November 07 , 2003

TODAY'S HEADLINES -

** The Business Case for Technology
** Pros and Cons For Admins on Visiting Hacker Sites
** $250,000 Bounty To Nail Blaster, Sobig Authors
** Novell's Buyout Could Help Linux And Novell
----------------------------------------------------

The Business Case for Technology

Servers, spreadsheets, accounting software, and word processing are tools to operate a business. But to best realize the potential of a tool you must have a strategy.

Some technologies lend themselves to clear strategic goals while others don't. Examining every automation instance would be impossible. Instead, let's review the four most common goals of automation projects. Each is a question that must be answered to properly layout the strategic purpose for an automation project and how project success will be measured.

1. Cost savings. The new technology will reduce or keep operating costs in-check. Of the goals, this is the only one with a tangible measuring device. The question to answer is "how will this system help reduce my costs?"
2. Provide better customer service. Nowadays, customers are more demanding then ever. Therefore, the more responsive and attentive that you are with your customers, the more they will do business with you. Using technology can improve and enhance your relationship. Thus the question to answer is "how will this system improve my rapport with my customers?"
3. Attract new customers. Automation can be the tool for a new type of marketing. Mass niche marketing allows your target niche to receive personalized marketing attention. Also, using technology to differentiate your business from the competition will allow you to attract and keep new customers. The question is "how will this system translate into new customers?"
4. Improve employee productivity and employee relations. This has a few aspects including making the work environment more challenging, less mundane safer, and more productive. The question is "how will this system improve the economic benefit my employees have to my business?"

This last goal is the hardest of all to measure for many employees perform non-repetitive jobs where the definition blurs between productive and effective. For example, a report that previously took an hour to produce but had no meaning to readers may now take two hours to produce with full-color graphs and is now instantly understandable to readers.

To sum up, banks don't lend money to you without clearly knowing that they will be repaid. Why should you do it to yourself? When buying technology, you should know upfront that your business will recoup its investment with a combination of tangible and intangible benefits. Call VeeMost to review how your hardware and software meshes with your business strategies.

This month's guest editorial is written by A.J. Vasaris, a Certified Management Consultant with Value Management Partners --a project, process and business management consulting firm located in Akron, OH.

©2003 A.J. Vasaris

Tech Tip
---------------------------------------------------------------

Pros and cons for admins on visiting hacker sites
One way to investigate the tactics hackers use is to visit their sites. However, there are some drawbacks to this type of reconnaissance. Heed this advice before entering enemy territory.

Industry News
---------------------------------------------------------------

S$250,000 Bounty To Nail Blaster, Sobig Authors
Microsoft has created a $5 million reward fund for information
leading to the capture of those responsible for worm and virus
outbreaks.

Novell's Buyout Could Help Linux And Novell
The former networking giant is buying SuSE Linux for $210
million.

---------------------------------------------------

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

---------------------------------------------------

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.

Call VeeMost at 330-928-1100 or 1-877-VeeMost