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July 8, 2005 Volume 1, Number 7 |
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In
This Issue |
Technology Report:
Thinking
Inside the Box
Everyone
is familiar with the constant refrain of being told to “Think Outside the
Box.” And, while this has led to many great inventions over the course of
American History, I’d like to recommend one place where this type of thinking
should be stayed away from: your network. ZAG continuously comes into new
environments where IT administrators or contractors had ultimately done
disservice to the networks they support by Thinking Outside the Box. Quite
often, the administrators or consultants may Think Outside the Box as a way
to cut corners or make due. These one off solutions are generally not
sustainable and over time, lead to major heart ache within the organization. Other
times, these creative solutions may mask a lack of fundamental understanding
of the true nature of a product and how it was meant to be implemented. ZAG
recommends wherever possible that its customers go with implementations that
are tried, tested and well within the boxed definition of the product. This
thinking, while not necessarily exciting, leads to very stable and reliable
networks. There are
many forms that Thinking Inside the Box can take. Sometimes, it is as simple
as installing software in the manner that the manufacturer designed it. Other
times, it may be doing extensive research to determine what the best
practices for a given implementation are. These best practices are tried and
tested by manufactures and other engineers and have been borne out over time
in real life experiences. Another
way of Thinking Inside the Box includes going with tried and tested products,
rather than the flavor of the day. That’s why when you look at ZAG’s Partners
page on our web site; you’ll only see companies that have proven themselves
in the real world over an extended period of time. Companies like Microsoft,
Citrix, HP, Veritas and the rest are companies that ZAG can safely recommend
to meet your needs. This
philosophy is especially relevant in the technology arena, where new ideas
and services come out every day. The vast majority of these ideas do not
stick. In fact, many times even if the company has a great idea, the
implementation is often less than successful. ZAG has found that these ideas
are often ultimately rolled up into the offerings of the more mainstream
companies where they can be properly implemented. We also
believe that administrators should serve as advocates for the networks they
serve, and should therefore be apolitical. We shouldn’t fight the good fight
because we do or don’t like the leader of a software or hardware company.
Rather, we should always focus on fighting the correct battle. The correct
battle for ZAG is ensuring that our customer’s networks meet their business
needs in a stable and secure manner. Ultimately,
we’ve found that keeping our thinking inside the box leaves customers with
robust networks that allow them to concentrate on what they should be
focusing on: their business. SBS Winner AnnouncedZAG Technical Services, Inc. would like to
congratulate PanAmerican Broadcasting as the winner of the Microsoft Small
Business Suite 2003 drawing. This drawing was conducted at the conclusion of
the highly successful ZAG/Microsoft Van Across America. The Van Across
America is a traveling show that allows Microsoft to demonstrate many of its
outstanding offerings available today. Look for another opportunity in the
future to see more of what Microsoft has to offer. New ZAG Web SiteZAG Technical
Services, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has redesigned its website. It
is felt that this web site more accurately demonstrates the focus of our
business; which is to help customers meet their business needs. Please take a
look at http://www.zagtech.com and let us know what you think. This email newsletter
was sent to you as a service of ZAG Technical Services, Inc. If for any
reason you do not wish to continue receiving them, please send an email to newsletter@zagtech.com and you will be removed from future mailings. |
