its limitations, but it was much cheaper than the alternatives, so its use continued.

Today, the situation is changing. The price of disk storage has come down dramatically and the performance, longevity and use characteristics of disk are far superior to tape. As a result, many businesses are looking to move away from tape for their backup and disaster recovery needs.

The key requirements of an ideal backup scheme are:

It must be economical. Large amounts of data need to be accommodated (due to the need to keep multiple versions of the data), but in many cases the data will never be accessed. Its contribution to the company’s bottom line only comes if the data is needed, otherwise, it is an unnecessary expense.

It must be reliable over the long term. Some data must be stored for long periods of time, perhaps decades in some situations, to meet regulatory and business needs. If that data is ever needed it must be readable and accessible. When tape sits unused for a long period, it gets brittle and is prone to breaking and data loss.

It must be quick and easy to set up and operate. Back-up windows are getting tighter as the hours of operation increase and the amount of data continues to grow. As a result, the speed of the backup is critically important. If the backup process can be automated, human errors and costs are reduced.

Restoring data, either individual files or a whole system, must be quick, easy and reliable. Today, it can take a long time to retrieve tapes from their offsite storage. Data on tape is stored sequentially so access to specific records can be cumbersome. Reading the tapes can be problematic if the tape is old, brittle or distorted. All this uses precious IT resources that would be better spent elsewhere. Disk storage has none of these issues.

The NAS Approach

With prices in the $2 per GB range, Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems are rapidly becoming the ideal, cost-effective back-up solution.

Disk-to-Disk data transfer speeds far exceed those of writing to tape, so more data can be backed up in less time.

Disk storage has greater longevity than tape, so the data is going to be there and accessible when you need it.

Random access to data on disk saves time when trying to restore specific files.

NAS devices are independent, complete systems that connect directly to your network so they don’t impact your other systems.

Tape rotation schemes are possible with disk-based systems and sophisticated ones can eliminate duplicate files for more compact storage.

For smaller amounts of data, removable disk drives mounted in hot-swap enclosures can provide a competitive alternative for offsite data storage.

Locating a NAS system in another office and backing it up over the network provides a fast, automated remote backup. In the event of a disaster, the backup system is immediately ready to step in for rapid recovery and business continuity.

Many businesses are implementing a staged approach, where an onsite NAS provides fast backups and restores for servers and workstations. Then, to prepare for a disaster that destroys or prevents access to the primary place of business, the data is automatically replicated to a second NAS at another location. For rapidly changing and highly important data, the on-site and off-site systems can be set up to mirror each other, so that little or no data is lost if disaster should strike.

There are other reasons for deploying a NAS system. By accomplishing multiple goals, the NAS can be even easier to justify. Examples include:

Additional end user storage. Centralized storage is easier to back up than data stored on many end user systems.

Ideal for central repositories for workgroup or departmental data that must be shared.

Regulation compliance, such as email retention requirements for HIPAA or Sarbannes-Oxley.

Even if you decide not to abandon tape backup entirely, you can use a NAS as a rapid staging server to gather the data from other systems quickly during your backup window. Then let the NAS feed the data to the tape unit without worrying about time constraints. This is referred to as disk-to-disk-to-tape backup.

Network Attached Storage systems are quickly becoming the preferred data sharing, management and backup solution for enterprise applications and database environments.

Mark Allen is the head of Sales & Marketing for http://www.primearray.com

PrimeArray Systems?, Inc. - Cost Effective DVD/CD Servers, Towers, Jukeboxes & Network Attached Storage For Business.

PrimeArray’s advanced line Network Attach Storage (NAS) arrays, or its combined NAS and CD/DVD Servers, provide economical, easy to use yet robust options for data storage and back up.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Allen
http://EzineArticles.com/?Network-Attached-Storage—An-Alternative-To-Tape-Back-up&id=214263

Offsite Backup Services are Essential
By Chris Robertson

Although you may not list it in on your IRS form, information is your business primary asset. From your customer database to your financial records to your proprietary product information, information is the key element to maintaining both the day-to-day operations of your business and its long-term viability.

Unfortunately, as the sophistication of technology increases, so do the risks to your business. Viruses, hackers, and natural catastrophes can all attack your business information. At best, this renders your business inoperable for several hours or days. At worst, the loss of business information can cause you to go out of business.

