The Evolution of Technology.

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The Evolution of Technology 

Last night I went to see the new Robin Hood film (not highly recommended) and there are a few battle scenes that made me think about how brutal it was going to war back then. This led me to think about the evolution of technology and how it has revolutionized our lives; not just at home but also at school, work and even in war.

The new tale of Robin Hood is supposed to be an explanation of how Robin Hood became an outlaw. The storyline is based on the tale of a traitor who plots with the King of France to overthrow the king of England. From across the channel they managed to come up with a plan with several trips to and from France and the use of several carrier pigeons.

Trust me

Back in the day you had to rely on people and trust them. If you were planning a war, you had to have faith that if you had arranged something, they would keep their word.

I used to meet my friends at morning on a Sunday near the main sports ground of the Ordnance Estate Ambernath. If they were late, you just had to wait. Nowadays you ring them and re-arrange to meet somewhere else a bit later. Is our reliance on technology making us unreliable people? Are we becoming too dependent on technology?

I would say yes and no. Yes because if I didn’t have internet access I would feel like I was living in the dark ages, which is a little bit excessive and no because of the convenience and countless advantages it brings.

A trip down memory lane

When I was really young I got my first computer, a Compaq, which I adored! I spent ages playing the old-skool adventure games, where you have to manually type turn left, open the door, carriage return etc., and then there was our sweet old Mario. I will never forget the day we added an extra 4 MB of memory to it! A whole 4 MB!! We really thought we’d entered the 21st century! Now we carry our laptops everywhere and technology has made our lives so much more convenient.

Meet in the middle

As with everything you have to find a happy medium. I find it highly rude and annoying that people are tapping away on their crackberry on the train and bus or even while you’re having a conversation! Not only that, everything has become more temporary. Instead of a love letter, we now get a text; instead of a photo lovingly developed and kept in a frame, we just have a file that could easily be lost or deleted – along with the memory.

On the other hand you can now avoid the Saturday rush at the shops by ordering online, keep in contact with friends living abroad, share files instead of using snail mail and even search for a weekend date! We really have come a long, long way since my lovingly Compaq days!

Why not share your memories of the good old days as well, or write your own IT blog!

After jobs, pay hikes are back. Are they actually??

After jobs, pay hikes are back. Are they actually?? 

India Inc. is decidedly rescinding salary freezes and even making up for ground lost during the downturn. The increments that companies started talking about gingerly late last year are becoming a reality in 2010. Sectors that experienced maximum job squeeze are also making a recovery, though not to the same extent as fast-growing sectors.

A salary increase survey conducted by HR consulting firm Hewitt Associates across 465 companies points to organizations resuming pay raises. Salary increase on average for 2010 in India is projected to be 10.6 per cent, the highest in Asia-Pacific. China and the Philippines follow India with a projected increase of 6.7 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively.

The projected increment of 10.6 per cent is a three-fifths increase from the actual increase of 6.6 per cent in 2009, according to the survey. Indian-owned companies will in all likeliness outperform MNCs with a projected average increase of 11.4 per cent as against 10.2 per cent by the latter, it says.

Oil and gas along with the power sector has the highest projected salary hike of 12.8 per cent. "Not only have these sectors continued to grow, but are currently witnessing a talent gap," says Sandeep Chaudhary, Leader, Performance and Rewards Consulting for Hewitt in India, explaining high levels of pay hikes.

Salary hikes in banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) have made a smart return—banking is set to give double-digit increments while in financial services it is still in the region of 8-10 per cent. Average increment in banking was subdued last year and salary freezes ruled across sectors. This year is a different story. "Since Indian arms are contributing to the growth of MNC banks, it's translating into rewards for employees," says E. Balaji, CEO, Ma Foi Management Consultants.

Merit-based increases are getting more aggressive. Says Gautam Chainani, Chief People Officer, Aditya Birla Financial Services, "In financial services there is a move towards aggressive variable pay." The company is handing out 8-12 per cent hikes as against five per cent last year.

Increments in IT services are muted, however.

"That's because business and cost productivity pressures are still high," says an HR executive in an IT services firm, adding, "hikes will be more in the range of six to eight per cent on average."

