Converge Solutions Inc.

When I Was Young – A Funny Computer Poem

Sigmund — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:02:58 +0000

A computer was something on TV,
From a science fiction show of note.
A window was something you hated to clean,
And ram was the cousin of a goat.

Meg was the name of my girlfriend,
And gig was a job for the nights;
Now they all mean different things,
And that really mega bytes.

An application was for employment.
A program was a TV show.
A cursor used profanity.
A keyboard was a piano.

Memory was something that you lost with age.
A CD was a bank account,
And if you had a 3-inch Floppy.
You hoped nobody found out.

Compress was something you did to the garbage,
Not something you did to a file;
And if you unzipped anything in public,
You’d be in jail for a while.

Log on was adding wood to the fire.
Hard drive was a long trip on the road.
A mouse pad was where a mouse lived.
And a backup happened to your commode.

Cut you did with a pocket knife.
Paste you did with glue.
A web was a spider’s home,
And a virus was the flu.

-Author Unknown

© Sigmund for Converge Solutions Inc., 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: computer, converge solutions, funny, jokes, poem, st. lucia

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Power Usage

Sigmund — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:55:17 +0000

We turn off our computers at night, so why are our power bills still so high? Many appliances have “standby” settings that draw power–sometimes as much as 15 or 20 watts–even when they’re turned off. A 2002 report found that: “Lopomo [low power mode] energy use is responsible for about 10% of total electricity use in California homes.” To make sure that computers, monitors, printers, photocopy machines, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, and microwave ovens are all the way off, pull the plug rather than flipping the switch on the machine. Also make sure any climate control systems are turned off when they aren’t needed and set to energy-efficient modes when in use. You might be surprised by how much energy this saves.

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Santa Clara Hotel Migrates to IP Telephony – “Easy As Pie!”

Sigmund — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:49:24 +0000

Quality of service, non-disruptive migration and voice continuity were very important to The Plaza Suites as they looked to migrate to IP Telephony. Their provider introduced them to the Phybridge UniPhyer and its ability to leverage their existing voice infrastructure to give them what they wanted, making the decision a “no-brainer.”

“The deployment to IP Telephony was easy as pie!” said Jean-Philippe Rollet, General Manager of The Plaza Suites. They were able to migrate without issue in just a few hours – watch the customer interview and learn how they were able to migrate to IP Telephony risk-free!

Phybridge has the only data network switches in the world to deliver Ethernet and Power over Ethernet on a single pair of telephony grade wire with 4 times the reach of traditional data switches. With Phybridge, customers are able to leverage their existing reliable voice infrastructure to create a separate network path for voice communications, complimenting their existing data network. Data and voice communications travel on separate paths before converging at a single point. This unique central convergence feature differs greatly from other network switches on the market that require convergence at multiple locations throughout an organization. As a result, the Phybridge solution optimizes a customer’s IT infrastructure for voice and data convergence. Phybridge switches were designed specifically to handle any organization’s existing or future real-time voice requirements delivering a robust platform ensuring voice quality of service today and into the future.

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Digitize

Sigmund — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:28:20 +0000

It does seem a bit strange that in the “digital age” we still consume enormous amounts of mashed up, bleached tree pulp, most of which gets used once or twice and then tossed or recycled (“downcycled,” as McDonough and Braungart would call it).

The greenest paper is no paper at all, so keep things digital and dematerialized whenever possible. The more you do online, the less you need paper. Keep files on computers instead of in file cabinets (this also makes it easier to make offsite backup copies or take them with you when you move to a new office). Review documents onscreen rather than printing them out. Send emails instead of paper letters. New software like Greenprint helps eliminate blank pages from documents before printing and can also convert to PDF for paperless document sharing.

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Technologies: RF Optimization

Sigmund — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:05:26 +0000

Continuous performance monitoring || Interference detection || Adaptive configuration for optimal performance

Meraki’s powerful, automated RF optimization system delivers high performance in high density environments and under challenging interference conditions.

Continuous performance monitoring

Every Meraki access point continuously and automatically monitors its surroundings to maximize Wi-Fi performance. By measuring channel utilization, signal strength, throughput, signals from non-Meraki APs, and non-WiFi interference, Meraki APs automatically optimize WiFi performance of individual APs and maximize system-wide performance.

Interference detection

By measuring utilization from neighboring APs, detecting WiFi signals from non-Meraki APs, and identifying non-WiFi interference, Meraki APs continuously stay on top of changing and challenging conditions. Tools such as real-time spectrum analysis and live channel utilization deliver immediate information on the RF environment at any part of the network. Even in dynamic environments, Meraki networks automatically detect and adapt to interference from non-802.11 sources.

Adaptive configuration for optimal performance

Real-time and historical metrics ensure maximum system-wide performance. Wireless channels, AP output power, and client connection settings are automatically adapted to changing performance and interference conditions, eliminating the need for tedious manual adjustment of dozens of independent parameters.

