Our Experience Includes:
General hardware and software support — We support most hardware and software used in the Windows environment. We are not affiliated with any particular hardware or software manufacturer or vendor. While we do have our preferences, your company is our top priority. We work with you to make sure the hardware and software you choose is the best for your needs.
Security — In recent tests, computers connected to the internet through high speed internet connections (also called broadband, such as cable or xDSL) were attacked within 4 minutes of the connection to the internet being set up. We help you make sure your computer or network is safe.
Spyware, detection and removal — Without the user knowing, many systems become infested with spyware. At best, spyware can be a nuisance, at worst, it will bring your system to a halt. We have the experience and software to detect and remove spyware from your computer. We will also train you in the use of anti-spyware software so you can keep your system safe.
Networking —
- Wireless and PowerLine networks — Wireless networks have special security issues, we can make sure your network is as secure as it can be. We also have worked with PowerLine networking. We will help you determine your best networking solution.
- Connecting xDSL and cable to networks — We have helped many of our clients connect their internal networks to the internet through high speed connections (ISDN, DSL and cable modems). Security is a major concern. We know how to set up an 'invisible' connection to the internet, minimizing the chances of attack or of having your system secretly used by others.
- Designing, installing and supporting peer-to-peer (Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista) networks — We have created peer-to-peer networks for many of our clients. Our client's networks range in size from a couple of computers to almost 30 computers. Many small businesses really don't need the complexity of a client/server network. For years peer-to-peer networks have been looked down upon as not 'real' networks because many consultants have spent considerable time and money learning about client/server networks and need to justify their training and high prices.
Writing and supporting custom software — Sometimes work would be so much easier if it were automated. We have written Excel macros which have saved days of tedious work. (All of the times listed are from the client.) One particular macro took a job which usually required 40+ hours of work and turned it into a 10 minute process, another macro took a process from 25+ hours down to 5 minutes. More typical is a macro that takes a process from 45 minutes to less than 2 minutes (during the course of a year this process is done several hundred times - a substantial savings). We have also created software which allows information to be combined and translated into a more useful form.
Designing custom hardware — We designed and manufactured a data collection system for one of our customers. The system was patented (nos. 5,361,200 and D348,454) and has been in service since 1992. US Patent Office search.
Designing and maintaining web sites — We have designed and maintain several of our client's web sites (our links page has links to some of their sites) . We provide a web site analysis to ensure our clients receive the best and most appropriate web site design. Our web site design philosophy:
- Keep it simple and fast. Nobody likes to wait for a page to load (and most won't). Unless you are selling glitzy annoying web site design don't show off all the "cool" things web sites can do, get to the point of what you are selling. If you are selling the glitz, let the user choose to view it, don't force it on them.
- Make it easy to find what you have so users know if they're interested. If they have to hunt around – they're gone.
- Don't force users to look at a lot of images, if they want to see a picture of something give them a link or a thumbnail to click.
- Write the code so it is standards compliant. Use W3C Markup Validation Service to check compliance.
- Test in multiple browsers (Internet Explorer (multiple versions), Opera, Firefox, Safari)
Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows 95, 95, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista are Registered TradeMarks of Microsoft® Corp.