BUSINESS CONTINUITY SOLUTIONS for Financial Institutions

BUSINESS CONTINUITY SOLUTIONS for Financial Institutions

How much does downtime cost? For global financial institutions, that cost can run into the millions of dollars per hour. More importantly, downtime (both planned and unplanned) can cause customers to turn to competitors, and with online interfaces for services and sales becoming the norm, an outage can damage your credibility and lead to lost business. While financial IT systems may require varying degrees of availability, the crippling business impact of an outage requires companies to choose how long they can afford to be out of operation.

Prevent Downtime

A crucial step to a company’s business continuity strategy should be a focus on prevention. A strategic approach includes an understanding of what can be done to continue the business without interruption. The critical infrastructure of a company refers to what keeps it running in a broader sense than just technology-people communicating, processes working, and receiving the right data from system applications are all such elements. From initial design through tested implementation, Dishari TechnoServ services are built with continuity and security as essential components. At Dishari TechnoServ, we work to understand your business first. Once we understand what your business deems as critical, we provide a Continuous Access solution that can be specifically designed to meet your availability needs. By bringing together services such as wireless access from leading service providers, Dishari TechnoServ network backed by some of the industry’s leading service level agreements, and highly secure Solutions Centers, we can provide Continuous Access to support and prevent downtime for your business operations.

Protect Your Business

While everyone knows it is people that run the business, it is the technology and communications that provide the critical data and functionality to do so with the efficiency, speed, accuracy and availability required by financial services firms. An integrated business continuance plan must incorporate all elements of a company in order to be effective should an outage occur. With careful planning and the right design, your business’s communications and technology can withstand a wide variety of planned and unplanned outages and remain virtually unaffected.

With experienced and certified security professionals, Dishari TechnoServ can provide the needed expertise and technical solutions to protect your communications and technology-your business’s Command and Control center. From solutions that incorporate monitoring and diagnostics for your network, voice and applications to data and voice protection, high availability and security services, Command and Control solutions from Dishari TechnoServ can keep your communications and technology safe and operational.

Respond Immediately

Even the best planning and prevention can still result in an outage requiring the disaster recovery portion of your business continuity plan to be put to the test. In the financial services industry, many companies have reported that even when the systems portion of their disaster recovery plan worked as needed, the people aspect of the plan can cause unexpected difficulty.

Dishari TechnoServ can help your employees and critical response team prepare for unforeseen difficulties that prevent the ability to respond to a company’s predefined plan. With an Emergency Readiness solution, Dishari TechnoServ can provide customized services to enable your business’ response team. Communication-with each other, customers, media, suppliers-could be the most important element of a successful recovery effort. In addition to providing anytime connectivity virtually anywhere via service provider’s all-digital wireless network, Dishari TechnoServ offers a wide range of communication solutions that can help keep your emergency response team effective and knowledgeable. These solutions range from making recovery plans available on a remote-managed, redundant site, to e-video conferencing and audio conferencing, immediate voice messaging capabilities, alert notifications and more. ❖

Energy and Space Efficient Storage: Multi-tier Strategies for Protecting and Retaining Data

Energy and Space Efficient Storage: Multi-tier Strategies for Protecting and Retaining Data

Data center power, cooling, and space requirements are becoming key IT challenges for organizations of all sizes. At the same time, IT managers are faced with ever-increasing demands for data protection, including better restore performance and longer retention times. Meeting these challenges requires a multi-tier storage architecture along with new technologies like data deduplication.

Power, Cooling, and Space Concerns in the Data center

Power, cooling, and space requirements are key issues faced by IT managers. Demand-side contributors to this situation include decreased hardware acquisition costs, sharp increases in server density, and an exponential rise in the volume of data being stored and managed.

The Environmental Protection Agency has predicted that data center power usage will double over the next five years. The EPA released a paper by Dr. Jonathan G. Koomey, professor at Stanford University, stating that 1.2% of all power purchased in the United States was consumed by data centers in order to operate and cool equipment1. He also warned that this phenomenon is on the rise and could impact data centers worldwide if we don’t focus our attention toward green computing.

On the supply side, electric utilities already struggle to keep up with demand. Brown-out restrictions can be commonplace during peak consumption periods, and many IT directors are finding that they cannot increase the amount of power they source from their local power grid. IT analysts believe that by the end of the decade the world’s data centers will have run out of power. Yet, building new, more efficient facilities can be cost prohibitive due to construction and cooling costs.

While data centers remain an essential part of most businesses, there will come a time very soon when growth may need to be limited because of power costs and the growing awareness at governmental, corporate, and personal levels in regards to the importance of reducing our environmental impact.