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More Work, Less Energy

Sigmund — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:28:56 +0000

For many people, a computer is the central tool at work. Optimizing the energy settings for computers and other devices can be more than a modest energy saver. Set computers to energy-saving settings and make sure to shut them down when you leave for the day (“standby” settings will continue to draw power even when not in use). By plugging hardware into a power strip with an on/off switch (or a smart power strip), the whole desktop setup can be turned off at once (make sure to power down inkjet printers before killing the power–they need to seal their cartridges). Printers, scanners, and other peripherals that are only used occasionally can be unplugged until they’re needed. And of course, turn off lights in spaces that are unoccupied.

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Meraki Announces Major Expansion of European Operations

Sigmund — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:38:58 +0000

Reveals Major 2011 Customer Wins in Europe

LONDON, ENGLAND – January 30, 2012 – Meraki, the recognized leader in Cloud Networking, today announced plans to dramatically expand European operations, coming on the heels of 2011 sales that exceeded every expectation.

Meraki also announced the appointment of Geoff Haggart as Vice President EMEA Sales for Meraki. Geoff brings over 20 years of experience in technology sales leadership, most recently as Senior Vice President for EMEA and APAC at Websense Inc., where he oversaw the company’s international expansion to over 200 people and revenues of over $150m.

Major Account Wins Secured in 2011

Meraki announced highlights from its 2011 fiscal year. While the company’s overall revenue grew at a torrid 300%, European operations grew even faster, with over 400% year-over-year revenue growth in the region. Major account wins included:

•    A pan-European retail chain, deploying nearly 3000 wireless access points across the 550 retail stores throughout the UK and Ireland
•    Wellington College, Britain’s leading co-educational boarding school, covering 400 acres and supporting 1000 students
•    Henderson Retail, which owns and operates over 70 SPAR, EUROSPAR and VIVO stores in Northern Ireland
•    Burton and South Derbyshire College, a further education college with 11000 students
•    EAST Ltd., a British high street fashion brand with 99 outlets
•    Simmons & Simmons, a leading international law firm with over 1500 people and 19 offices throughout Europe
•    Ferretti Group, one of the world leaders in the design and sale of motor yachts, with 2000 employees worldwide
•    Museum of Modern Art, Antwerp, one of the most important contemporary art museums in Belgium

Major Investment into EMEA Channel

Meraki dramatically expanded its reach across the UK in 2011 through its partnership with Cloud Distribution. Additionally, in 2012 Meraki is engaging with international value-add distributor Zycko to provide two-tier distributor and reseller support throughout Europe. Meraki has grown its base of resellers across Europe by 300% in the last 12 months.

Significant Expansion of Meraki Team in EMEA

In 2011 Meraki grew its European sales office, more than quadrupling in-region staffing. In addition to the European headquarters in London, Meraki appointed regional managers throughout the European theater. Meraki is continuing to expand its European presence throughout 2012 and will double its in-region presence in the coming year.

Dramatic Company Growth

Worldwide Meraki revenue grew over 300% in 2011, and Meraki’s global staff doubled during the year. In addition, Meraki launched the all-new MS series cloud managed switches and a dramatically expanded MX series cloud managed security appliances family, adding WAN optimization and introducing five new models. Together with Meraki’s award-winning cloud managed wireless LAN, these products enable enterprises to deploy 100% cloud managed networks, adding visibility and control while eliminating the cost and complexity of traditional solutions.

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Possibilities with Converge : 50,000+ User State Government Trials Cloud Communications Offering on UniPhyer Backbone!

lyla — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:59:22 +0000

A large state government customer wanted to trial our partners’ cloud based voice offering, however one of the biggest challenges was LAN readiness until introduced to the Phybridge UniPhyer. Together with our partners, this government customer with over 50,000 users successfully trialed 7 different locations. The enhanced feature set of the new cloud based solution combined with the simplicity and robustness of a UniPhyer backbone made the experience a winning one and a huge win for us and our partners.

Be open to proven innovation that eliminates the risk, disruption, and much of the costs associated with LAN-readiness when moving to IP Telephony and Unified Communications. Download our Future-Proofing whitepaper and Enabling The Cloud brochure to learn more!

Why is a UniPhyer backbone great for big governments?

Lower overall cost for LAN-readiness while eliminating financial risk!

Highly secure with separate voice network or path!

Repeatable, predictable, and scalable deployment because the voice infrastructure
leveraged by a UniPhyer is standard across every location!

Quality of Service with a dedicated point-to-point topology for every endpoint,
ensuring voice packets travel in order, on time, with no contention or loss!

An end-to-end solution allowing the voice teams and cloud providers to ensure
a good user experience with no data LAN dependency – no finger-pointing!

Easy, robust network topology to manage, reducing stress on the voice and
data teams while ensuring a great user experience!

Environmentally friendly solution that leverages existing infrastructure
and extends the usefulness of the data LAN switches.

Lower future LAN costs, eliminating the need to replace 10/100 IP Phones
to Gigabit Phones – and no need for PoE data switches given power for
the IP Phones will be supported!

Click here to join one of our free webinars!

It’s the best investment you’ll ever make!

