Percento Technologies is an Information Technology company. We provide a full range of information technology outsourcing solutions, such as managed IT services, information technology consulting services, IT monitoring and maintenance, and other services. Our consultants can help you plan and implement a system that is tailored to the specific requirements of your business and includes the information technology services you need.

Information technology consulting services involve strategic consulting to help you avoid unforeseen expenses and maximize return on investment. Our consultants begin by mapping your systems and understand your projected growth to determine your future needs. Using this information, we create a plan, so the network scales with your organization as your company continues to grow in the future.

Information technology outsourcing has additional benefits, such as a greater return on investment, enhanced security and increased equipment lifecycle. Services like monitoring and performance management help to ensure your company’s resources are allocated effectively. This helps to increase efficiency and brings greater return on investment.  We have managed informational technology solutions that can be tailored to your specifications.

Our information technology company offers many other professional services, including IT system audit, disaster recovery planning, asset management, IT integration and more. We offer information technology services to ensure network security and backup solutions to protect your vital information. Percento will review your network to evaluate threat potential and identify areas of vulnerability. We can provide IT monitoring and maintenance through information technology outsourcing to ensure you are always running at optimal capacity and fully protected.

It was 15 years ago that Microsoft had one of its most successful launches ever–introducing Windows 95. The company managed to get people to line up for hours to be among the first to get their hands on a copy.

The company paid to treat people to free newspapers in London, lighted the Empire State Building in Windows’ colors, and draped Toronto’s CN Tower with a 300-foot banner–all part of a massive $300 million ad campaign that accompanied the product’s arrival.

Windows 95, which was separate from the company’s business-oriented Windows NT product, added a number of features over its predecessors including better network support, the ability to send faxes (yes, there was a time when that was a big deal) along with basic audio recording, audio playback, and video playback tools. Features now thought of as core parts of Windows, such as the start menu and taskbar, also made their debut with Windows 95. Plus, it just looked a whole lot better graphically and was far more stable than past consumer versions of Windows.

Internet Explorer debuted around the same time, but was sold separately as part of Microsoft’s Plus Pack for Windows 95. It was eventually bundled in directly with the operating system in an update to Windows 95 released the following year.

By the time Windows 95 was finally ushered off the market in 2001, it had become a fixture on computer desktops around the world.

“If you look at Windows 95, it was a quantum leap in difference in technological capability and stability,” Gartner analyst Neil MacDonald said at that time.

A decade and a half after Windows 95 hit the market, though, one question looms large for Windows? Are all its best days in the past?

Clearly it was a different time and Microsoft might be hard pressed to capture that kind of consumer attention no matter what it did. But, never mind the long lines, will Microsoft be able to continue to sell Windows at the price and volume it has?

It’s one of the most important questions facing Microsoft as a company. While the company has expanded far beyond its Windows roots, Windows and Office remain the engine driving the vast majority of the company’s profits even as it looks to cell phones, search, and online services to augment its mainstay businesses.

At the moment, the Windows business is doing quite well, with Windows 7 selling at an impressive clip. Indeed Windows 7 is selling far faster than Windows 95 did in its early days, though that’s as much a testament to how large the PC market is as anything else.

The longer-term question is whether Windows can outpace what I call the generic Web experience. In the coming years, smartbooks, tablets, cell phones, Netbooks and shapes we probably haven’t thought of will all be capable of delivering the Web, which is for many people their main use of a PC.

For Windows to be as relevant on Windows 95′s 20th anniversary as it is today, the company will have had to manage to evolve the operating system significantly.

I see a few ways this can happen, but none is a sure thing.

First, Microsoft (or a third-party software maker) can develop a new killer app that only runs on Windows. It’s been a long time since this happened, but certainly it’s not impossible. New user interfaces can also be added. Touch is already there, as is voice control to some degree, but gesture recognition such as that found in Kinect could pave the way for new uses.

Second, it could evolve Windows and Windows Live to offer a dramatically better way of doing the same tasks that most people do on the Web. Sure, we can manage our photos and music on the Web today and that is getting easier. However, tapping local storage and graphics, Microsoft has the potential to offer a better way and, with the latest version of Windows Live, is trying to do so.

Third, Microsoft could enhance the value of Windows by having a browser that is demonstrably superior to non-Windows rivals. This appears to be a tall order, given that Internet Explorer, while still leading in market share, has been well behind rivals when it comes to being seen as the technical leader.

For the record, this challenge is not just the one facing Microsoft. It’s also the one facing Apple’s Mac business. And while Microsoft must justify the $100 or so premium that it charges for Windows, Apple commands an even higher premium when comparing the Mac to one of these “generic Web” devices.

But Apple also has another entrant in the game–a viable alternative Web experience delivered in the form of the iPad. Microsoft, at least so far, appears to have only Windows, in its various flavors.