Impact of Trend on Disk Backup

The growing restrictions on power, cooling, and use of data center footprint can be seen as coming into conflict with another major IT trend namely a steady increase in the percentage of disk in the data protection mix. Using disk as part of a backup strategy is growing rapidly as IT departments take advantage of the faster backup and restore performance that disk delivers. In turn, disk provides higher service levels to their customers and reduces the use of removable media. But disk storage is fast becoming one of the primary power and cooling culprits in the data center, and when disk is used for backup, the requirements can increase dramatically.

The solution is not to stop data protection progress, but rather to take advantage of various storage technologies by combining different kinds of media for an optimal balance of performance and cost, including the ongoing energy consumption factor. One of the new technologies that is having a major impact in this area is data deduplication.

Data Deduplication Is A Key Enabler

Data deduplication technology is being vaunted by industry analysts as the next big IT advance, with the Taneja Group predicting 108% compound growth for this market sector through 2010. There are several reasons for this prediction. Data deduplication reduces the amount of disk required to protect a given amount of primary data by 90% or more by detecting and eliminating redundant blocks within files and, in some products, between different files and file types. It allows users to exploit the performance characteristics of disk for backup without incurring the costs of conventional disk systems-costs which include both capital expenses and the operating expenses that include power and cooling.

Disaster-recovery protection also benefits from some vendors’ implementations of data deduplication. Using the same technology that identifies duplicate segments inside datasets, data deduplication systems also reduce the bandwidth needed to transmit backup sets over a network. With data deduplication, once systems are synchronized, whole backup sets can be replicated while only changed blocks are actually moved. If a new backup is only 5% different from a previous one at a block level, then we can reduce the bandwidth needed for transmission by up to 95%. Replication allows multiple copies of backup data to be maintained on disk in different sites using WAN links. Its use can simplify backup and reduce costs by decreasing an IT department’s need to buy, manage, and move tapes. At the same time, it provides improved disaster recovery protection.

Meeting Requirements with Multiple Tiers of Storage

The optimal approach to data protection and retention is to match the various business requirements with the right storage technology. IT managers must consider the business requirements for data access and retention, and balance those against the requirements for power, space, and cooling. In most cases, this will result in a multi-tier storage architecture that includes a mix of disk, data deduplication, and tape technologies.

Datasets with high access requirements may need to use conventional disk systems without data deduplication. However, they are only practical for a subset of data where the recovery time objective overrides other considerations such as long-term retention and total cost. Datasets with normal access requirements can use disk with data deduplication technology both as first site for backup data and for medium term retention. Data deduplication technology reduces space, power, and cooling requirements enough to make it practical to use disk as a retention medium for weeks or months without breaking the operational budget. However, as data needs to be retained for multiple quarters and years and the demand for fast recovery diminishes, the most effective retention medium for most users is tape. Tape cartridges in a tape library consume power at lower rates than any disk system, and tape cartridges stored in a vault consume the least of all, as well as providing the lowest aggregated storage cost per GB. The following chart compares these various types of storage in terms of power, space, and cooling.

Summary

IT managers are faced with growing concerns around data center power, cooling, and space requirements. Costs are on the rise and supply is becoming increasingly scarce. At the same time, IT managers must deal with ever-growing demands for protecting and retaining valuable data. Meeting these various demands requires a multi-tier storage architecture with the appropriate mix of disk, tape, and enabling technologies like data deduplication.

Top 10 Reasons to Migrate to Windows Server 2008

Top 10 Reasons to Migrate to Windows Server 2008

The evolution of Server Technology

Windows Server 2008 is designed to provide increased reliability and control over your server infrastructure. New virtualization tools, Web technologies, and security enhancements help save time and reduce costs, and provide you with high availability and increased flexibility for your changing business needs.

Windows Server 2008 builds on the success and strengths of Windows Server 2003, but is much more than a refinement of the previous version.

It delivers powerful new functionality that will add real value by simplifying your business operations and improving efficiency. Enhancements are in four key areas:

Web

Deliver rich, Web-based experiences efficiently and effectively with the powerful Web Application and Services Platform. Internet Information Server 7.0 offers improved administration and diagnostics, better development and application tools, and lower infrastructure costs.

Security

Windows Server 2008 is the most secure Windows Server ever, providing security innovations such as Network Access Protection, Federated Rights Management, and Read-Only Domain Controller. Combined with the enhanced security features of Dell servers - Trusted Platform Modules, Network Interface Cards, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) adapters - you have unprecedented levels of protection for your data.

