Mentis Group Blog

What is “good” service

richardg — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:57:37 +0000

Let us help you define your current support services and be sure what you are gettting is “good” or better. Not all support firms are the same! We expand the definition of good to also include risk, functionality, performance, accessibility and cost. Predictable fees! Predictable results.

Just met with a company that is being overcharged and under-serviced. Being held “hostage” by their IT provider. I left there shocked at the lack of deliverable service they are providing this company. Don’t let your’s be one of these. Let Mentis Group meet with you and assess your current situation.

How to win $20K worth of MS SW and Implementation

richardg — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:26:51 +0000

Mentis Group is sponsoring a contest with Microsoft. We will be giving away MS 2008 Server Operating System WITH 25 CALS and Impementation. The deadline to qualify is October 30, 2009. Please contact us at 214-393-6814 for more information.

Dispose of Old Computers, Disks, etc. Safely

richardg — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:17:15 +0000

Don’t just throw old electronic equipment in the dumpster. It’s an environmental NoNo, you could get fined and these are recyclable. Also, ID theft is at an all-time high and senstive data may still exist on devices. Keep your old devices around a couple of times to be sure you won’t need it; be sure the device is wiped clean, deleting is not enough, donate to a charity (www.computerswithcauses.org). You can write off the donation on your taxes. Call me and I am happy to help you with a “green” way to get rid of your old equiment.

iPhones and your Exchange server

richardg — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:44:39 +0000

There currently are isolated problems in conjuction with iPhone users. If you send out an email and you also own/use an iPhone, potentially the message gets resent multiple times. We are investigating.

Taken from a iphone support page….

I have been having this problem myself when connected to a work exchange server. I have had 2 occasions where the same email has been sent over 8 times. Both times I had to remove all my email settings and add them again to get it to stop. I have the 8G 3G iPhone. I also support about 40 iPhone users in a law firm and 4 or 5 of them are having the same issue. They are connecting to a different exchange server.

We haven’t seen or heard of a resolution… it’s happening to us (Richard) so we assume it will be happening to our customers… Bruce also saw the same problem with message delivery from his daughter off of her iphone… he got an email from her 7 times over the course of a day. This is either an AT&T issue or an Iphone issue… just thought we all should know…

INFO FROM A AT&T USER…

“I’m having the same problem. Today my iphone sent 7 txt msgs to my friend…and later received duplicate txt several times. I contacted ATT and they blamed it on Apple. Then they push me to Apple and they said to contact ATT, but first try a hard reboot, by pushing both the buttons on the iphone and holding them down for 5 secs….then do a reset by accessing the menu in the iphone. Then do a restore on the iphone. If problems still exist contact ATT and tell them it’s their data plan and they should give you a credit…..”

Another from a apple forum still not answered by Apple….

“We have a handful of iPhone users connecting to our Exchange 2003 server. We have been experiencing a random issue where the iPhone users are sending a message but it is generating multiple e-mail messages.

When I look in Exchange message tracking, I only see the message being received once but expanding the Message ID dropdown I see that there are multiple X.400 message ID’s and one Exchange message ID.

Since the recipients are on the same Exchange server, I can see the message being delivered locally multiple times corresponding to the number of additional message ID’s.

There are multiple “SMTP Store Driver: Message Submitted from Store” and the subsequent local deliveries. They do not occur at the same time. On an example I looked at today, the initial message logged was received at 12:10 and delivered at 12:11, 12:25, 1:33, 8:06, 8:32, 8:44. I looked in application logs at those times and do not see any errors, just the logging of the Send As (event id 1032).

This is a frustration to our executive team that are using the iPhones. I’ve seen several discussions on this where people have surmised that it is poor signal causing the issue, and considering the random nature of the occurrences that may indeed be the case. However, I have yet to see a definitive root cause or explanation given from Apple.

Thank you for any further insight into this recurring issue.”

The link for above…

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1986781&tstart=45

We’ll keep you posted…

Regards,

Richard

Data Storage - How much is enough?

richardg — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:48:27 +0000

How well equipped is your business against natural disasters? With Spring and Summer in the South, tornadoes are very common. Is your backup and DR plan adequate enough to withstand a devastating storm? Are you utlizing off-site solutions? How many locations are sufficient? How much human element is involved in your backup? Did you know that tapes are easily damaged especialy by heat? Do you test your backup system? Is your backup susceptible to loss of power, terrorist threats, employee error or sabotage?

Let Mentis Group solve your business backup and storage issues and provide the right solutions. Call me so we can discuss your needs further. Have a Great Day! Linda

Marathon and a Half!

richardg — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:33:48 +0000

Sarah & I completed the Avon Walk in DC this past weekend. We walked 40 miles, 14 in the rain. What an awesome experience. I’m very proud to have accomplished this feat. Training, support, commitmend and determination to succeed helped me do it! Again, thanks to all those that helped in many ways.