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IT consulting companies, first and foremost, enable businesses to focus on their key functions. When non-professionals undertake the task of setting up and maintaining IT systems, it is likely to consume more time, which could have been used on strategizing and improving revenues. Besides, it may even result in a sub-standard information technology setup, prone to frequent breakdowns. According to the US Consumer Report for 2006, an astounding $7.8 billion was spent during 2004-2006 on computer repairs and replacements, due to breakdowns.

Key Services Offered by IT Consulting Companies

IT consulting companies enable businesses to maximize the IT returns on investment by tailoring their IT services to the organization’s needs. Some key managed IT services provided by IT consultants are:

• Server and application support
• Local Area Network (LAN) administration
• Anti-virus solutions
• Wireless solutions
• Web hosting

These services are vital to ensure smooth flow of information within as well as outside the organization, while ensuring confidentiality of key information. In the absence of such managed IT services, the entire organizational communication and administration will surely tumble.

Reviewing IT Consulting Companies: Factors to Consider

The first step in selecting an IT consulting company is to assess the current requirements of the business. This entails establishing the level and range of services required. For instance, some organizations only require basic IT monitoring, while others need a more extensive IT systems audit.

Some other key factors to bear in mind while choosing an IT consultant are:

• The business expansion plan: This is because the IT systems will also need to be upgraded accordingly. Ensure that the IT consulting company is capable of managing a greater work load.
• The supplier experience: This includes reviewing the past work done by the IT consultant. Good IT consulting companies have a strong presence across various industries and a high referral rate.
• Training: Good IT consulting companies train the organizational staff in managing the system themselves after the installation. Additional training of the staff about IT systems is also crucial for accommodating company growth.

The services of an IT consulting company are instrumental for innovation, which is an outcome of shared knowledge through collaborative communication. Besides, an IT consultant helps to maintain the status quo, through IT integration of new technologies and applications.

Visit www.percentotech.com if you seek the services of an established IT consulting company. Percento Technologies provides IT system solutions for numerous industries, from accounting and banking to construction, healthcare and real estate. The company also boasts an 89% plus customer referral rate.

By just loading a PDF file on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, you could be handing over complete access to your device in what could quickly become a major security breach.

The same technique used in the first web-based Jailbreak for iPhone can be utilized by hackers to seize control of your phone via a program that can be delivered via PDF to any iOS device running 3.1.2 or higher, according Gizmodo and CNET.

Here’s how it works: whenever a user loads a PDF document, it has to load the fonts associated with it. A font can be inserted into the PDF containing a program that will cause a stack overflow. The result is that the program can pass the iPhone’s security defenses and then break out of its protective sandbox to deal critical damage to your phone.

This exploit is how JailbreakMe is able to jailbreak the iPhone just by visiting the website and sliding the “Slide to Jailbreak” button. While JailbreakMe may be benign, hackers could reverse-engineer JailbreakMe’s exploit for their own nefarious purposes.

Because this exploit can be launched just by clicking a link, it could quickly become very dangerous if Apple doesn’t release a new version of iOS with the fix soon. For now, check the links you open and don’t open PDFs unless they’re from sources you completely trust.

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Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) thinks it might have a challenge for the iPhone unveiling its latest smart phone, named the BlackBerry Torch and available initially exclusively in the United States through AT&T Mobility (T). Is this enough to appease corporate business users to not have iPhone envy any longer?  Many long time Blackberry are stuck on AT&T’s network with a contract handcuffs and are afraid of the iPhone’s horrible dropped call track record.  RIM might actually have something to keep its users happy and keep them from moving to Apple.

The Torch Blackberry (above) smart phone contains the device makers latest BlackBerry 6 operating system highlighted by increased integration for touch screens and a new web browser, and could hint at AT&T Mobility’s new future.  The Torch includes quad-band support for GSM/GPRS/EDGE, tri-band support for HSDPA in the 850/1900/2100 MHz bands and Wi-Fi support for 802.11b/g/n. There was no word on additional models that would support either T-Mobile USA Inc.’s 3G network in the 1700/2100 MHz band or a CDMA version. The BlackBerry handsets have carried subpar Web browsers and all the buzz in the mobile space is with archrivals Apple and Google (Android). Now the display is 30 percent taller with touchscreen, trackpad and four ever-present BlackBerry buttons floating above the keyboard.

AT&T said will start offering the phone on Aug. 12 through its retail and online channels as well as through third-party retailers Best Buy, Wal-Mart and RadioShack. Pricing for the Torch will be the now standard $200 after all rebates and a two-year contract and the device will require a data package of either $15 per month for 200 MB or $25 for 2 GB of data transmission.

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The unlocked iPhone 4 is now technically legal and technically possible.