Virtualization

Server virtualization is often considered to be complex and time-consuming, but Dell has greatly simplified the process, making it a smart solution for companies of any size. And with Hyper-V technology built into Windows Server 2008, it’s now even easier. Windows Server uses a 64-bit hypervisor based platform for better reliability and scalability, and also provides high availability and increased security.

Business Workload Foundation

With features such as Server Core, PowerShell, Windows Deployment Services, and enhanced networking and clustering technologies, Windows Server 2008 offers a versatile and reliable platform for your workload and application requirements.

1.     World-Class Web and Application Platform

A secure, easy-to-manage platform for developing and reliably hosting applications and services.

2.     Improved Networking Performance

Take full advantage of today’s multi-gigabit networks, and completely secure and control the flow of network traffic.

3.     Enhanced Security and Compliance

Developed from the ground up for security, helping you adhere to the strictest IT compliance standards. Plus, Network Access Protection helps ensure that any computer connecting to the network meets corporate policy for “healthy” requirements.

4.     Maximized OS Cycle

By migrating to Windows Server 2008 now, you can maximize the operating system cycle and take full advantage of the financial and technical benefits of the new functionality.

5.     Control Over Your Remote Infrastructure

Streamline the management of your remote infrastructure with enhancements to Active Directory, including Read-Only Domain Controllers and administrative role separation.

6.     Simplified Server Management

The Server Management Console provides a single, unified tool for managing your server’s configuration, displaying status, and managing roles.

7.     Superior Scripting and Task Automation

Automate common tasks and easily control system administration.

8.     Presentation Virtualization

Secure access to internal applications through firewall-friendly ports.

9.     Windows Server 2008 with hyper -v

Hyper-V virtualization technology helps you increase system availability for production server consolidation, disaster recovery, and end-to-end management of dynamic data centers. You can also run a legacy OS, such as Windows 2000, on the latest platforms as a virtual instance to avoid compatibility issues.

10. The Power of Windows Vista^®

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista share a number of technologies across networking, storage, security, and management.

Migrating the Dell Way

Windows Server^® 2008 can revolutionize your data center, but migrating to a new OS can be complicated and risky without the proper planning. You may have concerns about data migration, hardware limitations, integration of existing applications, and licensing issues.

That’s where Dell comes in. We have conducted extensive engineering around Windows Server 2008 to minimize the amount of work for your IT department. We will create a roadmap that is customized to your needs, ensuring that your migration is fast and reliable, with no interruption to your day-to-day business. Here’s how:

·         Windows Server 2008 is tested and validated on Dell servers to ensure it will work in your environment.

·         Dell’s Readiness Advisor tool scans your network to determine which Dell servers are ready for Windows Server 2008, saving you time and money.

·         Unmatched speed and security. We pre-install Microsoft security updates in every server we sell, enabling secure integration and speeding up deployment time.

·         We worked with customers in a variety of industries and, as part of our Early Adopter Program, have devoted thousands of hours to developing our field readiness and expertise around Windows Server 2008. Now we can pass our best practices on to you.  

Dell + Windows Server 2008: A Powerful Combination

Microsoft has launched the most advanced Windows Server operating system yet: Windows Server^® 2008. Dell closely collaborated with Microsoft during development, gaining expertise in all aspects of its features and functionality. We created a validated, repeatable process designed to add reliability, lower risk, and drive quicker engagement for migration. 

Thanks to this strong partnership and our hands-on experience, we can help simplify the adoption of Windows Server 2008. Our hardware is optimized for the new OS, outperforming competitive platforms, and our robust consulting services offer exceptional flexibility when upgrading or migrating.

A Security Checklist for Deploying Software-as-a-Service

In recent years, software-as-a-service (SaaS) has emerged as a viable application delivery method, and most enterprises are now including some SaaS software in their portfolios. SaaS saves IT infrastructure and maintenance costs, not to mention the hassle of initial deployment, integration and customization common with licensed software.

However, SaaS brings with it a unique set of challenges for those responsible for security. The most important shift is looking at your software vendor not as a product company, but rather as a service provider. Sound vendor management practices dictate that any third-party software is at least as secure as in-house packages. This guide will help you compare your organization’s risk management and compliance priorities to the SaaS provider’s security policies and procedures.

When you convert to SaaS, your data will be transported across the Internet to the SaaS vendor site. If their application is not secure, your critical business information will potentially be exposed to anyone who can take advantage of such a vulnerability.

