Quote of the Month
"Who wants a dream that's
near-fetched?"
Howard Schultz
(1953-)Entrepreneur and chairman of Starbucks
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eR News
News from eRichards |
August 2008
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Greetings!
Sadly for me and maybe for you, summer is coming to a close, which
means that school and fall are
around the corner. In this edition, we offer some tips for
consideration as you get your children back to school! We also
look at virtualization
of computers and what this can mean for your ROI. The articles
that follow are meant to inspire
and motivate you for what is sure to be a successful and hopefully
"green"
start of fall. Happy reading, Happy Labor Day and good luck with back
to school!
Best Regards,
Doreen Gebbia
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 Virtualization
How Virtualization can improve your ROI
Virtualization is taking business to the next level. Computers were originally designed to run a
single operating system and a single application. Now, with virtualization software technology
a single computer can do the job of multiple computers by allowing a number of
operating systems and applications to run simultaneously. Anyone who uses a computer can benefit from
virtualization technology.
Virtualization can greatly reduce your IT costs because it
allows you to optimize your already purchased hardware. Companies
that use virtualization technology
can reduce their energy footprint, because the number of physical
servers can
be cut by up to 95%. Provisioning for
new applications can be accomplished within minutes instead of days or
weeks saving both time and money. Virtualization technology also
facilitates better
disaster recovery, because the virtual machines can be quickly and
easily moved
from one hardware platform to another, either locally or remotely.
Businesses have been creating virtual infrastructures that
extend across hundreds of computers, as well as shared storage devices. Large and small companies can benefit from
the virtualization of their computer networks.
Almost any company with thirty or more computers will see a Return on
Investment of 30% or more after implementing virtualization.
There are several companies offering innovative
virtualization solutions.
For the last
few years, VMware has been the market leader, and they now offer robust
solutions for both server and desktop virtualization. Microsoft is including virtualization
technologies with Windows Server 2008.
Red Hat and SUSE offer virtualization within their Linux offerings. Virtuozzo by Parallels has a very novel
approach with its OS Virtualization. Meanwhile,
several other companies, such as PlateSpin, Vizioncore, and Hewlett-Packard,
are offering tools that assist in managing and monitoring virtualization
solutions. Once you decide to investigate
virtualization technology in your business environment, eRichards can assist
you in selecting, designing, and implementing the appropriate virtualization
solution(s) based on your needs and requirements. www.e-richards.com |
 Back to School
What you need to know to be successful this school year
Going to school can be an exciting but can also be a nerve
racking experience regardless of whether it is your first year attending school
or your last, if you are not prepared. We
all know that getting back into the school year routine is well, somewhat arduous.
Here are some suggestions that can make the process easier for both parents and students.
1. A couple weeks before school starts, get the kids to bed at a
decent time and stick to it, this will make going to bed and waking up earlier
easier when they need to wake up for school.
2. Help them develop a good eating schedule. Be sure to leave enough time in the morning to
eat breakfast and set a certain time for dinner each night.
3. Write things down on a calendar to keep everyone on the same page. Schedule time for homework and other
appointments or extracurricular activities that will need to get done during
the week.
4.
Talk things through with your children. Our kids are smart but
still organization,
time management, prioritization, concentration and motivation can be
challenging. If your child needs help talk with them about it and put
together a mutually agreed upon plan.
Back
to school preparation can be frustrating and even difficult but
starting early and getting your kids on the same page will help.
Knowing you are ready will help make everyone less stressed when the
first day
arrives. To read other tips, click here.
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 Project Green
Innovative, Affordable, and Eco-Friendly
Protecting the environment should be a cross generational
concern and pursuit. Back to school can mean a fresh slate and a chance for
home and classroom habits to go green. Looking
for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle can help save money and our environment as well.
Buying
a
lunch box instead of using paper bags is a start. Reusable tupperware
containers for sandwiches and snacks instead of plastic baggies is also
helpful.
Before you start back-to-school shopping, check around the
house for previously used clothes and supplies that are still in good
condition. We have so many pencil cases that this year I am putting my
foot down. My plan is to put them in the dishwasher and have my kids
reuse them. It's a lot of plastic that goes to waste year after year.
Also, when buying new school supplies look for products that use
recycled ingredients.
If you live in a safe area close to your child's school consider
walking or biking to and from class as a good alternative to driving,
you can even accompany him/her on the walk. You will save on gas
money and get some
exercise or if time does not permit maybe you can car pool especially
with the after school activities.
Help organize special events at your child's school, that
center around school wide green initiatives such as environmentally friendly
lunch options, or a tree planting day or a clever way to cut back on the use of excess paper. Being
an advocate for our environment will encourage our children to think this way as well
as teachers and other members of your community.
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Keeping up with eRichards
Check out our daily blog for
different posts that cover everything from women in business,
leadership, management, health, going green and much more! Interact
with us - we'd like to hear from you. |
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