Health Professionals Embracing Technology

Love how the medical field is starting to use technology to communicate with their patients.

Federal Agencies Should Have Cloud Computing Systems, But Will They?

  

Cloud Computing, originally uploaded by Kris Barz.

Cloud computing is still in its infancy and standards need to be developed around the emerging technology, several experts said today at the Strategies and Technologies for Cloud Computing Interoperability meeting sponsored by the Object Management Group.

However, they urge federal agencies to begin creating cloud computing systems, even if it is currently in its infancy.  There is a problem within federal agencies.  They are always ten steps behind the rest of the world.  I remember when I was contracting with the Dept. of State.  They were using the oldest version of IE, had ancient computer systems, and still had MS Access databases.  It was shocking to me because I would have thought that they would always be using the latest and greatest due to all these people trying to infiltrate their systems.  Nope, I was wrong.

It would be great if they start being more cutting edge when it comes to technology.  I hope they do start their own cloud computing systems, all of them have social networking apps, and have technology that is able to support this innovation.  Maybe some companies should jump at the chance after reading this article and start offering to assist federal agencies to start this effort.  Hey, I’d be down to helping them write these proposals, but all we can do is watch and see.

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My Interview with The Bit Boss and on the Top Ten FF People to Follow List

I got interviewed by Craig Sutton, who is an expert on technology, business, and social media. Here is more about him: Interview of Craig from Deb Brown. I tried to ensure that the answers were as entertaining as I found his questions. If you want to learn more about me, definitely read the transcript:

http://thebitboss.com/craigsutton/getting-to-know-shevonne-polastre-dcfemella

Then I got the shock of my life when I got chosen to be on the coveted list from Mike Fruchter called, “10 People to Follow on FriendFeed,” for the month of February on Louis Gray’s blog.

It’s been a great year so far in so many ways.  I am meeting wonderful people, and these great people are also noticing me.  I hope that I can pay it forward in some shape or form.

Use Technology to Teach Kids to Go Green

My five-year old daughter told Santa Claus, who visited her school, that she wanted a Nintendo DS, a portable video game console. When I heard this, I couldn’t help but reminisce of the time I was her age. I wanted a Cabbage Patch, board game, or to have sidewalk chalk. How times have changed.

Children are consumed with video consoles, electric gadgets, and computers. We might frown upon this, but these mediums can be the launching pad we need to make our children aware about environmental issues. Below are three ways to turn technology into tools to educate our kids about the world surrounding them:

1. Let them play online games with no guilt - If your children are into playing online games, like mine are, then this is for you. Nickolodeon has launched a new online gaming site, The Big Green Help, to teach our kids about going green. Before children are allowed to play, they have to make a pledge to reduce their carbon emissions. They get a pledge list where they choose the things they are going to do to help the Earth. It’s a great way to let them have fun playing while also educating them.
2. Use the television to teach them about the world – There are many children shows out there that are just a waste of time. However, there are also some that can educate them and not make you feel guilty if they are watching TV. Discovery Channel and Animal Planet have great documentaries, such as Planet Earth, that will help children appreciate how beautiful and wondrous our world is. Additionally, these channels sometimes have a week, like Shark Week, that is dedicated to a cause that even adults are not aware is hurting our environment. PBS is also rich with great shows, such as Animalia and It’s a Big Big World. Before you realize, your kids are going to be hooked on these educational shows instead of wasteful shows.
3. Video games are not all bad – Remember my five-year old daughter who wanted a DS? Well, she told my mother what she wanted, and my mother, like any grandmother, got it for her. I worried she was way too young and will be glued to the DS, but I found a way to use it to teach her about our responiblities to the Earth while she enjoys her new toy. Two DS games that I purchased are The Littlest Pet Shop and Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol. In the Littlest Pet Shop, children have to take care of their pets and the environment surrounding them. Chibi-Robo is Nintendo’s first green game. It is about a robot whose world is becoming contaminated, so his job is to clean it up. I have seen that she is starting to ask environmental questions that I am shocked are coming out of her mouth.

These are the three ways to turn technology into something that will make our children aware and educate them on ways they can help the Earth. However, do not forget to take them outside to enjoy the real world and leave their electronics behind.

Does Your Company Really Need an IT Disaster Recovery Plan?

Hurricane Katrina made us aware of what could happen if businesses do not protect their Information Technology (IT) systems. What can be done to ensure that if there were a natural or man-made disaster, your company would keep running with no issues? The answer is an IT Disaster Recovery Plan. This vital tool is lacking in many organizations around the country, and it could probably be the reason many will lose tons of revenue and vital information that would have been intact if they would have taken the time to write one. The following steps will assist you in planning your own IT Disaster Recovery Plan.

Step One: Risk Analysis

Conduct a thorough investigation of all the risks that could plague your IT system. What could cause a system outage? If you lived in California, then you would think of earthquakes; in Florida, then you would think hurricanes. After you have a list of possible threats, then create a Risk Log. This risk log will have the following:

1. Risk

2. Probability

3. Impact

4. Risk level (high, medium, low)

Hint: You can also tailor it to fit your needs by adding more categories.

Some of the risks to look out for that could happen to any company are as follows:

1. Targeted threats – Instead of randomly finding victims like worms, these are tailored to a company or individual.

2. Malicious bots – A program that is forwarded to individuals and waits for command by the hacker to infects the systems.

3. Computer passwords – A serious violation that can leave information vulnerable.

4. Physical assets- How secure is your technology, such as laptops and PDAs?

5. Date backups – Backups are very important because if systems go down, these are the ways to get back on track.

Step Two: How Much Would it Cost?

Think about the amount of money you need to protect your business from the risks you listed in Step One. According to DevX.com, disaster recovery budgets are between 2 and 8 percent of an organization’s total IT budget.

Step Three: How Long Will it Take?

You have to figure out a time table as to when you want to be up and running after a disaster. For some companies, they prefer 48 hours, while others prefer 72 hours afterwards. Test, retest your plan to ensure that your estimated time is correct.

Step Four: Who Will Write the Plan?

Management should usually write the IT disaster recovery plan. However, many companies are starting to hire consultants to assist them with this task. An outsider will really view a company’s approach objectively and will provide better insight than someone that is closely connected to the company.

Step Five: Who Will Manage the Plan?

You want to find a team that will ensure that everything is handled according to plan. In the plan, you want to list their roles and responsibilities, so there is no confusion.

Step Six: What are the usual sections of a written IT disaster recovery plan?

IBM has an useful IT Disaster Recovery Plan template. Go check it out, so you can have an idea.

Conclusion:

Writing is sometimes a task. However, it is a useful annoyance that could save your company a lot of pain by developing an IT Disaster Recovery Plan. Ensure that you test and retest your plan, so there are no surprises if a disaster were to hit.

Reexamine your plan every year because as we all know, technology changes every moment that passes, as well as external risks. Protect your company before it is too late; develop your IT Disaster Recovery Plan now.