Are you ready for Windows 7?

As you may know, Microsoft is releasing its next version of the OS “officially” on October 22nd. Bulletproof InfoTech has been using it for much of the year and I have to say…we are very impressed with this next version of Microsoft’s flagship product Windows. Vista, let’s admit it, wasn’t the best, so there was a lot to bounce back from and we are confident Microsoft has what it takes with Windows 7.

Here are a couple of quick facts we have observed and many of our colleagues have also identified. First off, Windows 7 installs super quick (relative to past installations.) No more of these 3 hour ordeals. On my of our systems, including our MacBook running Windows virtually, it was done in about 15 minutes. And many of the hang-ups or blue screens of death have been resolved.

Windows 7 is just smarter, the driver issues that we had when we moved to Vista are nowhere near the same. The interface is great and works the way many computer users use their computers. Microsoft had many testers which included every day computer users helped Microsoft steer the ship for this important release.

Windows 7 is not as bloated as previous versions of Windows. It is faster, speedier and offers smarter networking for the home as well as well as small businesses here in Alberta.

Even stodgy Walt Mossberg at the WSJ like this and calls it a “toss up” with Windows 7, see Mossberg on Windows 7 vs. OS X – “A Toss Up” (jkontherun.com).

Bulletproof InfoTech has officially been running Windows 7 on many of our production systems since January 2009. We are available to discuss Windows 7 with you throughout the week. If you would like to discuss Windows 7 with us please contact Stuart Crawford at 403.206.2233 or email stuart.crawford@bulletproofIT.ca.

Bulletproof InfoTech is a Microsoft Gold Partner and Microsoft Small Business Specialist. This year Bulletproof InfoTech is nominated for two Microsoft IMPACT awards for our work with Red Deer and Calgary businesses. Bulletproof’s head office is in Red Deer, Alberta with a branch office in Calgary.  Bulletproof provides small business computer support and services to businesses between 5 and 50 employees offering worry-free business technology support.

Thank you

Stuart Crawford

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post Post to Digg Digg This Post

The Janitor author Ray Hilbert on Bulletproof Business Radio

Bulletproof Business Radio welcomes Ray Hilbert to our program

Gaining proper work life balance, discovering your life purpose, improving your marriage, experiencing personal, professional, and spiritual success, and leaving a legacy are not easily achieved in today’s fast paced pressure filled world.

Let’s face it, most of the time life feels like a rat race, exhausting, and down right tough. We have all, at one time or another thought to ourselves “there has got to be more to life than this!”

The Janitor, written by Ray Hilbert and Todd Hopkins will change the way you look at work, life, family and everything else that matters to you and those around you.

Join Stuart Crawford as he interviews author Ray Hilbert on Bulletproof Business Radio about life/work balance, leaving a legacy and doing what is right in today’s high paced, electronic, stressful, global world.

Tune in live on Friday October 16 at 2 PM Eastern/12 Noon in Alberta – Bulletproof Business Radio with Janitor author Ray Hilbert.

Unable to tune in live, download the recording of Bulletproof’s interview with Janitor author Ray Hilbert.

Learn more about “The Janitor” here.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post Post to Digg Digg This Post

Winter hits Alberta, were you ready?

Calgary weather and remote teleworkingOld man winter showed up early in Alberta this year, did he catch you off guard?

Some people were not ready. 

They don’t have their snow tires on, block heater ready to go and maybe they haven’t even put the golf clubs away. 

What about your business?  Is it ready for the next 5 or 6 months of winter weather?

We don’t mean your external equipment, your vehicle fleet or even your staff – how about your computer network?  Is it ready for winter?

As the cold northern winds begin to blow down on Central and Southern Alberta are you offering your staff an alternative to braving the sub zero temperatures, the Alberta highways or even the street in front of your office and providing them with the ability to work from outside the office.

A number of small businesses and clients of Bulletproof already offer their staff the ability to work whenever they need to.  They have the flexibility to connect in first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening to catch up on some loose ends and they also have the opportunity to stay home on the days when traffic snarls and accidents are the common occurrence of the day.

Offering remote telecommuting and teleworking solutions is not expensive.  Local municipalities spend thousands of your tax payer dollars to attempt to improve the road system and infrastructure throughout your community and it simply doesn’t appear to be working. 

Did you know for only a few hundred dollars per employee you can offer them the ability to work from home in a secure and reliable fashion?

When your key employees and those who simply do information worker activities have the ability to work from outside the office their productivity actually goes up.  There are less distractions and other office activities which can pull them away from getting stuff done in your office.