Lest you think that information loss could never happen to your business, statistics reveal that the problem is pervasive and, oftentimes, devastating. During any given year, over five percent of PCs will have some type of data loss, and almost a third of PC users have experienced the loss of all of their data at some point in their lives. Almost two-thirds of companies that experience catastrophic data loss go out of business within six months. Of those companies that test their back up tapes, more than three-quarters have found problems with the tapes.

In order to minimize your company s exposure to the risk of data loss, you should create an organizational culture of security and implement a security program that helps the company prevent and recover from data loss due to viruses, hackers, and natural catastrophes.

Just as you would store your most precious documents in a bank safety deposit box, you should store your company s most important data with online backup services and use secure offsite backup.

According to SERVARE, the premiere company for online offsite backup services that are secure, affordable, and automated, you should consider backing up the following types of data:

* Databases and information that allow you to serve customers and maintain your market competitiveness. In other words, if you lost this data, you wouldn t be able to fill customer or supply chain orders or provide client services.

* Information that manages your revenue generation, such as accounts receivable, and vehicles for customer ordering and payment acceptance.

* Data that controls your cash flow, such as your accounts payable and supplier payments.

* Data that, if lost, could result in additional expenses, such as employee downtime and late delivery penalties.

* Proprietary information that could be stolen or compromised.

* Data that is affected by governmental regulation, such as the Freedom of Information Act.

SERVARE s online backup services protect your business information from data loss by utilizing advanced file encryption before transmission quick, safe, and secure transmission to their online backup servers via a secure high-speed Internet connection automated backups flexible recovery capability and scalable storage that grows as your need for storage grows.

With an offsite backup, you ll rest easier knowing that your information is secure.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Visit this Computers Website and Majon s Computers directory.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Offsite-Backup-Services-are-Essential&id=117221

How to Backup Windows XP Home Edition
By Stephen Bucaro

Your computer cost you from hundreds to thousands of dollars, but the computer itself is not the most valuable part. The data on the hard disk is the most valuable part. How many hours of work did you put into creating that data? One little event, like a power line spike from a lightning strike, and all that work could be lost. Unfortunately, backing up with Windows XP Home Edition is not as simple as it should be.

The first step is to choose a backup device. You might choose a tape drive or a DVD drive, but those devices might require drivers to be installed before you could restore from them. The simplest option is to install a second hard drive in your computer.

The second hard drive doesn t have to be equal to your main hard drive. You can use an older, smaller hard drive as the backup device, as long as the backup drive has more “Free Space” than the main hard drive has “Used Space”.

Install a Second Hard Drive

When installing a second hard drive in your computer, it s important to configure the drives correctly. Your motherboard should have two ATA (sometimes called IDE) connectors. The primary connector should have a cable with two drive connectors. The end connector should go to your main hard drive, the middle connector can be used for a backup hard drive. The second motherboard ATA connector should go to your CD-ROM.

On the back of each hard drive is a jumper. The jumper on your main hard drive should be set to the “Master” position. The jumper on your backup hard drive should be set to “Slave” position. Most modern computers use “Cable Select”, so you can set both jumpers to the “Cable Select” position. Don t forget the power connector for the second drive.

When you restart your computer, the second drive should be automatically recognized and be designated with the next drive letter available, usually E: (D: being used for the CD-ROM drive).

Format the Second Hard Drive

Generally, you will want to re-format the second hard drive after installation to remove any previously installed operating system and to remove any previous file access rights. To format the drive, select Start | Settings | Control Panel | Administration Tools | Computer Management. In the “Computer Management” window, under “Storage”, click on “Disk Management”.

Right click on the backup disk s drive letter. In the popup menu, select All Tasks | Format… In the Warning dialog box that appears, click on the “Yes” button. In the “Format” dialog box, in the “File system” drop-down list, select NTFS. Click on the “OK” button. Again, in the Warning dialog box that appears, click on the “Yes” button.

Install the Backup Utility

Windows XP Home Edition doesn t install the Backup utility by default. You ll need to install it manually from your Windows XP CD-ROM.

1. After inserting the CD-ROM, open Control Panel s “Add or Remove Programs” utility. In the “Add or Remove Programs” utility”, click on the “Add New Programs” button, then click on the “CD or Floppy” button.

2. In the “Run Installation Program” dialog box that appears, navigate to the VALUEAD/MSFT/NTBACKUP folder on the CD-ROM and select the file NTBACKUP.MSI. Click on the “Finish” button. The Backup utility will be installed.

