April 7, 2003

TODAY'S HEADLINES -

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Cut Cost By Deploying Citrix Metraframe

Imagine you are the CFO of a company, and the IT department has just turned in their IT budget. As usual, you are under pressure to cut costs from every angle, especially given the current state of the economy. The IT budget seems to be the most logical place to start your budget cuts. So you ask questions such as: do we really need all those new computers, especially since we just upgraded them four or five years ago?

Well, I’ve got news for you. In their current state, those computers actually do need to be replaced. Why? The aging computers are probably slowing the user’s rate of productivity, the Windows 98 or NT software installed on them is no longer being supported by Microsoft, and furthermore, you probably can’t run any new company software on those slow computers.

So how do you keep a balance between keeping up with technology and the demands of your company, while still keeping a cap on your expenditures? There is a solution for you. There is a way to prolong the life of those PCs, reduce the cost of additional workstations, web-enable your applications (even though they are not web-ready) and securely provide remote access to your network while efficiently improving management.

You can accomplish this through the successful implementation of a “thin-client” solution called Citrix Metaframe XP. Using a technology similar to mainframe, Citrix allows you to run applications on the server while just transmitting the screenshot back to you.

Most people think of Citrix as just being able to deliver a single application to a set of users. However, you can deliver an entire desktop to a user, quicker than the most technically savvy network administrator can with a regular desktop PC. Furthermore, program neighborhood makes it possible to deliver a set of applications to users without giving them a full desktop. This is an excellent solution for schools because the administrator can give students access to only the applications they need.

Let’s say you figured out that it would cost you about $50,000 this year to replace 50 computers. And you also want to upgrade the current Microsoft Office program to Office XP, which will cost you roughly $12,800. This solution will cost you about $62,800 in hardware and software. However, this does not include the additional cost and headache of installing and getting the PCs up and running.

Given the above situation, let’s look at an alternative. Say the client wanted to deploy Citrix to 50 of its users and upgrade the current Microsoft Office to Office XP. The following could be a mid-end solution for them:

Compaq server $7,000
Redundant server $7,000
Citrix XPe $6,500 (25 user starter pack)
Citrix 20 users license $5,600
Windows license $3,200 (TS cals and Win cals)
Office XP upgrade $12,800
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Approximate total $42,100

(Note: This is just an estimate — prices may differ based on the type of server and the number of applications that would be run on the server.)

This estimate does not include the cost of workstations because the current workstations are capable of acting as Citrix terminals. Moreover, in place of PCs, thin-client terminals can be deployed for approximately $200 each.

One of the pros to this solution is that the computers do not have to be replaced due to obsolesce. Instead, the computers can be replaced only when they are no longer functioning.

The savings go beyond the upfront cost. Your organization would also realize savings in the total cost of ownership. Some of the other benefits of this solution include:

1. Centralized administration and computer resources: all applications are installed on the server making them easier to administer and troubleshoot. Users get the same desktop every time and from any workstation.
   
2. Point-of-Sale: thin client solutions are great for point of sales.
   
3. Harsh environment: — this is good, especially for manufacturing companies because thin-client terminals are relatively inexpensive, resilient and secure.
   
4. Building a corporate portal: imagine running all your applications from your intranet website. This one point of access, through the web, can result in an incredible benefit for your users.
   

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NEWS FLASH

New Office - VeeMost Technologies recently moved into an office in CuyahogaFalls, Ohio. Moving into this new office enables us to extend our services to companies and organizations in the greater Akron area. Our new information is as follows:

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VeeMost to display at E-Vantage Networking/IT Trade Show – VeeMost is one of the vendors selected to display at a Cleveland event on April 9, 2003 at the Lorain County Community College. The event will help business owners to get a better understanding of what technology is and how it can be of benefit to their organization.

Read more at VeeMost News & Event Section

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TECH INDUSTRY NEWS

Focus on... Windows Server 2003
Want to learn more about Windows Server 2003?
Check out these sponsored links from Microsoft.
Learn more about The Windows Server 2003 Launch Event:
click.atdmt.com/DDB/go/cmpntmsg01300019ddb/direct/01/
Review the IT Implementation learning track:
click.atdmt.com/DDB/go/cmpntmsg01300017ddb/direct/01/

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Read this NetGear white paper
''Ten Easy Steps for Wireless LAN Security'' to understand and
learn how to properly secure your Wireless LAN.
http://www.netgear.com/pdf_docs/10StepsWirelessSecurity.pdf-

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Bury the Last of Your Tapes
According to an old proverb, if something isn't broke, don't try to fix it. People tend to stick with old systems and ways of doing things, not because there's not a better way, but because it's usually easier than implementing change.
Read more here

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How secure are you?
Where do vulnerabilities lie on your network? What are the latest security updates and fixes? How can hackers infiltrate your system? If you can't answer these three questions without hesitation, then your network is in immediate danger. First download this powerpoint presentation to learn more about the basics of how your networks are attacked then contact us. We can help.

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To access previous newsletters, go to http://www.veemost.com/newsletter.htm

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WHEN YOUR NETWORK IS TOAST, CALL VEEMOST

We have risen to the task many times. We can help you get your network back to normal. Save yourself some time, we are just a phone call away.