Bayside Networks National Provider of Trusted and Experienced IT Services

Are you able to find information on the Internet more easily than on your own in house office network?

Why you need a search engine for your internal network.

Just about everyone has used the convenience and power of Google to quickly find information on the Internet. If only it was as easy to find documents and information on your company’s systems.

If your company has used a computer network with shared document storage for more than a few years there is a good chance it is often difficult for your staff to find the documents or files they need. Part of the problem is that, over time, users on your shared system will organize their information in different and sometimes inconsistent ways.

Another problem is that it can be very awkward placing a file in a particular folder when a that document might actually relate to several important subjects. Both of these “problems”, especially when they are active for a few years, make it difficult for your staff to find information on your system.

Built in functionality waiting to be used

Interestingly, since at least Windows 2000, Microsoft has included the foundational components that are needed to create a very powerful search engine. Oddly, the foundation for Microsoft’s great search technology is there but the additional “user interface” components that are needed to make Microsoft’s search technology actually usable are simply missing.

There are indeed a variety of third party document management and search engine systems (Google makes one that is rather expensive) but no single internal company wide search engine has gained widespread acceptance. Most companies that use shared storage simply can’t search their documents in a Google like manner - and they suffer because of it - often having trouble locating older documents.

Microsoft’s new Windows Vista has an improved search technology—that’s great but it won’t help with information that is stored on older server systems and a lot of people won’t be switching to Vista anytime soon.

With the above in mind, BaysideNetworks developed a web based search engine that can run on any Windows 2000 or later based system. Our system uses the Microsoft Search Technology foundation that Microsoft has thoughtfully included with every version of Windows since Windows 2000. By the way, the “foundation” I spoke of above is already on your Windows server systems unless you purposefully excluded it during your initial Windows install (almost no one excludes it during install).

How does our Search System work?

Users visit http://BaysideSearch from their regular Internet browser to use the system. A page that looks similar to Google comes up. The user enters a few key words, like the name of specific person or customer for example, hits return, and instantly they are provided with links to all the files where the search terms appeared.

The search system allows users to specify complex And / Or “boolean” arguments for their searches but most users seldom need them. If you don’t use Booleans when you search with Google you likely won’t need to use them with the Bayside search system either.

Here are a few specific points regarding BaysideSearch:

1. When a user searches, they will only receive search results for documents that they actually have permission to access. For example, if an employee doesn’t have access rights to your “payroll” directory they would never receive a search result for a document located in that directory. Your private information remains private - the search system doesn’t change that.
2. The search system can be used remotely. If a user forms a VPN connection with your system they can use the search just as if they were in your office. I find the ability to use the search engine very helpful especially if I am working after hours and no-one is around to tell me where this or that document is located on the system (which folder etc).
3. All search systems rely on “indexes” to speed up searches for documents. With BaysideSearch, these indexes are built automatically by the Microsoft Search system and generally they occupy about 5% of the space that the actual documents consume.
4. Documents are automatically indexed when the servers are dormant and not busy with other tasks. Indexing your documents doesn’t place any sort of worrisome additional load on your server systems. Indexing really is automatic too - it’s not something you have to do manually - essentially it’s a set it up and forget it is there feature.
5. Virtually all Microsoft based document formats can be indexed and optional (usually free) modules (called ‘iFilters”) are available to enable PDF’s and Word Perfect files to be searched (there are iFilters available for just about every file format, Microsoft or not).
6. If your office has remote branches they can easily have search pages of their own which can be made available throughout your company. When you perform a search, only a very limited amount of information - basically just your search terms and “the results” - transit the link between your workstation and the server. Because of the efficient and very low amount of information transmitted the search system works very well for companies with multiple offices that are widely distributed.
7. No information leaves your system or “goes out on the Internet” in any way- the system works completely through your internal systems

What does it cost and what are the requirements to run it?

If you use Windows 2000 or later Microsoft based servers, you meet the requirements to use BaysideSearch.

You need two more things to get your search page up and running:

1. A copy of our program, BaysideSearch. There is no cost for the software—we would be happy to provide you with a non-expiring license for your company’s exclusive use.
2. Setup, configuration and brief training for your users. This is a service that BaysideNetworks.com is ready to provide for your office. Generally it takes about 5 hours to setup the search system for a single shared drive letter on your network. About 1 additional hour is needed for each additional drive letter. Some clients with complex search needs require additional setup time. Over 80% of our search engine setups cost less than $1000 to fully implement.

How do you get BaysideSearch? Would you like to see a free online demonstration?

Please contact BaysideNetworks.com and ask for Chris Gruenwald. I am the owner of BaysideNetworks.com and I would be happy to provide you with free on-line demo and help you get started with this powerful and inexpensive program.

About BaysideNetworks.com, Inc.

BaysideNetworks.com, founded in 1986, is small IT consulting firm that provides a wide range of technology services. We offer systems design, implementation, troubleshooting, programming, and technology outsourcing solutions.

Our consultants come from a wide range of technology backgrounds with many years of applied experience.