Perform a Full Backup

To perform a backup, select Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Backup to open the Backup Utility.

Note: If you don t find Backup listed in System Tools, double click on the file name ntbackup.exe in the Windows\system32 folder.

In the “Backup or Restore Wizard”, click on the “Advanced Mode” link. In the “Backup Utility” dialog box, select the “Backup” tab and set the checkbox next to the drive to backup (c:) and set the checkbox next to “System State”.

In the “Backup media or file name” text box, enter the path to the file for the backup (example E:\Backup.bkf). Click on the “Start Backup” button.

In the “Backup Job Information” dialog box that appears, set the radio button next to “Replace the data on the media with this backup”. Click on the “Start Backup” button. The “backup Progress” dialog box will appear.

Even when you backup to relatively fast media like hard disk, the process can take 30 minutes or longer depending upon how much data is on the main drive.

When the backup is complete, turn off the computer and remove the data and power cables from the backup drive. It doesn t make sense to leave the backup drive connected because if the cause of a failure is a power spike, it will take out both drives. Next time you want to backup you ll need to reinstall the cables.

How to Perform a Restore

In the unfortunate event that your computer crashes and you can t get it back by any other means, you ll need to reinstall Windows XP from the CD-ROM. (Automated System Recovery is not supported in Windows XP Home Edition.) You ll need to re-install the Backup utility. Then you ll need to shut down the computer to install the data and power cables to the backup drive. Restart the computer and use the Backup Utility to restore Windows XP from the backup file.

When using this backup method, it s important to be careful not to break any pins when you are removing and installing the data cable of the hard drive. And if your computer doesn t use “cable Select”, don t forget to change the jumper on the main hard drive back to “Single”.

Copyright(C) Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp

To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Bucaro
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Backup-Windows-XP-Home-Edition&id=2885

Data Backup - Do I Really Need It
By Park Oskar

Data Backup- Do I Really Need It ?

Copious uncertainties revolve around in your mind when it comes to hoosing a data protection solution i.e. Data Backup. You might have bunched up a series of questions relating to Data Loss.

What if I lose my information after flood, fire or power outage strikes, or my hard drive crashes, or if somebody steals my computer?
The sole answer is “Data Backup“.

If you have a copy of your data saved in another location than where you have saved your information, you are on a safer side. Because you know that even if you lose one due to any reason, you still have another intact. You simply need to restore data and there you are- “Up and Running“

Now, that you understand the fundamental worth of data backup, let’s move on to the facts which give rise to the need to back up data. Lets learn the situations that may directly lead to data loss and hence the need to backup data.

Hard drives that store your information may fail due to any reason.

The most common reason known to cause data loss to the highest degree is Hardware Failure. You save almost everything on computer’s hard drive but they are very much prone to failure. It might happen gradually or maybe without an alert but they will.

It generally happens due to poor handling of hard drive or computer, electrical failure, sudden catastrophic failure, Head Crash or maybe controller failure.

Natural Disasters may easily sway away the data you have been saving for keeps. Flood, fires, or power outages may strike anywhere and occur in different shapes and sizes. Moreover, they can prove to be highly disastrous. They may kill an entire company. This is why an offsite backup is required so that you can still retrieve your information, which has been kept in the safe location.

Computer thefts are another in a row that can be devastating and ultimately lead to data loss. Insurance companies can cover your computer but not the data that the hard drive preserves. Generally, the thief would steal it for the hardware and not the data. The computer and its components may be precious for him but for you- Data. Therefore, it is advisable that before anyone starts eyeing your computer, take a backup and rest the insurance company would take care of.

If you have been keeping sensitive information in your computer’s hard drive, then make sure that you have a copy of it saved somewhere. Regular backups and their regular maintenance can prove to be helpful for you to deal with disasters.

Well, this is for those who feel that these cannot happen to them- Think Again.

Product Recommendation

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Park_Oskar
http://EzineArticles.com/?Data-Backup—Do-I-Really-Need-It-&id=320076

Why Bother With Data Backups?
By Paul Wilcox

Computers have become a daily need for most people. We use computers for all types of things including entertainment, work, and corresponding with others. Most of the files on our computers are important and we don t want to risk losing them since that would be a loss of money and time. The best way that you can prevent file loss is by doing backups.

