2011 Practice Management Annual Conference Improving Your Clients

2011 Practice Management Annual Conference Improving Your Client's Computing Environment Mark Deal September 23, 2011

Hardware You don’t have to spend a lot to be successful! • Processor’s are like brains with short term memory loss • RAM solves that problem • RAM is your friend and your processor is your RAM’s friend • Hardware is cheap—People are expensive! • You cannot blame Lexis. Nexis for a Microsoft requirement • How many people save money on a Lexus by using a Kia motor? • $20 K per year or $10 K one time? 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 1

Hardware Arguments you will hear…and how to be a lawyer • My server has plenty of power…I just bought it! − On e-Bay • It was used and somebody sold it because it no longer fit their needs or…was it stolen? − From my sister’s best friend’s mother’s uncle • Would you buy a car from this man? − Two years ago from COMP-USA • This is not professional grade. 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 2

Hardware How important is your business? • Would you have surgery if you knew that the doctor used inexpensive equipment to keep your costs low? • Do you really think that your 13 year old son can set up your computers and support them from his middle school? • Is your staff streaming music, playing games or surfing porn sites at your office? • This is your business, it isn’t a hobby! 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 3

Solutions Let’s Really Talk About Hardware 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 4

Hardware Switch vs. Hub • A hub shouts everybody’s business to the neighborhood • A switch only talks to the person it needs to talk with • Hubs are NOT smart • Switches ARE smart • Be smart 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 5

Hardware Network Speed • Ethernet is 10 Mb/s = 10 − Are you kidding me? − Wireless is faster! (54 Mb/s) • Fast Ethernet is 100 Mb/s = 100 − Ancient technology, but still popular • Gigabit is 1000 Mb/s = 1000 − If your network does not support it, that is okay, but it should! 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 6

Hardware Network Cabling (Herding Cats) • Wireless is exactly what it says − Sans Wire! − Ever hear static on the radio? • CAT 3 = Phones • CAT 5 = Fast Ethernet and maybe Gigabit • CAT 6 = Gigabit or better • Phone companies are usually bad cabling companies! 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 7

Hardware RAM • How much is enough? − How large is your database? • Double it in RAM • Crucial. com because RAM is cheap, people are expensive • Are you running Exchange Server on the same box? − NO! Not on the same physical box − Microsoft says so and they know more about Windows than we do 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 8

Software Microsoft Updates • Two versions − Microsoft Update • Includes primarily operating system updates • Only critical updates by default − Windows Update • Critical operating system updates • Critical application (Microsoft Office, etc. ) updates 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 9

Software SQL Server • What is it? − It is software – not a physical box − It is the traffic cop protecting the physical data 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 1 0

Software SQL Server 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 1 1

Software SQL Server – Pick Your Poison • Versions − SQL Server 2000 − SQL Server Express 2005 − SQL Server Express 2008 R 2 − SQL Server Web − SQL Server Workgroup − SQL Server Developer 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 1 2

Software Let’s Make It Simple • Time Matters is not supported on SQL Server 2000 • If you are running SQL Server Express 2005… − Default database when you install Time Matters − Limited to single processor − Limited to accessing only 1 GB of RAM at a time − Limited to database physical size (storage) of 4 Gb 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 1 3

Software Let’s Make It Simple • SQL Server Express 2008 R 2 − Supports 10 GB of storage − Still only supports 1 GB of RAM! − Comes with some very nice tools − Still FREE! 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 1 4

Questions? 2011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference 1 5