We have moved!
5 October, 2008
The last couple of weeks in September were a very exciting time for us here at Correct Solutions.
For months we had been planning an office move, so when the big day finally came we were all really looking forward to it.
Moving an office is a huge task, but everyone pulled together and worked well as a team to get the job done, so a big thank you to everyone involved.
Our new offices have a lovely feel having been freshly painted, along with the skylights it makes for a light, warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Unit 3 is much more spacious than our previous office and our renovations have created a lovely work environment, we have lots of room to move now.
With a new projector and drop-screen in our boardroom, we have a fantastic, modern room for hosting in-house training as well as, of course, meetings with clients, vendors and partners.
We have a dedicated Engineering section for setting up client's new machines and testing new products as well as all the other important work our technicians do while working on PCs diagnosing and resolving issues.
Our new address is
Unit 3, 7 Anella Avenue,
Castle Hill NSW 2154Correct Solutions and Bluedog - A winning combination
29 August, 2008
Thursday 21st August - Redmond, Washington, USA: Small Business Server 2008 was officially released to manufacturing. What that means is that after years of development, SBS 2008 is finally baked and ready to come out of the oven!
Correct Solutions have been testing SBS 2008 now for nearly two years, and we've had the chance to provide very real and direct feedback in the development of the product, so we know it will fit the needs of many of our clients.
In fact, we are the only reseller in Australia supported by Microsoft in placing one of our clients on the Technology Adoption Program (TAP), running SBS for some time now while it was still in the beta testing phase.
Our client, Bluedog Fences Australia, produce high quality fencing solutions that they control every aspect of; from their free quoting process right through to manufacture, supply and installation.With a broad reach across the country and over 50 staff, they service NSW including Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle, The Hunter, Tamworth, North West NSW, New England, the Central West and recently other Australian states. Their range of tubular steel fencing products are manufactured in Tamworth from Australian made premium grade steel developed specifically for Australian conditions.
Bluedog was one of Correct Solutions' early adopters of SBS 2003 years ago and their hardware was at the end of its life, being over 4 years old and out of warranty maintenance.
Microsoft's Small Business Server is the key component of Bluedog's IT systems. SBS, running along side a second server, provides the core for Terminal Server infrastructure. This provides cost effective, secure, managed and reliable IT across multiple offices in Sydney and regional NSW; a factory in Tamworth and Sales and Installation teams that work right across NSW and beyond.
These systems have served them well over the term of their implementation, but were showing their age in recent times - Bluedog suffered a hard drive failure just 24 hours before we commenced the migration to SBS 2008!
Marcus Rowell from Bluedog had the following to say about their relationship with Correct...
“For Bluedog, the key to SBS and our IT systems is having Correct Solutions. Correct is a technology partner that has the technical skills and experience with SBS to protect our company's assets and provide an IT infrastructure that is reliable for daily operations."
“Correct's relationship with Microsoft enabled Bluedog to be part of the SBS 2008 TAP program which gave Bluedog early access to the upcoming SBS 2008 product, with a synergy that benefited Microsoft, Correct and Bluedog. Microsoft was able to test its upcoming product in a real world scenario, Correct was able to test their methodology for deploying the new Server and we were able to gain early access to a product that provides numerous benefits to our business."
For Bluedog some of the key features in moving to SBS 2008 were;
• A new Remote Web Workplace that is more secure and yet easier for users
• Simplified management of Desktops and Laptops with daily reporting of their security status
• Upgraded core server systems, such as Windows 2008 and Exchange 2007 for reliability and securityWhen asked about Correct Solution's Network Care Plans, Marcus had this to say;
“Bluedog is transitioning to a fully managed Diamond Network Care Plan from Correct Solutions that formalises our relationship, allows us to utilise their skills and experience and enables Correct to take a proactive role in managing our business' IT network. A flat rate for 2nd level help desk combined with a monthly onsite visit means our employees' issues get dealt with more effectively than if we had an in-house IT “specialist" who has another role in the business."
Ryan Spillane - Managing Director of Correct Solutions was equally pleased. “It was a great opportunity for Correct to implement the products in a real world environment, not just the test platform. The timing worked out perfectly for Bluedog considering our approval from Microsoft for the Technology Adoption Program (TAP) happened just when they needed a refresh."
“Correct has done fixed price maintenance since 2000, however the new generation Network Care Plans mean our customers don't have to worry about their information technology anymore and can be focused on what they do best."
Wayne Small - SBS MVP and Technology Specialist for Correct Solutions was the key architect for the rollout. He planned the migration to minimise the need to visit the remote offices and the impact on the business that comes with major network changes. SBS 2008 now has its own migration wizard that makes it easier for us to perform the migration for the client.
The installation of the new SBS 2008 server is phase one of the network upgrades that are going to take place for Bluedog. Shortly, Correct Solutions will be moving to virtualise the SBS 2008 Server and upgrade the Terminal Server to Windows Server 2008, all running on a Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V (Virtualisation) platform. The entire solution will run on one solid and reliable HP Server giving Bluedog increased levels of redundancy and reduced downtime in event of a disaster.
A Worry-Free approach to Security
8 August, 2008
June 2008 saw the release of Trend Micro's latest version of their comprehensive security for SMB - Client/Server and Client/Server/Messaging for SMB - Version 5.0.
The new version has undergone a face lift and along with additional features and benefits, is now known as Worry-Free™ Business Security (WFBS).
Existing Trend Micro customers will start seeing their maintenance renewals coming through as WFBS Standard (previously Client/Server for SMB) and WFBS Advanced (Client/Server/Messaging for SMB).
The new features of Worry-Free™ include:
Web Threat Protection
Web threat protection prevents exposure without relying on matching each threat to a pattern file. Every day 3 billion websites are tracked, protecting customers from 8-10 million risky websites.
This prevents damage from web threats (data theft, damaged PCs) by preventing exposure to infected websites and offers real-time, constantly updated protection without slowing down computers.
Location Awareness
Automatically changes Worry-Free Security settings on notebooks to set protection for employees inside or outside the office.
This gives users the optimal security based on the current environment they find them-selves in, whether it's the office, or say the local coffee shop offering wireless connectivity. The auto-configuration of settings means this feature required little effort on behalf of the user.
Application Behaviour Monitoring
Monitors application activities and prevents unauthorised, harmful changes to your computer. This is a dynamic feature, adapting intuitively to new and emerging threats and provides real-time prevention capabilities.
Multilayer Spam blocking
Blocks spam before it reaches the business. Integrated protection layer stops spam by checking IP addresses against Trend Micro's constantly updated database of known sources. This has obvious benefits in optimised network bandwidth and Exchange Server performance, not to mention the reduction of user frustration.
The Advanced Edition now includes InterScan Messaging Hosted Security as standard.Trend Micro's hosted email security solution blocks spam, viruses, phishing, and other email threats before they reach your network. As a hosted solution, it requires no hardware or software to install and maintain, and helps you reclaim IT staff time, end-user productivity, bandwidth, mail server storage and CPU capacity.
If you have recently renewed the maintenance on your CS or CSM (for SMB) licenses and have received WFBS, you can upgrade to the new version.
This upgrade is not done via the automatic updates, it is in fact a manual process.
To take advantage of the new features that Worry-Free™ can offer, please contact us to discuss arranging an upgrade or install further.
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