Blog Archives
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Syndication
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February 3, 2012
Hunting PST Files
By Reed Wiedower
Nothing causes more consternation for Exchange administrators than mail downloaded from the main system into a local archive. An Outlook Personal Folder, better known as a “PST” (the file extension), is difficult to support in an enterprise environment for four reasons:1. The technology underpinning them isn’t terribly robust, causing performance problems at best, and data loss at worst.
2. When an organization is hit with an e-discovery motion, every single pst in the environment (including USB keys, old tapes in closets, etc.) must be located and searched by an often expensive legal team.
3. They are typically stored on a local workstation, so aren’t backed-up. When stored on a network server, they tend to take up far more space than the original emails would’ve in Exchange itself.
4. Because they are independent of Exchange, there is no centralized way to search them or locate information in them.
For all of these reasons, Exchange admins over the last few years have been attempting to reduce or eliminate PST usage, through a combination of higher storage limits (storage is cheap!) and what are known as “online archives” in Exchange 2010. Online archive folders allow inexpensive storage to be used in the server environment, while ensuring searching and e-discovery goals are not impacted. Now that the full functionality of a PST can be had in Exchange itself, the final impediment is a small logistical one: tracking down every single PST in your environment, determining which files belong to which mailboxes and finally moving the mail into Exchange.
Notice I said “small”.
The reason this is now a far more trivial task than a few weeks ago is that Microsoft has released, for free, the Exchange PST Capture tool. This tool allows a small agent to be installed on all workstations in an environment, locates the dreaded mail archive files themselves, and pulls them into Exchange. It also makes an easy map of which individuals own specific files, allowing the mail to be properly imported into the correct Exchange mailbox. For files stored on shared drives or for machines with multiple staff members on them, this is the single greatest way to save time during a large PST import process.
Interested in the latest tools and automation techniques for Exchange Server 2010? Come chat with us. New Signature is the leading Microsoft Exchange partner in the DC metro area and we’re happy to assist your IT staff in saving time through automation while increasing staff satisfaction.
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January 27, 2012
System Center Advisor Released
By Reed Wiedower
Following last week’s announcements, there has been some big news on the System Center front this week as well: System Center Advisor has now graduated to a full release.In addition, System Center Advisor is now tied to the Software Assurance benefits for server operating systems, meaning most customers can begin using it, for free, immediately! It has undergone a number of changes since we last covered it here, while it was in beta mode. Over the past few months, as roles were added, we’ve been testing it in our development environment, and now with the full release, are ready to begin deploying to customers. As we predicted, Microsoft has expanded the number of workloads and now supports the following items:
* SQL Server 2008 + R2
* Windows Server 2008 + R2
* Hyper-V Hosts
* Active Directory
In addition, Microsoft released a series of PowerShell cmdlets to allow you to manage the hosts themselves, built a great set of dashboards (and server health views, seen at right, click to expand), added additional documentation and troubleshooting information and even greater alerts.
The full list of changes goes over each item in detail, and is updated each month. For those new to Advisor, it’s a server-level cloud management tool which complements desktop-management technologies such as Windows Intune. Advisor allows you to centrally manage all the servers in your environment and discover when they deviate from best practices. Unlike Intune, Advisor only polls on a daily basis, and is designed at the moment to be a “reporting” tool rather than a full management tool. Given that SCA’s agent is lightweight and resembles the Intune agent, a rapid release cycle is likely, meaning that future features and workloads should be added every 3-4 months.
If you haven’t kicked the tires of System Center Advisor yet, give New Signature a call. We expect that most customers will be excited to verify the capabilities of their servers for no added cost for hardware or software licenses.
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Congrats to the Graduating Class at Year Up’s National Capital Region
By New SignatureNew Signature congratulates Year Up’s National Capital Region Graduating Class, including our own Roxanne Cano and Jasmine Weaver. This Year Up graduating class has demonstratesd that they have the motivation, determination and capabitilities to succeed in professional careers and higher education. We are also excited that Roxanne and Jasmine will join New Signature as full time employees post-graduation.
New Signature is proud to support Year Up’s mission to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up achieves this mission through a high support, high expectation model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, internships and college credits. Their holistic approach focuses on students’ professional and personal development to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. Year Up currently serves more than 1,000 students a year at sites in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Providence, Puget Sound, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area and the National Capital Region (Washington, DC).
