Free Desktop Zoom Tool

Here's a cool little application called ZoomIt. Install it on any version of Windows and you can use a hot-key and mousewheel to zoom in on your desktop. While zoomed in, you can toggle a drawing mode for circling things onscreen and even create screenshots.

Is Symantec Making a Comeback?

Is Symantec making a comeback? Most consumers and IT professionals who have had recent experience with the industry leader understand that they have been in quite a slump. Many blame the slump on their merger VERITAS, which, from a channel partner’s perspective, seemed to go off with more than a few hiccups. In late 2006 many customers (including many of Wasatch Software’s) didn’t receive license certificates for several days or even weeks. Other customers were experiencing hold times of several hours when they called for support. In addition to these issues IT professionals complained of inaccurate reporting in the management consoles of Symantec products (most notably Symantec Antivirus).

Thankfully, Symantec seems to be resolving these problems. Since the beginning of ’07 most license certificates are being issued within 2 or 3 business days. Hold times can still be rather long from time to time, but they are certainly improving. The addition of VERITAS’ line of products is a great compliment to what Symantec already offers. Acquisitions of companies like Altiris also signal that the software company is likely to continue its dominance of their market.

With these positive signs channel partners were beginning to get over the unease they had been feeling about Symantec. Personally, I was further pleased by a discussion I had with our Symantec territory sales rep, who acknowledged that there were problems in their transition with VERITAS. He described to me how they had ramped up their support staff, and how the issues their customers were facing were regrettable ‘growing pains’. Had it not been for the progress I had seen over the past few months I might have viewed this as mere lip service. However, the worst seems to be over for Symantec and their future may be brighter than ever.

Intel Aims Low-Cost K-12 Laptop at Emerging Markets

Intel has created an ultra-low-cost laptop for schoolchildren in emerging markets. The ClassMatePC is available with Linux or Windows XP, comes with an "educational feature set," and is part of a program in which Intel plans to invest $1 billion over the next five years.



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Ask a Prospective Employer to “Google You”

Ask a Prospective Employer to “Google You”

I imagine you found this article through an RSS feed or maybe an article submission site. This must mean that you are guilty of surfing the Internet for hours on end. But does this have to be such a bad thing? No! It is time to put all that surfing to work for you!

Can your online reputation earn you a job? Not always, but it can make a difference. Hopefully the time you have spent posting to blogs and forums, or even editing your own web page, has left you with a solid reputation when your name comes up in search engines. If it hasn’t, it is time to get started. Here are a few tips:

1- Use good grammar in your posts and on your site. We want others to think we’re smart, don’t we?
2- Be positive! Try not to belittle (especially former and current employers, management or even acquaintances).
3- Keep it modest. You will offend more people than you entertain with lewd or distasteful content.
4- Show off your expertise. Go crazy sharing your knowledge about topics you are passionate about, and then go get a job in a related field.

Put these skills into practice and your online reputation will grow in a positive way. You never know when a prospective employer might ‘Google’ you. In fact, once you are confident, you can suggest they do. Why not put ‘Google Me’ at the top of your resume?

Are Linux Users Just Cheap?

Could it be that Linux users are just cheap? Wait! Before you burn me at the stake for sins against open source, hear me out. Yes, cheap is probably a bit harsh. Perhaps frugal is a softer term. Besides, Linux users are almost always technical gurus with IQ’s that are through the roof. Were it not for my personal bias (I have a strong Microsoft background) I might be a Linux user. I am simply submitting a thought that was sparked by a Linux user’s recent post on a pro-Microsoft blog. This particular user gives us a glimpse at what fuels his purchasing decisions when he/she lists his reasons for using a particular service:

“it doesn't affect my purse.”

Admittedly, this single comment provides little evidence, scientific or otherwise, to support my assertion. However, it is fun to fan the flames in the Microsoft/Open Source battle from time to time.

WasatchSoftware.com #3 in Traffic for Microsoft Licensing Sites

I was very pleased to see that WasatchSoftware.com now ranks #3 in traffic among Microsoft Software Licensing websites. This data is provided by Alexa, which is often regarded as the top provider of web traffic information. Alexa collects data from web crawlers, as well as toolbars installed on millions of computers worldwide.

The #3 ranking for WasatchSoftware.com is for all sites classified in Alexa's 'Computers >> Software >> Licensing >> Microsoft' category. Both sites with higher traffic than WasatchSoftware.com are owned by Microsoft itself, and the site directly below WasatchSoftware.com (www.MicrosoftSale.com) is also owned and operated by Wasatch Software, Inc. Other notable sites that fall below Wasatch Software's traffic level are License Online and Tech Soup.

Wasatch Software's experts are dedicated to not only providing an easy way to purchase computer hardware and software online, but also to providing high quality information on software licensing and related topics to assist IT professionals and other end users. Should you have a suggestion for our site, please post a comment or contact us today!

Software License Awareness Day is April 10, 2007

Imagine your organization faces a legal risk, one that is manageable. Would you be interested in eliminating this liability? Thankfully, 'Software License Awareness Day' gives you an opportunity to do just that! The annual event is scheduled to take place on April 10, 2007.

The use of software without proper licensing is a copyright infringement. If a software publisher brings civil action against your organization you may face up to $150,000 in damages for each software program being used illegally. Also, organizations of all sizes can be held liable for employees’ actions even if management was not aware.

If your company is at risk you may feel overwhelmed. Indeed, legitimate software licensing can be costly. Spencer Ferguson, President of Wasatch Software, notes that taking some simple steps can go a long way towards fixing the problem. “If your organization faces a software piracy issue it is best to start fixing it right away, even if you must do it slowly. Many companies can obtain financing, allowing them to spread the cost of getting legit over time. Even the purchase of a few software licenses each month can make a big difference in becoming legit.”

The Business Software Alliance (BSA), an organization that helps software companies fight piracy, estimates that the United States faces a piracy rate of 21%.

Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to set aside time to evaluate their software license situation on April 10, 2007. Software license agents from Wasatch Software are available throughout ‘Software License Awareness Day’ to help you address any potential issues on a confidential basis.

Your School IT Budget: Predict and Save

As a school administrator or IT professional you are often thrust into a classic paradox:

“How can I give our students the latest technology without annihilating our IT budget?”

Thankfully, you do have options. Following are a few popular choices that Wasatch Software can help you with:

1- Microsoft School Agreement: This simple program allows you pay annually for Microsoft software that can be used throughout your school or district at one low cost. What is the benefit? First and foremost is price. Savings for most software titles, including Windows Vista, Office 2007, and even Windows Server are at a savings of greater than 50% off of Academic Open License. Each license automatically includes Software Assurance, so you can upgrade to new releases. Additionally, a Microsoft School Agreement allows you to predict your future expenses, and even gives you the ability to lock your pricing for 3 years. There are some requirements to keep in mind for this program, such as a 300 point minimum (most products are worth 1 point). Also, you are required to license all of the systems in your school for most of the products that you select.

2- Lease Computer Systems, Hardware, and Software: Using the Wasatch Software lease program you can make monthly payments for all of your IT needs. Some of these items include computers, servers, routers, software, and even services performed by a consultant of your choice. Qualifying is simple and rates are extremely competitive. Once again, the predictability of paying monthly for your IT needs makes budgeting easy.

These are just a few programs that we feel can benefit your school. You may also want to ask us about the Adobe Academic TLP program, antivirus software, and other programs. Don’t hesitate to contact our experts today!