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Be more eco-minded at no cost!!

lyla — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 13:09:53 +0000

Here are some easy ways you can be more eco-minded … that cost nothing!

Unplug it - ” … people don’t realize that their cell phone charger, laptop cable and other electrical plugs drain power while they are plugged in, even if they are not in use. … only 5% of the power used by an average cell phone charger is used to charge the phone—the other 95% is wasted energy.”

Turn it off – ” … turn off the lights and TV and make sure faucets are closed …”

Keep it Dark – ” … Keeping the bathroom light off overnight makes a big impact—and will help you to sleep better. … a night light is an easy, eco-friendly alternative.”

Article Source: Link

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Extend Your Laptop Battery Life

Demetrius — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:50:28 +0000

You seasoned techies are no doubt thinking, “Another article on how to get more life from your laptop battery. Big deal. I already know how to do that.” Well, Mr. or Ms. Techie, I scoff at your hubris. There’s still plenty to learn when it comes to getting more juice from a charge and extending your battery’s overall life.

So, yes, there are tips that most of us know:

Dim your screen.
Minimize background processes.
Don’t use the CD/DVD drive.
Disable your wireless antenna when not in use.

But there’s still a lot you may not know about battery technology and the things that both help and hinder your laptop’s juicebox.

Getting More Minutes per Charge

You can fiddle with background processes and other software settings all you want, but your hardware is the biggest factor in battery life, according to PC Mag’s lead analyst for laptops, Cisco Cheng. In fact, software such as power-management utilities can help minimize the impact internal components have on battery longevity. Knowing this can affect your buying decision if you’re looking for a new laptop (see the “Picking a Laptop for Maximum Battery Life” section below) or help you get the most out of the trusty laptop you’ve got. Here are a few ways to optimize hardware for maximum battery output.

Turn off ports. Disabling unused ports and components, such as VGA, Ethernet, PCMCIA, USB, and yes, your wireless, too. You can do this through the Device Manager or by configuring a separate hardware profile (see next step).
Create Power-Saving Hardware Profiles. Configure your laptop for the various scenarios in which you use it (on a plane, at the coffee shop, at the office, and so on). You can do this through the Hardware Profiles menu by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting Preferences or by using a freeware utility such as SparkleXP (for Windows XP users).
Configure your display to turn off when not in use. This is different from just using a screensaver, because in many cases a screensaver still requires the display’s backlight to be on. You can set the interval to turn the display off in Windows’ Power Options—found in the Control Panel.

Extending the Overall Life

The easiest way to give your battery an early death is to damage it. And the two most common causes of damage are from overheating and using an AC adapter with the wrong voltage. For that, make sure to check the voltage of your adapter, especially if using a replacement adapter. Here’s how you prevent overheating:

Use a cooling pad when using a notebook computer on your lap.
Avoid propping your laptop on a pillow, blanket, or other soft surface that can heat up or block cooling fans.
Clean your desk. It sounds strange, but if you have a dusty, dirty desk, that dust will get into the vents and clog the cooling fan. Once the dust is inside your laptop, it is much harder to remove. You can try blasting it out with canned air, but you run the risk of damaging internal components. You can also remove the vent and clean out the grit, but remember that taking apart your laptop can void the warranty. So clean your desk at least once a week, if not daily.
Try not to store your laptop in a place where the air temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit, such as a hot car or an outdoor patio. And if your laptop heats up or is cold, let it return to room temperature before starting up.
Consider taking your battery out when using your laptop plugged into AC power. Just make sure to keep the contacts clean. If you need to clean them, use rubbing alcohol.
For lithium ion batteries, you do not need to discharge them fully and recharge constantly. Since they don’t have the same “memory” as older nickel-metal hydride batteries, it is actually better to discharge a lithium ion only partially before recharging. You need to do a full discharge only about every 30 charges.

Picking a Laptop for Maximum Battery Life

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, there are features and components you should consider to get the most mileage from the system’s battery.

An ultra-low-voltage processor, such as the Intel Penryn or one from VIA’s line of ULV processors.
A solid-state storage drive, which requires less power and, since there are no spinning parts, will suffer less wear and tear than a traditional hard drive.
An LED display. Although pricey, LEDs use much less power than LCD.
A smaller screen. A smaller screen means a smaller backlight, which will also save on battery drain.

According to Andrew Bradner, product line manager for APC, all lithium ion batteries are not created equal. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case the chemistry. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to discern if the battery you’re buying was manufactured in a top-notch facility using high-quality materials. And making that call is not as easy as assuming your laptop manufacturer’s battery will be of better quality than a battery from a third-party vendor. But you can stick to a couple of key guidelines.

Don’t skimp on your battery. If you choose the lowest-cost battery you’ll probably get a battery that degrades quickly, and you’ll end up buying a replacement too soon anyway. So spend the money now to save expense and frustration down the road.
Don’t buy an expired battery. A good indicator of a battery’s performance is how far into its product life it is, whether it’s used or new. If possible, look at the bottom of the battery and find the manufacture date.

Original Article : Extend Your Laptop Battery Life

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