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October 17, 2011
Windows Intune 2.0
By Reed Wiedower
New Signature is extremely excited about the latest upgrade to Microsoft’s flagship cloud-based systems management product: Windows Intune. The upgrades just went into effect this morning, and Intune administrators can see some of the changes already in the interface. Customers just signing up for Intune can immediately begin to take advantage of the new features including:- Software distribution from the public cloud (of up to 20gb stored in Windows Azure for free)
- Advanced remote capabilities (remote scanning, rebooting and signature updating)
- Better reporting of hardware and software (customized reports can now be built and saved)
- Enhanced policy conflict handling (no more troubleshooting whether an on-premise group policy overwrote your Intune policy)
- 3rd party license management
- Read-only administration delegation
- An upgraded GUI to ease control of features and policies
The changes for existing Intune customers will begin to roll-out over the next few weeks, but new customers who sign up now can immediately begin experiencing these advanced features. Want to experience Intune’s ability to save money, provide greater security and manage machines regardless of whether they are in the office, on the road, or half the globe away? New Signature is a designated black belt Intune partner, the highest level of achievement Microsoft can bestow upon a partner. Reach out to us today to help you gain control over your desktops, increase staff satisfaction and reduce costs.
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October 14, 2011
Win Pro Bono IT Services and Solutions from New Signature!
By New SignatureTransform your nonprofit organization’s IT department with free services from New Signature, free cloud solutions from Microsoft, and inspiration from top IT experts — good toward practically any IT or online initiative! New Signature invites you to enter your organization in our 2011 Cloud Accelerate Giveaway, open to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations located in the United States and its territories, possessions and commonwealths.
The organization that wins the Grand Prize will receive 100 hours of pro bono IT services from New Signature, plus up to 25 licenses of Microsoft Windows Intune. One organization selected as the runner-up will receive 50 hours of pro bono IT services from us plus up to 10 licenses of Microsoft Windows Intune. And all entrants will have the opportunity to receive a free 25-license trial to Windows Intune and one hour of pro bono advisory Windows Intune support on how to leverage this powerful Microsoft Cloud solution.
Beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on October 13th, 2011 until 5:00 p.m. ET on November 4, 2011, you may enter your organization in the 2011 Cloud Accelerate Giveaway by visiting our contest website and completing the online entry form (there’s a limit of one online entry, per valid email address, per eligible organization, per day). Please see the contest website for complete, official rules.
Windows Intune is a cloud-based service for Windows PC management and security, and includes a subscription license to Windows 7 Enterprise (and future versions of Windows). The Windows Intune cloud service centrally manages and secures PCs – whether in the main office, at a branch office, or on the road. A recent IDC study found that firms who deployed Windows Intune achieved a total savings of $702 per PC per year.
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October 11, 2011
Back to School Means Back to Business For D.C. Region Youth Entrepreneurs
By New SignatureStudents from several local high schools will take the stage tonight (Tuesday, October 11th) for the inaugural “Back to School Back to Busine$$” elevator pitch competition presented by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). The event will be hosted by Capital One Bank at their Tysons Corner headquarters, located at 1680 Capital One Drive, McLean, VA.
Participating students are enrolled in NFTE classes at public and charter schools in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Using the award-winning NFTE curriculum, students create and run their own business over the course of the school year. The elevator pitch competition is the first of several opportunities to compete for seed capital and other awards. Each student will have 60 seconds to “pitch” the judges and explain how they plan to turn their idea into profits.
Christopher Hertz, founder and CEO of New Signature, will be one of the volunteer judges evaluating the pitches. The panel of judges includes more than 20 local business leaders, many of whom already volunteer in NFTE classrooms as part of the organization’s Adopt-a-Class sponsorship program. “NFTE’s adopters are on the front lines in our classrooms on a weekly basis, coaching and mentoring our future business leaders,” says John Hasenberg of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Chair of NFTE’s Board of Advisors. “They bring real life perspective to our kids at a time when school needs to be relevant to their economic future,” says Hasenberg.