Unfortunately, some SaaS vendors who become aware of a security flaw in their service may not immediately patch it. If a security fix can be made on their server without a client patch being necessary, some vendors may never alert you that there was a problem at all.

Of course, many SaaS providers rise to the challenges of providing secure and reliable cloud-based services. However, as the person responsible for the security of your enterprise data, you need more than faith as assurance that they will follow through on their best intentions.

The checklist when negotiating terms with a SaaS vendor should include:

• Review the vendor’s service history, obtain customer references and ask them about their experiences with the vendor’s concern for privacy, reliability and security vulnerabilities.

• Be certain that application and infrastructure security requirements are written into your contract with any SaaS provider. Include an audit clause whereby you or a third-party can periodically verify that the required controls are in place.

• Get a solid Service Level Agreement (SLA). An SLA requires that the vendor provide a specified level of system reliability. A good vendor will strive for performance that meets Six Sigma levels of service quality (e.g., 99.9997% of security patches made within a set number of hours, not days, after public disclosure).

• Do not accept a policy of making silent fixes to their service.

• Insist that the vendor’s own software development process adheres to a robust software development life cycle model that includes tollgates that check for secure coding standards.

• Carefully examine the vendor’s policies for data recovery and find out how long it will take to retrieve your data if you decide to terminate the contract, as well as how long it will take them to make it inaccessible online.

• Maintain strong encryption standards and key management for data transmission between your site and the vendor site.

• Be certain that your users are not the weak link in the security chain. Specify which Web browsers can be used to access services, and stay on top of browser security issues and updates. If possible, be certain that they must first log in to your network to access corporate information on the SaaS vendor site.

• Always maintain ownership of domain names and control domain access when services can be accessed by your users. That way, if you terminate a vendor relationship, you will not have to retrain your clients on the correct URL to use to find you.

Finally, you need to remember that software is secure only when it’s built that way, so when choosing a sound SaaS solution, be sure that the security has been checked for all vulnerabilities so that it’s secure for all of today’s distributed software portfolios.

Top 10 Reasons to Migrate to Windows Server 2008

Top 10 Reasons to Migrate to Windows Server  2008

The evolution of Server Technology

Windows Server 2008 is designed to provide increased reliability and control over your server infrastructure. New virtualization tools, Web technologies, and security enhancements help save time and reduce costs, and provide you with high availability and increased flexibility for your changing business needs.

Windows Server 2008 builds on the success and strengths of Windows Server 2003, but is much more than a refinement of the previous version. It delivers powerful new functionality that will add real value by simplifying your business operations and improving efficiency. Enhancements are in four key areas:

Web

Deliver rich, Web-based experiences efficiently and effectively with the powerful Web Application and Services Platform.

Internet Information Server 7.0 offers improved administration and diagnostics, better development and application tools, and lower infrastructure costs.

Security

Windows Server 2008 is the most secure Windows Server ever, providing security innovations such as Network Access Protection, Federated Rights Management, and Read-Only Domain Controller.

Virtualization

Server virtualization is often considered to be complex and time-consuming, but some OEMs has greatly simplified the process, making it a smart solution for companies of any size. And with Hyper-V technology built into Windows Server 2008, it’s now even easier.

Windows Server uses a 64-bit hypervisor-based platform for better reliability and scalability, and also provides high availability and increased security.

Business Work load

Foundat ion

With features such as Server Core, PowerShell, Windows Deployment Services, and enhanced networking and clustering technologies, Windows Server 2008 offers a versatile and reliable platform for your workload and application requirements.

1. World-Class Web and Application Platform

A secure, easy-to-manage platform for developing and reliably hosting applications and services.

2. Improved Networking Performance

Take full advantage of today’s multi-gigabit networks, and completely secure and control the flow of network traffic.

3. Enhanced Security and Compliance

Developed from the ground up for security, helping you adhere to the strictest IT compliance standards. Plus, Network Access Protection helps ensure that any computer connecting to the network meets corporate policy for “healthy” requirements.

4. Maximized OS Cycle

By migrating to Windows Server 2008 now, you can maximize the operating system cycle and take full advantage of the financial and technical benefits of the new functionality.

5. Control Over Your Remote Infrastructure

Streamline the management of your remote infrastructure with enhancements to Active Directory, including Read-Only Domain Controllers and administrative role separation.