Just days after the U.S. Copyright Office ruled that bypassing a manufacturer’s protection mechanisms to allow “handsets to execute software applications” no longer violates federal copyright law, the iPhone Dev Team on Sunday released a jailbreak for the iPhone 4 at JailbreakMe.com.

Unlike previous jailbreaks, which required the device to be connected to a computer to run the update, the latest jailbreak is accomplished completely via mobile Safari loaded on the device. The browser-based software bypass reportedly works on all iOS devices, including iPhones, iPads, and iPods running iOS 4 and iOS 4.01, but it will reportedly not work on devices running the iOS 4.1 beta.

Also, some users report the jailbreak disrupts FaceTime and MMS functionality on the device.

However, as of this writing, demand for the jailbreak is apparently so strong that the site’s servers can’t keep up, and many visitors report difficulty in getting through.

Jailbreaking allows devices to run apps not approved by the company producing the operating system–such as Apple, the main target of such bypasses. Jailbreaking also allows devices to run on nonauthorized networks.

While the U.S. Copyright Office has declared the software legal, Apple discourages users from loading the bypass, reminding them that doing so will void their device’s warranty. “As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably,” Apple said in a statement earlier this week.

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Business Network Support for Easier Business Administration and Communication

Any organization’s day-to-day operations entail extensive internal and external communication. A business network support system aids in streamlining different communication channels and facilitating resource sharing, such as transfer of files and business documents. In fact, setting up a business network is one of the initial steps in developing an organizational IT system.

Business Network Support for Different-Sized Organizations

Business networks are essentially of two types, peer-to-peer and client/server. In a peer-to-peer network system, each computer within the network acts as a client as well as a server. This enables each computer to exchange files and e-mails directly with every other computer on the business network. This implies that the access to personal files is within the control of each individual user. Such a business network support system is feasible for small businesses.

However, for larger organizations that have bigger volumes of transfer, the client/server network system is indispensable. In such a setup, a high-powered central computer, or the server, acts as the focal point of the business network. This server is connected to other workstations, which do not have full access to personal files.

It is also worth noting that peer-to-peer and client/server business networks are either encompassed in a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN). The former usually has a smaller coverage, such as a school or a residence, and offers better data-transfer speed. The latter covers a bigger geography, such as a university or a commercial complex.

Business Network Support: Weighing the Pros and Cons

The principal benefit of setting up business network support is convenience and flexibility. It enables access to common network resource from any convenient location inside the primary networking environment. This, in turn, helps to increase productivity, as users can maintain a constant affiliation within their desired network. For a business, this means that employees can get more work done, faster.

However, there is a flipside to business networks. Since these networks are designed to transfer data using radio frequencies, poor signals may result in loss of information. Besides the data transmitters are not 100% secure, and there is a possibility of data theft.

Whatever the needs of your company might be, establishing a business network system is imperative for its growth. A well-planned local area or wide area network will not only increase organizational efficiency and control, but will also ensure security of confidential information.

Visit www.percentotech.com to access high-quality managed IT services, from server support and LAN/WAN administration to setting up WiFi points. Percento Technologies, besides the diverse range of services provided, takes pride in its high referral rate of over 89 percent.

Microsoft originally said that new owners of Windows 7 who wanted to downgrade to XP would only have until 2011 to do so, but now the company has changed its mind and extended support for the old operating system until 2020.

That’s right. Windows XP, an operating system that is already almost 10 years old, will apparently still be relevant for another 10 years. “We have decided to extend downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional beyond the previously planned end date at Windows 7 SP1,” wrote Microsoft in an official blog post. “Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilize end user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7.”

Because users did not seem to be overly outraged about Windows 7 the way everyone was about Vista, it seemed perfectly fine to cut off the remaining life of Windows XP without too much haste. And for the majority of individual computer owners, that probably wouldn’t have been a problem.

However, what is a problem is that 74% of businesses still use Windows XP, and for a lot of them, the cost of upgrading all of their machines to Windows 7 is not financially tenable. Thus, companies risk having old computers with Windows XP and new computers with Windows 7 which would fragment their network and make it impossible to streamline systems.

It is as a result of that statistic that Microsoft will now continue to allow downgrades to Windows XP for people who purchase Windows 7 Professional through 2015, and through 2020 for people who purchase Windows 7 Ultimate, according to a report from Computerworld.

However, as of yesterday, Microsoft ended all support for Windows XP SP2, so anyone who still wants to be covered by Microsoft support will at least have to move to XP’s Service Pack 3.

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Google announced Friday that the Chinese government has renewed its license to continue running its Web site in China.

The rocky relationship between Google and Beijing had cast doubt as to whether the license would be renewed. The tension became public in January when Google said it would cease censoring search results in China and also pointed a finger at Beijing as the source of cyberattacks on Google and other U.S. companies.