Don t believe that backups are just for large companies, computer experts, or a job that you ll do when you have time for it. Backups are necessary for anyone who has a computer. One day your computer will fail, even if it has been running fine for many years. You ll eventually get a virus or your computer will fail from age.

There are two things that will occur on the day your computer fails: (1) you ll lose great amounts of music, passwords, financial and personal information, pictures, and software, or (2) you ll be able to replace or repair your computer and restore all your information from the backups that you ve make on a regular basis. The first option will be a disaster while the second choice is just mildly annoying.

There are many ways that you can lose data on your computer. This includes the failure of computer hardware or damage from floods or fires. Your computer hard drive can potentially be damaged by surges of power that come from lightning. Or you may lose data if your child hits keys randomly on the keyboard. As well, a virus can erase your hard drive or infect your computer system.

The only way that you can get your data back is to have it available to be restored.

What to Backup?

For most users it won t be necessary that every file on their computer is backed up since this would require a lot of storage space. At the very least PC users should do a backup of their personal files and software that they can t replace. This includes such information as legal documents, financial records in spread sheets, and any work that they have in progress.

Backup don t need to be complicated.

The easiest and fastest way to do a backup is to use software that is included with the operating system. Windows has a backup program that is free to use. At the same time you can get similar backup programs for Linux, Mac, and other operating systems. This type of software is very simple to use and all you have to do is choose which files you want to back up. Some programs even have a scheduler so that your computer will do backups at certain times.

For a small cost you can buy backup software that will back up only those files which have been changed after a last backup or a particular date. As well, you can copy new files every day to a backup folder where they will then be backed up by the program. You can use your computer s “Search” option to identify which files are newer than a certain date. When the list has been completed they are copied to the backup folder. This allows you to run the software program for that folder only.

Data, such as your email, can be a bit more difficult to backup. You can configure some email clients so that they keep a copy of the email that you have sent and received onto the mail server. If this isn t an option you might be able to export your email messages to a folder which can be backed up later.

You can do backups for any type of media that is removable, such as removable hard drives, keychain devices (which plug into a USB port on your computer), or writable DVDs/CDs. In some cases you can even still use a floppy disc because some documents will take up very little space. All you have to do is use about seven discs and rotate them every week.

Doing a daily backup is just one more thing that you ll need to do in your already busy schedule. However, the day that you lose that one file you really need and can t get back you ll find that you re a lot busier.

Paul Wilcox writes about virus protection, internet security and other related topics for the Internet Security Squad website. Sign up for my free newsletter and receive my special report “How To Lock Your Computer Down - Internet Security in 2006″ at http://www.internetsecuritysquad.com/freereport

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Wilcox
http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Bother-With-Data-Backups?&id=285966

Backup Strategy to Avoid Data Loss & Data Recovery
By Park Oskar

You must have always come across the phrase “Data Backup” when you talk about data loss. It’s not that we don’t understand its importance completely but just that we pay little less attention to it than required. Each day, we hear about several data loss incidences seeking data recovery software or data recovery services options. If you feel that your data is valuable, then why not keep it safe? Why not have a Backup strategy?

A concrete backup strategy is important to any recovery plan. The following are the main elements to a solid backup strategy:

Define what type of data needs to be backed up.

You create a variety of documents, customer databases, financial records, or employee records. Hence, by defining the order of importance of data, you should decide on what to backup.

Decide the Backup Media

You must know the storage media for backup. You may consider backup data to be stored from a computer to a rewritable CD or DVD, a network server, a USB key, or a ZIP disk.

Define the time limit you have available for backup.

You must know of the product that is reliable enough to perform the backup at the scheduled time. If you are a traveler and usually connect to the network remotely, then you must know of a backup strategy that covers your information accurately.

Decide the level of access to the information.

You must know the security requirements and concerns, and that your backup software ensures 100% data accuracy while restoring. You must also ensure that your backup software prevents unauthorized access to the information, through a password or a variety of encryption algorithms.

Define the schedule of backups

You must set the schedule of backups i.e. the frequency of backups needs to be determined. You must ensure that all the workstations (from where you need to backup the data) are ‘On’ at the time of performing backups. For remote workers, you must develop standard operating procedures.

Define the backup policies

You must decide when to perform a full system backup or incremental system backup. It is recommended to store the backed up data offsite i.e. you can keep your data in two different locations away from each other.

Work on the ease to backup the data

What if you have successfully performed the data backup but it takes time while restoring it? You must work on the set up where you can backup the data with one command. Agreed that it will take little more time and work but will be very useful when the system crashes.

