12-20-13

A — December 20, 2013 - January 16, 2014 — Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal

www.marejournal.com

Accutech...................................................................... 19B All-Rite Construction.............................................. IBC-C AMC Fire Protection................................................... 18C American Architectural................................................ 1B Bayshore Recycling..................................................... 16B Bennett Williams Realty.............................................. 6C Binswanger................................................................... 7C BL Companies....................................................11A&22C Boyle Construction Mgmt.. ........................................ 24C Brasler......................................................................... 19C Capitol Aerials............................................................ 14B Carl Berger...................................................................25C CMC............................................................................... 3C Comly............................................................................. 3A Conestoga Title Insurance.......................................... 29C Connel Foley. ................................................................ 1C Cushman & Wakefield................................................ 23C Earth Engineering...................................................... 17C Elias B. Cohen. ............................................................. 7B Elliott Lewis.................................................................. 6B Entech Digital Controls.............................................. 17B Exchange Solutions. ..................................................... 4C Fowler.......................................................................... 23B G&C............................................................................. 10B Gebroe-Hammer. ........................................................ 12C Gilbeaux...................................................................... 15B GREP............................................................................. 2C Griffin Land..................................................................17C Haftek.......................................................................... 11B Harvey Hanna............................................................. 16C Heller Industrial......................................................... 21C Henry’s Real Estate...................................................... 1A Hutchinson Mechanical.............................................. 18B ICREW. ....................................................................... 21A IREM........................................................................... 25B Jewel Electric................................................................ 9B Jottan. ....................................................................... BC-A Katz Properties........................................................... 16A Kislak.......................................................................... 10C Kline’s Services........................................................... 14B Landcore.......................................................................27C Limbach Engineering................................................. 15B Lincoln Property Company. ......................................... 5C M.Miller & Sons............................................................ 4B Marcus & Millichap NY............................................BC-C Meridian..................................................................... IC-C Metro Commercial...................................................... 17C NAI Mertz................................................................... 13C NJ Smart Start..................................................12B&15C NJAA........................................................................... 23B Oppenheimer................................................................. 8C P.Cooper Roofing.......................................................BC-B PennCap...................................................................... 17C Poskanzer Skott............................................................ 3B Preferred Construction Management........................ 20B PWC............................................................................... 2B Rational Contracting.................................................... 2B RD Management........................................................ 6-7A Rittenhouse................................................................. 14C RT Environmental Svcs................................................ 9C Singer Financial. ........................................................ 11C Specialty Building Services.....................................IFC-B Subway.......................................................................... 9A The Feil Organization. ............................................... 15A Whitestone Associates................................................ 12A WithumSmith & Brown................................................ 8B Worth & Co.................................................................. 11B MAREJ A dvertisers D irectory

Mid Atlantic R eal E state J ournal Publisher ............................................................................ Linda Christman Publisher ............................................................................... Joe Christman Publisher/Senior Account Executive ................................. Elaine Fanning Section Publisher .................................................................... Steve Kelley Senior Editor/Graphic Artist .................................................Karen Vachon Production Assistant ....................................................................Julie King Office Manager .................................................................... Joanne Gavaza Contributing Colomnist ............................................................. Mike Mullin Mid Atlantic R eal E state J ournal ~ Published Semi-Monthly P.O. Box 26 Accord, MA 02018 (Mail) 312 Market Street, Rockland, MA 02370 (Overnight) Periodicals postage paid at Rockland, Massachusetts and additional mailing offices Postmaster send address change to: Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal, P.O. Box 26, Accord, MA 02018 USPS #22-358 | Vol. 25 Issue 22 Subscription rates: $99 - one year, $198 - two years, $4 - single copy REPORT AN ERROR IMMEDIATELY MARE Journal will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion Toll-Free: (800) 584-1062 | MA: (781) 871-5298 | Fax: (781) 871-5299 www.marejournal.com The views expressed by contributing columnists are not necessarily representative of the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal

Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal

By Michael Mullin IT Managers Should Consider Their Next Generation Tech Today

M

arch 2014 may seem far away, with July 2015 even further out.