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September 25, 2011
Privacy and Big Data
By Reed WiedowerAs the internet and mobile technologies have grown more prevalent, concerns about privacy and how data is collected and used have come to the forefront. Here at New Signature, we’re always looking to help our clients educate themselves about the risks and opportunities of sharing data in this increasingly connected world.In “Privacy and Big Data” by Terence Craig and Mary E. Ludloff, the authors come at privacy concerns from two different angles, meshed together in a quick, easy to read series of chapters. The overall thrust of the book is summarized in the final chapter with a quote from RFK that we live in “interesting times” with a myriad of concerns and opportunities. To their credit, the authors sketch out succinctly the different players in the privacy debate, from ordinary people to data-driven internet savvy companies, data markets that serve all parties and government entities. By the conclusion of the book, you’ll be well-versed in both the legal ramifications of data collection in Europe, the United States and beyond. Even the fundamental question of whether privacy is a “right” or a “commodity” is fully explored.Although the book is exhaustively researched, it does tend to pose more questions than it answers, frequently devolving into a series of personal privacy preference options, rather than providing proscriptive guidance for individuals looking to protect their privacy. It also often hints at dangers rather than spelling them outright: “privacy” is often setup in opposition to ”safety and security” even though that’s a false dichotomy when it comes to many of the laws in the U.S. It’s also unclear at the conclusion whether there is any link between shared data and government control: the examples given of authoritarian regimes using “big data” seem too heavy-handed and poorly executed (e.g. shutting off the internet to prevent twitter, rather than mining the data to find rebellious citizens) to inspire fear.While use of personal information online is a hot topic and one that deserves study and education, the book ends up spreading more fear, uncertainty and doubt than it clarifies. One of the authors in the appendix notes that she never shares photos online or ever uses a social networking site. It’s a sentiment that many people in the United States would find abnormal, and it marginalized the content in the book for me.
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August 29, 2011
New Signature Is Moving One Block North to 1101 New York Avenue NW!
By New Signature
New Signature will be moving one block north to 1101 New York Avenue NW, Suite 675 Washington, DC 20005 on Friday, September 2nd. New Signature has leased 14,000 sq ft in the Gold LEED Certified office building. The new office will ensure comfort and productivity for New Signature’s staff and visitors, and accommodate future growth. New Signature will be joining a well-respected group of neighbors including Ernst & Young, Google, Dewey & LeBoeuf and The Albright Group.1101 New York Avenue was built in 2007 and the structure rises to 160 ft, containing 12 floors. It was designed by Kevin Roche to meet the highest standards of quality, efficiency and aesthetics. The building is a wonder of modern architecture with clear glass facade, dark granite base, glass canopy and unique structural system that results in no perimeter columns on three sides. The entrance lobby is distinguished by elegant materials and finishes, including granite, marble, anigré wood and zinc alloy trim.
New Signature’s office will continue to be easily accessible via public transportation or car. There are three Metro stations within three blocks of 1101 New York Avenue with connections to all five Metrorail lines that link much of the city and suburbs of Virginia and Maryland.
The office is in close proximity to the White House, Washington Convention Center, Verizon Center, Ford’s Theatre, the National Portrait Gallery, the Shakespeare Theater, the Building Museum and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
There are three Metro stations within three
blocks of 1101 New York Avenue with connections
to all five Metrorail lines that link much of
the city and suburbs of Virginia and Maryland.
Union Station is nearby. In addition to Amtrak
trains that run along the Northeast Corridor, the
station is also served by Virginia and Maryland
commuter train service. -
July 14, 2011
Brazen Careerist Taps CEO Christopher Hertz for Advice on How to Manage the Stress of Early Success and Task-Overload
By New SignatureWhitney Parker of Brazen Careerist recently went on a quest to learn from those who have managed stressful jobs at an early age. Her goal was to ask people who have been there and done that to share tips for coping with the ever-increasing responsibilities and stress that they encounter as they climb the career ladder.
New Signature’s CEO Christopher Hertz was one of the executives that Whitney interviewed, “Chris Hertz, CEO of New Signature, an IT and creative company based in Washington, D.C., says you have to know when you need support. ‘My philosophy has always been to know when to ask for help, trust the people I work with, treat everyone (clients, colleagues, vendors, partners and the community) the way I would want to be treated, and act honestly and ethically. I believe this approach can greatly reduce the amount of stress that one experiences at work.’”
You can read the full post here.
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July 11, 2011
Introducing New Signature West
By New SignatureNew Signature is pleased to publicly announce New Signature West–the firm’s branch office located in scenic Albuquerque, New Mexico. New Signature has been rapidly expanding its presence in Albuquerque with fantastic office space located in downtown at 400 Gold Ave SW Albuquerque, NM 87102.
Opening a branch office in Albuquerque, NM provides New Signature with access to top-level talent, a world class education system, a modern and efficient transportation network, and a community where businesses can grow and prosper and where people want to raise their families. The New Signature West team allows the firm to continue to improve the services we offer to both our Washington-DC metro area and national clients.
By locating in downtown Albuquerque, we’ve made it possible for many of our staff in the West office to walk or bike to work, and are contributing to Albuquerque’s efforts to revitalize its urban core — exactly the sort of conservation and community-building New Signature has always supported. New Signature looks forward to helping build an Albuquerque that is a sustainable and vital community for generations to come through innovative business practices and community involvement.
