February 26, 2010

GraVoc Welcomes Paul Lincoln

Earlier this month, GraVoc added Paul Lincoln as an associate to its information systems practice.  Paul, a Microsoft Certified Professional, brings experience both in programming and network infrastructure to the table, so Paul also adds depth to GraVoc’s IT service offerings.

Paul, originally an Austin, TX native, is the second employee hired to the IS practice in the past six months, as Stefanie Marsh was also added to the team in August 2009. 

Paul comes to the Northeast after most recently working at VersaCall Technologies in San Diego, CA.  He and his wife just moved to Worcester, MA.  Paul is no stranger to moving, as he carries an impressive military background.  A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Paul spent many years in the U.S. Marine Corps where he earned, among other honors, the Navy Commendation Medal.  In his spare time, Paul enjoys working out and spending time outdoors.

Also notable this month, GraVoc would like to thank Karen Morey for her contributions to the information security practice over the past three years, and would like to wish her the best of luck at her new job.

GraVoc Associates, Inc, now a 17-person firm, offers a wide range of technology-based solutions in the practices of information systems, information technology, and professional services.  Based north of Boston in Peabody, MA, GraVoc has served the North Shore, New England, and beyond for sixteen years.  For more information about GraVoc, please visit the recently-revamped http://www.gravoc.com/.

February 19, 2010

93H: There Is A Reason For This

As the deadline for compliance with the Massachusetts Data Security Law approaches (March 1st is now two weeks away), many businesses are undoubtedly looking at the new burdens that are being thrown at them and wondering if it’s necessary.  Perhaps the Massachusetts legislature got bored one day and decided to inconvenience businesses by requiring them to write information security policies and implement safeguards.  Maybe they have friends in the encryption or consulting industries.  But a recent report has given further evidence to what many already knew:  Identity theft is a growing problem and businesses that handle people’s sensitive information should make efforts to make sure that if this data is stolen, they are not the ones responsible for it.

A research group concluded there were over 11 million US identity fraud victims in 2010, a 12-percent increase perhaps caused by bad economic times (hat tip to the ISMG).  Surprisingly, over two-thirds of this crime was executed using non-technical methods, emphasizing that identity theft prevention is not specifically an IT burden.  This growing crime cost victims $54 billion in 2010.  By comparison, ID theft victims lost three times what all of Bernie Madoff’s victims lost during Madoff’s entire career.

GraVoc Associates, Inc’s information security team, which has worked primarily with the highly-regulated financial services industry in the past, has begun to work with non-financial clients with Massachusetts Data Security Law (M.G.L. 93H or 201 CMR 17.00) compliance services.  A free on-demand webinar has been recorded and distributed to existing GraVoc clients, and will be made available on GraVoc.com later on this week.  The standards required by this law, while they are not nearly as aggressive as they were when originally penned, can require a lot of work, and many businesses have gone to GraVoc for advisory and help with compliance with this law.

GraVoc Associates, founded in 1994, provides a wide range of solutions in the fields of information security, information systems, and professional services.  The GraVoc News Blog has been following developments regarding the Mass. Data Security Law since the blog’s inception in 2008, and you may find value in perusing the archives for more information.  For additional information about GraVoc’s services in all three fields, we strongly encourage you to browse GraVoc.com.

February 15, 2010

New Look News Blog

If you are reading this post through Facebook or through your RSS feed, we strongly suggest you go to the new-look GraVoc News Blog available at http://gravoc.blogspot.com.  There, you will be able to more easily navigate the blog, sign up to receive posts via Real Simple Syndication (RSS), and still be one click away from the three GraVoc websites at GraVoc.com, gravocsoftware.com, and divergingsoul.com.  You will also be able to read archived posts by date and by topic.

Obviously, if you are reading this on the blog itself, you can already see this.

In the aftermath of acquiring DivergingSoul Media Production in January, GraVoc has increased their time spent in web design and leveraging “web 2.0” services, including setting up and administering blogs for clients.  GraVoc wanted their own blog to reflect how easy a blog can be to navigate.