However, for businesses run- ning Windows XP Professional, Server 2003 or Small Business Server 2003 these dates – which represent support end-of-life for these three popular products – should already be top of mind. More specifically, this is a per- fect time for IT managers to get proactive by considering options and beginning the budgeting process for their next generation of business technology. Of course, just because Micro- soft stops supporting a particu- lar product does not mean the product will stop working. How- ever, the company’s technical support people, who represent the first line of defense when a problem does arise, will no longer be able to help. In the case of XP, Microsoft will require the software be updated to Windows 7 before they can field a support call. While this may not be a major issue for companies with a few PCs, the cost can be significant for those that have a few dozen or hundreds of desktops, laptops and mobile devices. Server 2003 and Small Business Server 2003 (typically used by firms with 75 or fewer workstations) will need to be replaced entirely, and comparable on-premises mail or file-and-print servers are big- ticket items. So whether a company is fac- ing an impending need to update software applications on a large number of devices, or is at a point where it must swap out an obsolete server or servers, it is time to start planning. However, before diving into purchasing apples-to-apples replacements, it is worth considering Microsoft Outlook 365, the company’s

cloud-based option. At a cost of just $4 per user per month – a mere $400 for 100 workstations – after setup and licensing fees, Outlook 365 presents a major potential cost savings. It also offers a built- in disaster recovery function. Microsoft automatically backs up to multiple locations, so if a user’s primary cloud goes down, they can put their data (and ap- plications) back up via another path. And, importantly, Outlook 365 users receive automatic software updates as well. Who should transition to Microsoft’s cloud-based com- puting? Some would argue that any company with less than 500 employees would be crazy not to take advantage of this platform immediately. At IBS, our advice is not that black and white. First, while Microsoft talks about the simplicity of the tran- sition, PCs need to be running Outlook 2013 in order for it to work. That means those run- ning 2003 or 2007 – i.e. the vast majority – need to be upgraded to the most current version. While this typically is a hurdle rather than a hindrance, it is important to understand. Second, Outlook 365 is com- pletely dependent on the In- ternet. Companies with poor connection reliability due to geography or less-than-stellar ship positions for eight years, will be serving in an interim po- sition; it was announced recently at the firm’s annual Summit in Las Vegas. “Our company has grown tre- mendously and we are strategi- cally positioning ourselves for our next platform of growth,” said Rinkov. “It’s critical that we take the time to implement our strate- gic objectives as we move into the

ISPs most likely should stick with buying their own, premis- es-based server and software. Regardless of whether the choice is clear or cloudy, it is a good idea to partner with a Microsoft support agent that can help navigate the deci- sion-making and implementa- tion processes. For our clients, IBS Network Services lays out the pros and cons of why they should or should not migrate to the cloud, andwhat the upgrade path would look like. For those that move forward, we are able to handle the entire shift, in- cluding working withMicrosoft, migrating everything to the cloud and acting as a front-line support option on an ongoing basis. This type of full-service approach provides a seamless and painless transition. The bottom line? Whether in six months or two years, Microsoft is phasing out three key business products. In turn, companies are faced with the need to invest in their technol- ogy. By starting to think about it now, smart organizations have time to thoroughly explore their options, and potentially make some changes that will save them money for years to come. Michael Mullin is the pres- ident of Integrated Business Systems (IBS) n future. There is no question that I’m honored to be appointed the interim president and chairman of the board. “ Rinkov is currently a member of the board of directors, and has been largely instrumental in the firm’s development of technology and communications infrastruc- ture. In addition, Rinkov serves as president of Lee & Associates Central Los Angeles. n

Lee&AssociatesnamesRinkovpresident andchairmanof theboard

LOS ANGELES — Lee & Associates (Lee) has named

Jeffrey M. R i n k o v president and chairman of t h e b o a r d . Rinkov, a 17 year industry veteran who has served in Lee Leader-

To advertise, call 1-800-584-1062

Jeffrey Rinkov

Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs