Why Utilize a Telecom Consultant - Because you can!

The question I hear most frequently from prospective clients is - "why do we need a consultant?" The follow ups are typically - "we never have before" or "our IT guy handles this” or “we are too small for a Consultant.” Well, that last one speaks to a completely different stereotype that we should address first. What is a Consultant? Let’s go to one of my favorite sites first and get their definition – Wikipedia!
“A consultant is a professional who provides advice in a particular area of expertise such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology …communication ... A consultant is usually an expert or a professional in a specific field and has a wide knowledge of the subject matter. A consultant usually works for a consultancy firm or is self-employed, and engages with multiple and changing clients. Thus, clients have access to deeper levels of expertise than would be feasible for them to retain in-house, and may purchase only as much service from the outside consultant as desired. It is generally accepted good corporate governance to hire consultants as a check to the Principal-Agent problem.”

There are three areas that we should expound upon. One, “a professional who provides advice in a particular area.” Unless you have a “self proclaimed” Telecom Expert on staff or someone who has just come on board from the Telecom industry, there is almost no way you will be up to date on the latest technology and/or the latest pricing. Quite simply, this is all we do – keep up with the latest industry trends and pricing available to our clients. Two, “engages with multiple and changing clients.” While our expertise is in Telecom, our knowledge of our clients industries and how they utilize their communications allows us to provide that same knowledge to our prospective and current clients. This allows our clients to focus on what they do best – running their business. But knowing that they are not always a step behind with their technology. We help “future proof” their business. Three, “purchase only as much service…as desired.” Bottom line, cost is typically not a factor to our clients, as they are utilizing our expertise only when needed.

Lastly, nine out of ten times, our services are FREE! Okay, I know what you’re thinking, how can that be? Yes, we are a “for profit” business. That is not in question. However, our model and how we work with our clients normally allows them to reap the benefits of a consultant, without ever paying us a dime. So, you want to know how this is possible. Well, check the next blog, why don’t you! Talk to you soon!

Internet Explorer 8 Security

One of the biggest challenges facing business and security professionals today is defining default security settings. If the default settings are too restrictive, users may experience limitations and compatibility issues and simply ignore warnings or alerts. But if the settings are not restrictive enough, users are susceptible to attack from a wide range of exploits. Finding the right balance of functionality and security is critical for both safety and ease of use, but it is often difficult to find the perfect balance given the variation in the user base.

Vendors typically define default security settings to allow the greatest usability based on calculated risk. Basing decisions on attack scenarios, weighting factors required to exploit and other user scenarios, a vendor selects values for default security settings for them to function well in wide range of environments. For most home users, these default choices are usually sufficient to meet their browsing needs and help keep them protected from most attacks.

However, some consumer and business users may have more specific requirements based on their business needs as well as regulatory and legal requirements, For example, users in large enterprise environments may be required to comply with government regulations to protect financial data and customer information stored on servers on their network.

The security and privacy settings for Internet Explorer 8 have been designed for a wide range of requirements, further solidifying Microsoft’s security leadership. At the same time we respect user’s privacy and the needs to control the use of their data, and provide several recommended options which balance these needs. Using the default security settings, Internet Explorer 8 will be sufficient for most users, offering increased security over previous versions and new privacy features to help users manage and control the release of their personal information. For more information about new features and settings, visit www.microsoft.com/ie8 and for Security specific information visit http://www.microsoft.com/security/pypc.aspx