An update to the company’s official blog by David Drummond, Google’s chief legal officer, announced the license renewal: “We are very pleased that the government has renewed our ICP license and we look forward to continuing to provide web search and local products to our users in China.”

Drummond said that in the next few days all Chinese users will find themselves on a new Google.cn landing page, ending redirects to Google’s Hong Kong site.

There was no immediate word from China’s Information Ministry about the license renewal.

The past six months have been especially stormy for the Chinese government and the search giant.

Google set up shop with its Chinese search engine Google.cn in 2006. However, the company faced immediate criticism by agreeing to censor its search results to comply with regulations handed down by Beijing. In doing so, Google joined the ranks of other tech giants such as Microsoft and Yahoo, walking the tightrope of doing business in a country intent on keeping information from its citizens.

But this past January saw an about-face in Google’s Chinese policy. The company revealed that it had been the victim of a series of cyberattacks launched from China last year designed to uncover information about human rights activists. In reaction, Google said it would stop censoring its search results in China and threatened to pull out of the country if Beijing didn’t like it.

In an attempt to sneak past China’s regulations, Google shut down its Google.cn site in March and started redirecting Chinese users to its Hong Kong site, Google.com.hk, which offered uncensored Chinese-language search results. That move threatened the renewal of Google’s Web site license, prompting the company to stop that redirection this week.

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Ten years ago, the next big thing in tech was supposed to be the Internet appliance: a device that offered tech newbies a simpler and cheaper way to get onto the Internet.

Within the span of only a few months a host of such devices hit the market–products such as 3Com’s Audrey, Netpliance’s I-opener along with machines from Sony, Gateway, and Compaq. They were all aimed at trying to offer the Web without the cost and complexity of a full-fledged computer.

Around the same time, makers of other products like the Kerbango Internet radio saw an opportunity for products that tapped the power of the Internet for a single purpose. Some predicted that the industry was poised for rapid and dramatic growth.

Unfortunately, the products ended up being either too limited or far slower than a PC and nearly as costly, and the category disappeared as quickly as it had emerged.

Still, it was a nice idea. And, the funny thing is, now people are actually buying these things.

Devices like the iPad and the Kindle, along with game consoles and Net-connected televisions have shown that there is a market for both devices that are simpler than a PC as well as for products that connect to the Internet for a single purpose.

The notion that prompted the Internet appliance category–that the Web is a powerful tool and there should be many types of on-ramps–was a good one. Unfortunately for the Audrey and her sisters, the timing was all wrong.

First of all, the devices arrived while most people still used dial-up to get on the Internet and few people had a home network. That meant that such devices needed to replace, rather than augment a Web-connected PC. Also, computers were coming down in price thanks to aggressive cost-cutting by Intel and rapidly falling component prices, while the economics of trying to start a new category meant that Net appliances couldn’t be sold for less than several hundred dollars.

Today, meanwhile, the Internet flourishes, connectivity abounds, and the cost of building Wi-Fi into a device means that it is possible to sell Net-connected devices for well under $200.

Although born of a completely different heritage, one of the devices that best represents the completion of the Internet appliance vision is Apple’s iPad. Press a button and the device is instantly on and with one more push of a finger one is on the Web in seconds.

The Kindle, meanwhile, shows how the Internet can be used, almost invisibly, for a single purpose, such as buying and reading books.

Other devices that one might not think of as Internet appliances nonetheless can also trace their lineage to those clunky devices of old.

Game consoles like the Wii, Xbox 360, and Sony PlayStation all can take advantage of the Internet to a greater or lesser degree to allow for things like Netflix and online gaming. Net-connected televisions using widgets from Yahoo or Google’s upcoming Google TV are also borrowing some of the same notions that powered early devices, including WebTV.

There are also a few companies pursuing modern adaptations of those Internet appliances of yore, though this category still has yet to prove it can produce a mass market success.

Chumby, for example, sells devices that cost a little over $100 and offer a quick glance at any number of personalized Web channels–a vision not unlike the Audrey, which downloaded Internet content overnight (it was still a dial-up world) so that it could offer an instant take on news, sports, and weather.

“There’s some really great old ideas that just were at the wrong time,” said Stephen Tomlin, CEO of Chumby Industries.

Naturally, though, Tomlin likes to distance himself from the devices of old (though he admits to going out and buying an Audrey to see what made it tick.)

“It’s about doing things differently and offering more, not less,” Tomlin said. “With Chumby the ‘more’ is that you can get your favorite parts of the Internet streamed to you at a glance, without constantly pecking at icons and launching programs, and you can place this capability inexpensively in any part of your house.”

Chumby’s success has been modest so far, with several tens of thousands of devices having been sold since its debut in 2008.

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