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Welcome to the June 2007 edition of Cemoc Update.
In this issue:
- Cemoc in the news!
- Dynamic Server monitoring is here!
- Are you ready for WEEE?
- IT Energy efficiency.
Cemoc in the News
Cemoc are pleased to announce that we have recently been awarded the coveted Microsoft Security Solutions competency for Infrastructure Security, making Cemoc a quad-competency Microsoft Gold Partner. The security solutions competency has the most stringent entry requirements, and only partners with a proven track record in deploying Microsoft security solutions, and multiple security qualified members of staff can achieve it. This new status allows us to work more closely with the Microsoft security team when deploying new solutions for customers from across the Microsoft security portfolio, including the ISA Server application firewall, Forefront Client Security, Forefront for Exchange (formerly Antigen), and the enterprise class SSL vpn appliance: Intelligent Application Gateway (formerly Whale).
Cemoc staff were recently amongst the first in the world to be certified to support the new Windows Vista operating system in enterprise environments. This certification followed extensive testing work on the pre-release versions of Vista by Cemoc employees. This also leaves us ideally placed to support the forthcoming Windows Server 2008 operating system (expected later this year), which shares a common codebase with Vista.
Many new PC's are now shipping with Vista pre-installed and these systems may well need additional configuration to operate correctly within your environment. Please do not hesitate to contact Cemoc support prior to deployment, and we will ensure that the introduction of Vista goes as smoothly as possible for you.
Dynamic Server Monitoring
Cemoc have just completed development of a dynamic server monitoring agent, which will automatically alert our helpdesk as soon as any problems are detected with your key systems. We are in the final stages of testing the agent, and hope to make this service available to Total System Support customers within the next month.
This new service will ensure that we are aware of potential problems as soon as possible, and that support staff can take remedial action - possibly even before end-users are disrupted.
Are you ready for WEEE?
July 1st 2007 sees the introduction of enforcement for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations. These new regulations, relate to the safe disposal and recycling of all electronic and electrical equipment - including IT and communications equipment, and they define specific obligations for manufacturers, distributors and end-users of all electrical equipment. Full details of these regulations can be found on the DTI’s website but below is a brief summary:
- Any equipment purchased on or after 13th August 2005 must be disposed of and recycled by the equipment manufacturer.
- Where equipment was purchased prior to 13th August 2005, and is being replaced by new equipment on a like for like basis, the manufacturer of the replacement equipment is responsible for the correct disposal and recycling of the replaced equipment.
- Equipment purchased prior to 13th August 2005 not being replaced like for like, must be disposed of and recycled appropriately by the end users organisation.
Many manufacturers have been slow to introduce relevant schemes for recycling, and undoubtedly many will be offsetting the cost of collection, disposal, and recycling by increasing prices of new equipment accordingly. However, it is important that organisations (both end-users and manufacturers) dispose of old equipment in accordance with these regulations in order to avoid a fine.
IT Energy efficiency
There is much concern at the moment, over the environmental impact of modern technology. However, there are many ways we can save energy and consequently money, by taking a few measures to reduce the power consumption of IT equipment.
For example, ensuring computers are switched off when not in use, switching displays on servers and little used systems completely off when not being used – rather than relying on the built in standby mode. Modern flat screen displays use significantly less power than their older CRT equivalents – and usually offer better picture quality. Perhaps move older displays to systems that are used less often to minimise power consumption. Printers and photocopiers can often be programmed to shut down into a very low power state overnight, automatically resuming to a ready status in time for the next working day. Excess printing can be a significant waste of resources. A paperless office can be hard to achieve, but using technology like the excellent coloured flags and search folders in Outlook to organise your emails, rather than printing them out and dumping them in your in-tray, can help to reduce paper usage. Take some time to wander around your organisation with a “green” head on to see where you may be able to make some savings – every little helps.
Running older, outdated operating systems on PC’s can also have an impact on energy efficiency. Recent independent studies have revealed that organisations can make savings of £46 per computer, per year, simply by upgrading to Windows Vista from Windows XP, and taking advantage of the significantly improved power management capabilities.
Across 200 PC’s, this equates to a saving of around £9000 and 45 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. A significant saving for both the pocket, and the planet!
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