Free Laptop Anti-Theft Tracking

Mark Berry September 5, 2011

This is pretty cool:  preyproject.com.

You install a small piece of software on your laptop or phone. If you lose the device, log in to the Prey web site and change the device’s status to Missing. The software will capture a screen shot, webcam shot, geographical location (using GPS or WiFi triangulation), and a bunch of system and network info. You can even sound a loud siren through the speakers if you think the device is nearby. I tested it on a laptop and it geo-located it within one house!

Up to three devices are free; Pro plans are available. Works with Windows, Mac, and Android.

I read about Prey in the article 4 simple steps to bulletproof laptop security. Besides, theft and loss recovery, the article also describes strong passwords, fingerprint readers, and full-disk encryption, all of which I’m already using.

Contact MCB Systems if you’d like to beef up laptop security in your environment.

Web-Enable Your Custom Software Application

Mark Berry January 5, 2011

Are you using custom software to run your business? Perhaps an older Access or FoxPro application? Or maybe some Excel spreadsheets with custom macros? Ever wonder about converting that to an application that could be accessed as a web site, but still look like a local application?

Or maybe you have data that so far is only accessible to I.T. staff, and you need to open it up to end users via a simple, web-enabled interface?

MCB Systems recently had the opportunity to work on just such a project.

Web Site Grader Rates Your Web Site

Mark Berry September 23, 2010

A colleague referred me to this cool tool for rating web sites:  www.websitegrader.com. The tool evaluates your site on the basis of of several criteria:  blog, links, metadata, domain age, traffic rank, etc.

MCB Systems’ site, created in-house using WordPress, rates 95 as of this writing.

How does your web site rate?

Free MCB GoldPop Program Loads GoldMine Record from 3CX CallerID

Mark Berry September 3, 2010

I’ve recently changed my in-house PBX from Linux-based PBX in a Flash to Windows-based 3CX. One of the cool things about 3CX is the included 3CX Assistant, a call manager that runs on each user’s PC. Not only does it show who is on a call, it has built-in functionality to pop up the caller’s Outlook contact when a call comes in.

MCB Now Certified in SBS 2008

Mark Berry June 30, 2010

I’ve been a Microsoft Certified Professional for several years. Recently I invested the time to prepare for and take Microsoft exam 70-653. With that successfully behind me, I’m now a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist with a certification in Windows Small Business Server 2008:

Working with Small Business Server 2008

Certification aside, it’s great to be working with Microsoft Small Business Server 2008. This server software is designed specifically for small businesses from about 5 up to 75 users. It includes a powerful email server with shared calendaring (Exchange), built-in support for mobile devices, SharePoint for collaboration, and remote access capabilities that even the larger server products don’t offer. All this comes in a consolidated, pre-tested package, discounted significantly from acquiring the components individually.

Contact MCB Systems to discuss whether your company would benefit from Small Business Server 2008.