Perform daily backups

You must ensure that there is less time between the two subsequent backups otherwise if there is longer period between backups, you may lose quite a lot of data.

If you do not understand the way to implement a backup strategy, you might have to check with the local expert.

Stellar a data recovery Software &amp service company provides range of data recovery software &amp data protection software. Stellar has recently launched a data backup software i.e. Stellar InstaBackup is very useful software for backing up and protecting valuable data. This software simplifies the process of data backup and is a powerful solution for both business and personal needs. It can also be used both in a networking environment and on a single machine. Although the software is easy to use, a number of advanced options such as Full / Incremental backups, strong File Encryption, and Zip Compression are also available. The software has a simple graphical user interface, requires no prior knowledge of data backup, and is a comprehensive data protection solution for all Windows File Systems.

Hard Drive Data Recovery Software

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Park_Oskar
http://EzineArticles.com/?Backup-Strategy-to-Avoid-Data-Loss-and-Data-Recovery&id=293636

Categorizing & Organizing Electronic Data for Maximum Backup Efficiency
By Bud Stoddard

Most companies today, whether large or small, are experiencing data overload.? According to industry studies, many organizations are finding that they have to double their storage capacities every six to 12 months.? With recent regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA and others requiring businesses to accurately record and report and thus generate more data, this explosion of data will not subside anytime soon.? In fact, as additional regulations are being anticipated for banking and other industries it is likely to continue it’s rapid increase.?

To protect your mission-critical data and keep your company up and running, certainly having an efficient backup and recovery solution is key.? However, in order to achieve and maintain backup efficiency, categorizing and organizing your data is also important, not only to ensure that necessary files are backed up but to minimize costs.? Today, this is an especially complex task given remote offices and more and more mobile devices in use.?

First and foremost, administration of data protection procedures must be centralized in order to maintain consistency and control.? This will ensure that branch office data is also adequately protected.? It is then incumbent upon the administrator to encourage the branch offices to save any and all data to the server, rather than on local hard drives, so that it can be backed up in accordance with the set backup schedule.?

Categorizing your files into different groups with different backup schedules can help reduce your costs considerably. MP3 files for example, might only need to be backed up once a week otherwise, they might unnecessarily expand your backup window and depending upon what type of backup solution you use, your costs.? You can begin by grouping your file data by type and access. The data type identifies data by purpose, while data access identifies data by usage and rate of change. Data type involves categorizing the data by Operating System, Operating System (OS) Data, Applications and User Data. Data access identifies the data s usage and change rate. For some data, there might not be any modification because the data is archive data. For other data, there might be low, medium or high change. This process will help you determine how often your data should be backed up and how long it should be stored.

?

The following questions should be asked:

?

• Does the data support a critical business function?


• Does the data support a legal or auditing concern?


• Is the data sensitive?


• Is the data difficult or expensive to reproduce?

?

This will help determine how often to backup and how long to store the data in question. For example, data that supports a critical business function should be copied off-site on a regular basis and should have a brief retention period because of its high rate of change. Data that supports a legal or auditing concern should also be copied off-site on a somewhat regular basis however, it should have a long or permanent retention period because of its nature. Sensitive data, such as patents or trade secrets, should be copied off-site on a regular basis and should be permanently archived. Data, such as historical information, that is difficult or expensive to reproduce, should be copied off-site once and should be permanently archived.

?

How you organize your data is also important. Structuring your system so the data files discussed above are organized in one area facilitates pointing the backup program to one area rather than having to gather files from widespread locations. Having personnel save their documents to a designated folder on the server is the ideal option.? For example, each employee can have their own named folder where they can save their files.? Typically, through the Preferences option, programs can be redirected to do this by default.? Through this set-up, you can easily see which files need to be backed up and plan accordingly.

?

As the amount of business data grows, achieving the most efficient backup is all the more important.?? Whatever backup method you use, by simply categorizing and organizing your data you can ensure that you are backing up the right files and can minimize your costs at the same time.? It just makes good business sense.