How much does it cost your team to sit in traffic when the city streets are congested?  Our guess is this.  More than it would cost to implement an alternative way for them to get stuff done from outside the office and in the comfort of their own homes.

Contact Bulletproof today to discuss how a remote teleworking solution will benefit your business.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post Post to Digg Digg This Post

DELL, Microsoft and Bulletproof Better Together

Bulletproof InfoTech had the pleasure of working with DELL and Microsoft to help capture how our three organizations working together will provide value to the small business market here in Alberta. Working with Bulletproof out of our Calgary or Red Deer locations will provide value, knowledge and the expertise needed to help your small business win in today’s new business market.

Jeff Anderson
In the last decade we’ve seen a real change in small business, where IT has gone from being a convenient tool, to being an absolute necessity.

Narrator
Jeff Anderson is the president of Bulletproof Infotech. With offices in Calgary and Red Deer the company provides managed information technology services to small and mid-sized businesses in central and southern Alberta.

Jeff Anderson
We see our role as insuring that our clients are getting the most from their information technology. That they are functioning at maximum productivity, all the time.

Stuart Crawford
Our client relationship is much more than your traditional vendor-client relationship. We really want to partner with our clients, become part of – part of their team.

Rene Sloos
We actually make a point in trying to learn about what is it that they do, how are they successful and how does information technology help them to become successful.

Stuart Crawford
So if we can understand how small business operates and have a successful small business ourselves, we can make those recommendations to other small businesses because we have tried, tested and proven ourselves how we do things and then we can pass along that knowledge to others.

Narrator
Through that knowledge and understanding Bulletproof has developed a set of core services and products to meet their clients’ needs. The key, standardized solutions across their entire client base.

Rene Sloos
If you walk into one of our networks, they all look very, very similar because we made a point in setting them up the same way.

Jeff Anderson
We have rigidly documented best practices that we use across all of our client base to ensure that everybody’s getting the same standard of service.

Stuart Crawford
Having a narrow solution stack allows us to become experts.

Narrator
But how do they determine which products and services to offer?

Jeff Anderson
When we add a vendor or a product to our solution stack, we actually look to ensure that it’s quote, unquote, bullet proof. That’s our internal litmus test.

Narrator
That’s why Dell and Microsoft are at the top of Bulletproof’s preferred vendor list.

Stuart Crawford
Having a focus on core products such as Dell servers, Dell laptops, Microsoft Office, small business server, really allows us to go to market, help pinpoint particular customer pain points and then solve those with proven solutions

Rene Sloos
For me the biggest benefit of using Dell computers is that they come pre-configured. So you use a web tool, you configure it online it arrives on your doorstep pre-configured and you’re ready to go. So you don’t have to put it together yourself. You can just get started right away.

Jeff Anderson
On the support side, we just find things like their next-day-onsite service, in terms of getting parts they nail it every time. We get the part the next day. That’s crucial.

Narrator
A solid set of core solutions, together with strategic vendor partnerships are the building blocks for Bulletproof’s future success.

Rene Sloos
there are just a handful of vendors that we have very tight relationships with, Microsoft being one of them, Dell being another one. And I think that they will be an integral success of our business.

Jeff Anderson
Dell and Microsoft really put their money where their mouth is, I guess in a sense. They truly engage with us. They want to know how they can help. They give us the tools and the resources and what we need to become successful.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post Post to Digg Digg This Post

When peers help shape your world

The power of your peers will help shape your business, life and your success

No one person has a monopoly on great ideas.

Have you noticed when you link up with others, ideas flow, creativity shines, clarity starts to emerge and you simply feel recharged and ready to take on the world. Bulletproof Business Radio hosted by Stuart Crawford welcomes members of the Calgary Entrepreneur Peer Groups to discuss how local Calgary peer groups have helped them succeed in business. Peer Groups are not a new idea however being involved in one is something many business owners simply do not leverage to help them win in today’s market. Join Stuart Crawford and members of Calgary Entrepreneur Peer Groups for this very special edition of Bulletproof Business Radio.

Peers will hold you accountable, ensure your business stays on track, committed to your success, a voice for you to bounce ideas off and a group who care about your life.

Bulletproof InfoTech is a member of Heartland Tech Group for the past year and a half.  Many of the team at Bulletproof have leadership roles in HTG and throughout the small business community.  Sharing ideas and stories helps our clients win and having a team of peers we can work with ensures you have a sharp IT partner who has a great team to help support your business.

Join us online or listen online, listen to Bulletproof Business Radio and the Power of Peers.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post Post to Digg Digg This Post