Unclutterer, a blog about … uncluttering your life, has posted a summary of what documents you can safely shred as soon as possible, which can wait , and which should never be shred.

The article is geared more towards individuals than companies and you should obviously consult with your lawyers before you shred something sensitive.

Here’s a snippet of the lists:

Shred Now:

• Credit card applications
• Any piece of unwanted paper that contains: addresses, account numbers or access information, birth dates, budgets, photocopies of “never shredâ€? documents listed below, drivers license numbers, employment information, envelopes and address labels, estimates, legal papers, luggage tags, medical information, passwords, report cards, signatures, social security numbers, transcripts, travel itineraries, used airline tickets, and anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable having a stranger read
• Expired credit cards, bank cards, passports, visas, and identification cards (college, military, employee badges, etc.)
• Credit checks on tenants or other home employees (contractors, nannies, etc.) immediately after evaluating the information

…

Never Shred:

• Marriage, birth, divorce, and death certificates
• Military service records
• Insurance policies and claims
• Wills
• Power of attorney documents
• Social security reports
• Year-end retirement and investment account statements and policies
• Loan and mortgage paid-in-full documentation
• Diplomas and transcripts
• Medical records
• Current resume
• Evaluation and receipts of valuables (jewelry, artwork, etc.)
• Tax returns and associated financial documentation (1040 forms)
• Securities and trade confirmations

Unclutter: Paper clutter begone, part 4

Today I was contacted by a “hosting reseller� that was interested in moving a client’s email and website to a hosting service provider that he sells. The “hosting biz� was clearly a sideline business for the reseller as he seemed to have very limited technical background.

I sat back and listened to the reseller’s plan for our client, then I asked a few pointed questions, mainly so I could understand how the reseller planned to avoid disrupting our client’s email and website during their transfer to the new hosting provider.

The first thing that alarmed me was the reseller’s plan to make the transfer to the new provider on something other than a Friday afternoon. He didn’t see any problem making the change during the middle of the week. If you are very careful and really understand what makes email flow on the internet, yes you can make changes mid-week.

From practical experience though, its almost never a good idea to make substantive email configuration changes for a business in the middle of the week if it can be avoided.

This reseller’s lack of knowledge is just a small part of a larger problem in the mass marketed hosting business.

The hosting provider is a large company that focuses on selling its services at a very very low cost to thousands of customers. At the prices the hosting company charges, careful client specific service simply can’t be part of their business model.

Mass market hosting companies often work with “resellers.� The thinking
is that the resellers bring in the customers, earn a commission, and provide the “service� that the hosting companies need to make use of their inexpensive products. Sometimes this business model works pretty well but often it does not.

Part of the problem is that anyone, I mean anyone, can be a hosting reseller. Do you have a heartbeat? You can be a reseller too. Try this search – hosting reseller – see what I mean?

Try to assess the knowledge level of anyone that recommends a technology, such as hosting service for your business. If they don’t specialize in technology based products or services, there is a good chance that they are in over the head and may be simply trying to earn a quick buck.

Another point is to make sure you understand where your service will actually come from. If you are working with a reseller, be sure to research the quality of the hosting company that the reseller is recommending. Try typing the name of the hosting provider, i.e. “abc123 hosting problems� – see what comes up.

The overall message here is buyer beware. It’s a hassle to change hosting companies over and over – so its important to make a choice that you are likely to be comfortable with for at least a year.

Also, be careful to avoid any encumbering contracts or prepayment for more than 1 quarter (3 months) of service. If you aren’t happy with a hosting service it can be very frustrating trying to get your money back if the service has been prepaid.

There are aspects of buying any technology that are no different than navigating through any other purchase. Trust your common sense and business experience. As a customer, you have control and the ability to be very careful about your technology purchases.

I often counsel our technology consulting clients to trust their common sense more than their ability to assess any technology service or product. Check a few references, ask for written documentation, ask for an explanation of how or if your business is likely to be disrupted if there are any problems with the new product?

If the explanations don’t sound right to you and raises “common sense questions to you� – chances are good that you should move on and consider a different product.

I found today’s call with the reseller a little bit amusing. The reseller was trying to sell a complex service with little understanding of how to implement it or how his customer could be negatively affected by any mistakes. He reminded me of a car salesman, maybe working “his first day on the lot.�

The reseller today was just playing a role in a crazy overall low pricing at any cost landscape. The old adage – if something is too good to be true it probably isn’t.

Sure, you can pay $10 a month to host thousands of email accounts, but who will administer it, and what will the overall service quality be? Will anyone that can actually help you even answer the phone if you call for assistance?What will the real cost of poor quality or service be?

I am certain the reseller didn’t find my pointed questions and very limited patience amusing at all- I suppose that’s why most technical people like myself aren’t great sales people!!

Switch Proxy is a Firefox extension that will make life much, much easier for a small portion of Internet users. Switch Proxy makes the transition between offices, companies, coffee shops, or anonymous profiles easy and quick. It also helps developers that need to test their code outside their workplace environment’s proxy settings.