Bud Stoddard has over 20 years of experience in the data protection and storage industry and is the founder of AmeriVault Corp., the pioneer of online server backup and recovery for business. For more information, visit www.amerivault.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bud_Stoddard
http://EzineArticles.com/?Categorizing-and-Organizing-Electronic-Data-for-Maximum-Backup-Efficiency&id=1350

Top Questions to Ask Before Buying a Help Desk & Asset Management Software
By Natarajan Aravind

#5 All your hardware components like Printers, PCs etc come under various maintenance contracts with different maintenance vendors. Do you know which batch of PCs are under warranty &amp for what number of PCs is the warranty about to expire (so that you can plan for an AMC)? Can you split up &amp tell how much AMC charges do you pay for each hardware component &amp how much for each vendor? Can you re-calculate the costs if an AMC with a vendor is to be renewed?

#4 Typically your company gets hardware parts and accessories from different vendors. Is your purchasing done centrally? Can you get the information of all vendors &amp the products they offer on a single click? Can you compare prices &amp other information before placing an order? Can you modify a purchase order (PO), have a revision history &amp email the vendor the updated PO? Can you track POs till all the items mentioned in a PO arrive?

#3 You might have entered into contracts with various vendors. Do you maintain &amp keep track of all your maintenance &amp support contracts in one place? How about having soft copies of actual contracts that are available to you through a web browser and is always a single click away?

#2 Your company has a variety of hardware like PCs, printers, scanners, OHPs etc and a plethora of software ranging from MS Office to Adobe Photoshop (all of various versions). Are you still using spreadsheets &amp manually tracking all these assets? Can you tell whether all the software you have comply with licensing? Can you tell how many of these hardware components &amp software copies are available with you at any instant? Can you tell how much of these are under utilized or not utilized at all?

#1 Your employees come up with different service requests ranging from “Not able to print from my PC” to “Cannot send mail”. How do you ensure that such requests are taken care of by your support staff, that too efficiently? How do you ensure none of the requests fall through the cracks? Is there a Knowledge Base which can offer self-help for the employees? How do you keep track a high volume of requests?

AdventNet s ServiceDesk Plus offers to solve all the above &amp has much more to offer. The product is available at a very affordable price starting at $495 (there s a Free Edition too) backed by a company that has set a benchmark for customer care &amp support. For further information, mail to sales@adventnet.com or visit our website http://www.servicedeskplus.com

Natarajan Aravind
Market Analyst
AdventNet,Inc.
http://www.servicedeskplus.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natarajan_Aravind
http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Questions-to-Ask-Before-Buying-a-Help-Desk-and-Asset-Management-Software&id=38567

Help Desk Support to the Rescue
By Sara Jenkins

Think what the world would be without modern technologies. Everything would be simple, you can say. But with all its simplicity comes things in complexity. Tasks that can be done in short minutes today can be doubled or even tripled. Think also about the hassles of getting and sharing information. That would be too hard and the process long and difficult. What about if communications are not developed? There would be something close to a chaos, for sure. What would it be like being able to pick up your telephone or going online to ask for the speedy assistance that you need? Imagine not having help desk support to help in basic services that people require in a push of the button.

It cannot be denied that together with the innovations of the modern world came the need for people to rely on other people to do the work for them. With time, many companies have turned their minds into being of service to the people while marketing what they have to offer in the process. Help desk support are not only there to answer queries that people may have. They are also there to document data and statistics that may be difficult if they are not in existence. Receiving and answering a call in a day is not the main purpose for this help desk support companies. There are other more comprehensive functions that these calls give to these support systems. Things like the content of the call, how many received for the day and the usefulness that people find within their system. Sometimes quotas are put up with these personnel to better maximize the time spent per day. Talk about pressure.

It all boils down to giving customer satisfaction. Embedding into the mind that the customer is the one always right and therefore should be given what they deserve. It would be an ordinary setting for these help desk support staff to be shouted upon and blamed on something that they have no idea about. That is how it works. This is the field where doing your best is not doing it better enough. As long as you satisfy what the clients wants from you, then you can call it successful, no matter how the process went about.

The documents that help desk support can acquire for the company is one of the most accurate and efficient these companies can have. With these people basically being on the front line of servicing for the company, there are the most reliable source of good information and statistics that the company may need on its records. Since records are the one that help in the future dealings and strategies that help desk support company needs in advancing, the accurateness of the documents would make up for the service it lacks in the present. There is always the need for growth and advancement in the world today. The proper information and data to go about it becomes as vital and important in a company to stay as successful as it wanted to be.

Fulfilling the needs of its customers. That is the basis for help desk support system. Even though there are other reasons why these support systems are put up, the main thing is that they give customer satisfaction the best they can. However this process is done, the customer is the one who will decide if their needs have been satisfied or not.