Linda

Internet Acceptable Use Policy (IAUP)

richardg — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:27:44 +0000

Our May newsletter features Company IAUPs and why you need one. Contact us for a FREE Comprehensive Internet Acceptable Use Policy template or to discuss some basic options available to monitor your employees’ internet usage. Helpful hint: The Top 5 Mistakes Users Make: 1) write down passwords, 2) click on anything that has a link in an e-mail or open attachments they’re not expecting, 3) lead pesonal lives online at work an store personal information on work computer, 4) share log-on informaiton, 5) walk away from their computers with the computre screen unlocked. (Network World 4/27/09). Linda Glauben

I’m off to DC to walk 40 miles

richardg — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:46:23 +0000

Well, never did I think I’d be walking 40 miles but I’m off to DC to do just that. This weekend, my daughter, Sarah, and I will be part of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and walk 40 miles in two days. I’ve realized anything is possible once you make up your mind. Also, the generosity and support from so many people is very inspirational. I thank everyone who has contributed in any way! Stay tuned for the results.

Conficker Virus update

richardg — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:59:08 +0000

Just in case you felt that we all dodged the bullet on April 1. It seems that the virus has been lying in wait and now is starting to awake.

This is interesting reading.

Richard

Conficker virus begins to attack PCs

By Jim Finkle, Reuters April 27, 2009 12:03 PM

BOSTON - A malicious software program known as Conficker that many feared would wreak havoc on April 1 is slowly being activated, weeks after being dismissed as a false alarm, security experts said.

Conficker, also known as Downadup or Kido, is quietly turning thousands of personal computers into servers of e-mail spam and installing spyware, they said.

The worm started spreading late last year, infecting millions of computers and turning them into “slaves” that respond to commands sent from a remote server that effectively controls an army of computers known as a botnet.

Its unidentified creators started using those machines for criminal purposes in recent weeks by loading more malicious software onto a small percentage of computers under their control, said Vincent Weafer, a vice president with Symantec Security Response, the research arm of the world’s largest security software maker, Symantec Corp.

“Expect this to be long-term, slowly changing,” he said of the worm. “It’s not going to be fast, aggressive.”

Conficker installs a second virus, known as Waledac, that sends out e-mail spam without knowledge of the PC’s owner, along with a fake anti-spyware program, Weafer said.

The Waledac virus recruits the PCs into a second botnet that has existed for several years and specializes in distributing e-mail spam.

“This is probably one of the most sophisticated botnets on the planet. The guys behind this are very professional. They absolutely know what they are doing,” said Paul Ferguson, a senior researcher with Trend Micro Inc, the world’s third-largest security software maker.

He said Conficker’s authors likely installed a spam engine and another malicious software program on tens of thousands of computers since April 7.

He said the worm will stop distributing the software on infected PCs on May 3 but more attacks will likely follow.

“We expect to see a different component or a whole new twist to the way this botnet does business,” said Ferguson, a member of The Conficker Working Group, an international alliance of companies fighting the worm.

Researchers had feared the network controlled by the Conficker worm might be deployed on April 1 since the worm surfaced last year because it was programed to increase communication attempts from that date.

The security industry formed the task force to fight the worm, bringing widespread attention that experts said probably scared off the criminals who command the slave computers.

The task force initially thwarted the worm using the Internet’s traffic control system to block access to servers that control the slave computers.

Viruses that turn PCs into slaves exploit weaknesses in Microsoft’s Windows operating system. The Conficker worm is especially tricky because it can evade corporate firewalls by passing from an infected machine onto a USB memory stick, then onto another PC.

The Conficker botnet is one of many such networks controlled by syndicates that authorities believe are based in eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, China and Latin America.

What Gets Your Attention?

richardg — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:08:26 +0000

We are strategizing our marketing plan and I am really struggling with what works and what doesn’t! So I am asking for your help! I’d like to know WHAT GETS YOUR ATTENTION?

· Do you prefer the soft-sell approach to marketing?

· Do you like the snappy, jazzy catchphrases that you find yourself repeating over and over in your head?

· Do you look at billboards and respond to the advertising?

· What about the direct approach? “This is what I’m offering, I know you want it, sign here.”

· If you received a five-page business offer, are you more likely to read it all the way through, or scan and toss? Does a postcard get your attention more?

· How do you feel about receiving marketing pieces repeatedly?

· Do you ever take sales calls and talk with the caller or do you just get annoyed and end the call?

· What do you find the most effective, appealing and successful way of marketing a business?

I’m really interested in knowing! Respond, e-mail or give me a call! We’ll share our findings with you.

Regards,

Linda