GraVoc Associates, Inc., based in Peabody, MA, specializes in the fields of professional services, information systems, and information security.  Among their professional services offered are offer web design, blog maintenance, financial consulting, and network services.  GraVoc’s clients have spanned Greater Boston, New England, and beyond.  For more information about GraVoc, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.  

February 10, 2010

Apple’s Next Frontier: Real, Exaggerated, or Both?

As mentioned in a previous entry of the GraVoc News Blog, we can now look back on Windows Vista and conclude that it may have been the worst thing to happen to Microsoft.  Its hype and ensuing lack of popularity among end users, especially in favor of an older operating system in Windows XP, led to it becoming a complete flop.

Meanwhile, this failure has opened a small crack for Apple to penetrate the business/enterprise market, as explained in this recent whitepaper.  Apple’s popularity with students who have since graduated and entered the business world, in conjunction with the ubiquity of the iPod and iPhone, has enabled Apple to gain market share in the enterprise.  Granted, some outlets spin it in different ways than others--the whitepaper, which is ultimately promoting a cross-platform systems management application, cites a report stating that 80% of businesses have at least one Mac, while other reports claim that even after quadrupling their market share, Apple’s 4.5% share is dwarfed by Microsoft’s 94.9%.  However, even if there is only one Mac in an enterprise, administrators must account for its well-being, both in terms of installing necessary software, fixing problems, and enhancing its information security measures. 

Nonetheless, if this trend continues and Macs someday represent 1/10th of the machines in an enterprise, businesses will face the challenge of administration and maintenance of both Windows-based and Mac OS-based machines.  This will inevitably result in higher costs, either in terms of labor/training time, more time doing manual implementations, or investing in a product that manages across platforms.  With the advent of the heralded iPad tablet, and with enterprises still hesitant to make Windows 7 the operating system of choice, management of Macs in the enterprise may soon become a relevant topic.

Since 1994, GraVoc Associates, Inc. has been providing clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond with services in the fields of information systems, information security, and professional services.  Among their professional services offered include network infrastructure design and management services.  For more information about GraVoc, please visit http://www.GraVoc.com.

February 1, 2010

Windows XP: Is It Time?

It is now 2010 and today was supposed to be the two-year anniversary from the end of Microsoft Windows XP sales.  (It was eventually pushed back several months due to public outcry and the flop of Windows Vista.)  We are coming up on XP’s ninth birthday this summer.  Most enterprises are stubbornly sticking to Windows XP, even when purchasing new machines, as about 60% of machines in businesses still use Windows XP.  Of course, vendors are also helping the operating system perpetuate its dominance as it becomes obsolete by continuing to offer Windows 7 or Windows Vista with the option of an XP downgrade.  But who can blame them?  The market is demanding that XP continues to be available.

Most agree that Windows Vista came with more than its fair share of problems.  It may have been the single worst thing to ever happen to Microsoft, as Vista hurt its reputation considerably and some users  have decided to use other operating systems (more on this in the next entry).  End users and administrators alike are hesitant to adopt Windows 7 for the fear that, like Vista, the product has too many unfamiliar features (notably security settings) that get in the way of doing business as expediently as possible.

However, it has been almost four months since Windows 7’s hyped-up release.  And while the XP downgrade is still available in many places, it will not be around forever.  Windows 7, meanwhile, has started to be adopted more steadily by enterprises.  There is no way around it:  XP is almost nine years old and it is probably time for many businesses to make the switch.  Think of it this way:  Is your automobile eight years old?  How many cars have you purchased since August 2001?  Chances are, your operating system is older than your current car, and possibly your last car.  Windows 7 has enjoyed a warm reception, and it’s not early in the game anymore.  XP is becoming obsolete, and it’s time to wonder if business will keep their death grip on XP until support is completely extinct in 2014.  It may be time to say goodbye to the familiar system and move forward.

Since 1994, GraVoc Associates, Inc. has been providing clients in Greater Boston, New England, and beyond through technology in the fields of information systems, information security, and professional services.  GraVoc is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and its wide range of services include hardware and software procurement, network infrastructure design and management, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems integration.  For more information about GraVoc, please visit http://www.GraVoc.com.