3rdmill e-newsletter – October 2009

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3rdmill publishes a regular e-newsletter to inform clients, potential clients and partners of technology issues in general, and news from 3rdmill. If you do not want to receive our e-newsletter in the future, please use the Unsubscribe link available at the bottom of this message.

Windows 7, and what Microsoft learned from the Vista disaster

With the introduction of Vista some 3 years ago, 3rdmill took a very careful approach in rolling out the new operating system due to compatibility issues and performance.

With Vista, most of the performance gains offered by hardware upgrades were lost by Vista's heavier footprint. This time around, it appears that Microsoft got it right.

We expect the road to Windows7 to be smoother - we have had it in production at 3rdmill for over 6 months, and on all accounts it is better than Vista. A streamlined accreditation process is in place for 3rdmill clients, as anyone using older applications (under WindowsXP) or drivers still run a risk.

3rdmill recommends no mid-term upgrades to operating systems or Office applications - the upgrade to Windows7 in your business network should wait until a hardware replacement is due.

Is Google Wave a Tsunami?

You might remember we have previously mentioned Google Wave, an integrated communication / instant messaging and document sharing system under development by Google.

The system is being Beta tested, and it looks awesome. There is a video / demo available on Youtube - well worth a look when you have 5 minutes to spare.

We believe this will heavily impact on how information is shared and how people interact. Google WAVE is coming - and it looks like a Tsunami.

Bear in mind that EMAIL was invented over 40 years ago - an overhaul is long overdue!

New Viruses go undetected by top Anti-virus tools

There is a new breed of Viruses and Worms which are not being picked up by any of the top anti-virus products in the market.

This emphasises the message that security of systems depend on a range of technology tools (anti-viruses and firewalls), as well as technology strategies (e.g. disablement of Admin rights) and user behaviour!

Clicking on Hyperlinks and opening attachments, or visiting suspicious Websites remain the main source of infection.

There is a reasonable risk that some of the links from search engines and popular websites (Youtube, Facebook) will try to drive you towards other Websites that might attempt to infect your system.

For home use, we recommend Microsoft Security Essentials, a free product from Microsoft.

Newsletter services, forms and SMS functionality

Following the success of the Claims and Quote request libraries (available as extensions to insurance broking websites), 3rdmill is now offering customised newsletter, forms, and SMS notification services.

Starting from as little as $1,000 per annum, these services enable you to run Event invitations and follow ups (SMS or EMAIL), electronic newsletters and basic Quotation forms. The SMS facility can also be used for SMS Marketing.

e-Learning

3rdmill's E-learning services division (3ducate), is now operational. Visit 3ducate.com.au for more information. 3ducate offerings include consulting, hosting, training, content development and integration.

Unlike most e-learning offerings (based on proprietary technologies), 3ducate focus on open source solutions. E-Learning is quite a powerfull tool for induction, compliance, application training - contact Andrew North for more information.

News from 3rdmill

3rdmill welcomes Ferianto Liem to our development team, and Hayley Wackett to our procurement and e-learning team.

No new babies or pregnancies to report - it must be the GFC!

Investment allowance

Time is running out for the Investment allowance / tax rebate, consult your accountant to ascertain your entitlements. We note that although orders need to be placed by December 2009, the installation of the upgrades can take place in 2010.

Suggestion Box

Do you have a suggestion? Contact divico@3rdmill.com.au

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