Online entrepreneur Sara Jenkins, is dedicated to helping others and their needs to succeed in life by offering free tips everyday. To learn more about her free tips program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE bonus how-to books and resources, visit http://www.HelpDesksWare.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Jenkins
http://EzineArticles.com/?Help-Desk-Support-to-the-Rescue&id=93119

Electronic Media Copying and Backups: Enhance Your Life and Your Business
By Phil Edwards

First you need the right equipment. What kinds of copies do you want to make, and what media are you going to be copying from? If your answer is VHS tapes, you’ll need the proper hookups in the back of your computer to accommodate a cable from the VCR. If you need backups primarily and you want to back up to DVD and to the Internet, you’ll need a high-speed hookup and a DVD burner. Make your list, and then take it to your computer store. You’ll almost certainly need to get a new computer innovations today are leading to more and more robust computing technology, and you should have the best for your copying needs.

If you want to copy DVDs, you need to be aware of copyright restrictions. You absolutely must not copy DVDs for anything but your own personal use. To do otherwise is breaking the law. And the record companies have shown us that large media companies can come after individuals who performed activities when said activies were in the shady part of lawand they can win. Until digital media rights are clarified for everyone, err on the side of caution and make only a single copy archive the original in your personal collection.

If you only want part of a DVD, you can copy clips or single images to either a DVD or a CD. You’ll need blank media for burning, and you’ll need DVD editing software. Some of the newer DVD burners will also burn an image into the back of your DVD to label it.

If you want to copy software contained on DVD or CD, you should be aware that, just like with movies, it’s not a hundred percent legal make sure you keep those copies for your personal use, just like you did with your movies. And it may be impossible to copy some software for instance, newer Microsoft software is copyblocked to disallow copying. Fortunately, most game software companies and many others have realized the value of allowing you to back up, thus have chosen to trust you to do it responsibly rather than blocking you from doing it at all.

Copying video games is more complex. In order to copy them properly, you’ll need a physical plug-in for either your computer or for the game itself so that the game console will boot the game properly. And while copying video games is understandable, in light of how often the disks get badly scratched, it also may be illegal. And software designers often save their best copy block technology for games. Be ready for a difficult struggle if you copy video games but if you persevere, you’ll be able to get it done.

With a good scanner and image editor, you can copy all your personal and family pictures onto CD, and then copy them if you like to send as Christmas greetings, gifts, or family newsletters. Digitizing pictures is actually a very straightforward thing to do of the different electronic copying techniques, it’s probably the easiest. To digitize pictures, you can take them with a digital camera to begin with you can ask for them as digital pictures at the photo counter (for that matter, you can take your pictures to the photo technicians and ask them to digitize them for you - they will for a fee) or you can buy a scanner and scan them in yourself.

Small businesses have a special problem: the Blue Screen of Death. When it pops up, generally in the middle of something important you really need to finish, you have a serious problem you may experience loss of hard drive data. That’s when you reboot your computer and - nothing happens. Or an error message happens. Suddenly, you can’t access your hard drive.

Instead of hoping this never happens, you should back up your hard drive regularly. The worst thing that could happen is that you’ll never need to restore a backup. The best thing: that when your hard drive crashes, you’ll have the backup to restore. It’s like a digital insurance policy.

If you own a small business and depend heavily on your computer - for instance, if you run a merchandise business and need accurate copies of orders and of inventory - you might want to consider data backups. You can back your data up on tapes, DVDs, CDs, or online the best method by far is online, though. Subscription costs for online backups can be high, but if you’ve ever lost your data, you’ll agree it’s worth its price. Your company without data is like a boat without sails or anchor - adrift.

If you prefer not to use Internet backups, tape backups are reasonably cheap, easy to use, and very stable. They’ve been used for years, and it’s quite straightforward to recover data from a tape backup to your computer.

If you’re backing up your data, you do need to be aware of the proper methods or if your computer autoexecutes the backup, you need to remember to leave the computer on.. And if you’re backing up, you should do it every night without fail it won’t cost you any more, and it may save you a full day’s work.

Phil Edwards is a freelance writer and published living and working in the City London and author for Backing and Copying up DVDs and Games and DIY.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Edwards
http://EzineArticles.com/?Electronic-Media-Copying-and-Backups:-Enhance-Your-Life-and-Your-Business&id=192529