6. Simplified Server Management

The Server Management Console provides a single, unified tool for managing your server’s configuration, displaying status, and managing roles.

7. Superior Scripting and Task Automation

Automate common tasks and easily control system administration.

8. Presentation Virtualization

Secure access to internal applications through firewall-friendly ports.

9. Windows Server 2008 with hyper-v

Hyper-V virtualization technology helps you increase system availability for production server consolidation, disaster recovery, and end-to-end management of dynamic data centers. You can also run a legacy OS, such as Windows 2000, on the latest platforms as a virtual instance to avoid compatibility issues.

10. The Power of Windows Vista®

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista share a number of technologies across networking, storage, security, and management.

:: 10 Hottest IT certifications ::

10 Hottest IT certifications

IT certifications have always been popular among IT pros to bag the right job or seek the right jump. With the economy back in green, IT jobs too are back. And with them the demand for IT certifications, which in recent times have become more vendor- and technology-specific.

So, what are the IT certifications that will keep IT pros in demand or are useful for job/career opportunities going forward.

Technology research firm Foote Partners recently shared IT certifications that could be considered "hot" in the coming months (these unranked certifications are a part of the company's upcoming quarterly index on hot skills and certifications).

Here's over to the top 10 hottest IT certifications from the list.

VMware Certified Professional (VCP)

With virtualization technology becoming hot, it is little surprising that VMware Certified Professional (VCP) programme is in demand. Research shows that enterprises often face lack of required expertise specific to virtualization.

According to Forrester Consulting, proper skills for virtualisation-specific projects are difficult to attain and retain.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is a professional certification for Information technology audit professionals sponsored by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). Candidates for the certification must meet requirements set by ISACA.

The CISA certification is for pros seeking jobs in areas of IT auditing, security, and control. CISA tests are conducted once a year, in locations spread worldwide.

Five years of verifiable experience in IS auditing, control or security is required to take the exam.

GIAC Security Audit Essentials (GSAE)

GIAC Security Audit Essentials or GSAE is for pros planning to enter the information security industry who are tasked with auditing organization policy, procedure, risk, or policy conformance.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Certified Information Security Manager or CISM is a certification for information security managers awarded by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

To apply for the certification, an individual must have at least five years of information security experience with a minimum three years of information security management work experience in particular fields.

The certification aims to provide a common body of knowledge for information security management and includes material on broader issues such as how to govern information security as well as on practical issues such as developing and managing an information security programme as well as incidents.

Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE)

Designed for experienced security professionals, Check Point Certified Security Expert or CCSE certification is claimed to be one of the most respected vendor-specific security certification.

CCSE is an advanced Core security certification built on CCSA NGX, confirming in-depth skills and expertise in managing and supporting Check Point products.

Proficiencies include configuring and managing VPN/FireWall as an Internet security solution and virtual private network (VPN), using encryption technologies to implement site-to-site and remote access VPNs, and configuring content security by enabling Java blocking and anti-virus checking.

Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA)

Another Check Point-specific certification, Check Point Certified Security Administrator or CCSA aims to validate a security administrator's ability to maintain day-to-day operation of vendor's security solutions and ensure secure access to information across the network.

Proficiencies include creating and installing security policies, using logging and reporting features, and managing anti-spoofing, Network Address Translation (NAT), and OPSEC applications.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification provides an individual skills in designing, implementing, and administering infrastructure for business solutions based on Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.

Implementation responsibilities include installing, configuring and troubleshooting network systems.

To be certified on newer Microsoft technologies, such as Exchange Server 2010, Windows Server 2008, or SQL Server 2008, a prospective candidate should pursue the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification. In case a student has done the MCSE on Windows Server 2003 certification, he can upgrade to the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) and Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) on Windows Server 2008 certifications.

Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP)

Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP) is claimed to be an advanced level certification that measures the ability to secure any wireless network.

A wide range of security topics focusing on the 802.11 wireless LAN technology are covered in the coursework and exam, which is vendor neutral.

The CWSP certification is awarded to candidates who pass the CWSP exam and who also hold the CWNA certification. The CWNA certification is a prerequisite to taking the CWSP exam. The certification covers a range of security areas including detecting attacks, wireless analysis, policy, monitoring and solutions.

GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)

GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA) is an information security certification entity that specialises in technical and practical certification as well as new research in the form of its GIAC Gold program. SANS Institute founded the certification in 1999.

GIAC provides vendor-neutral computer security certifications linked to the training courses provided by the SANS.

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)

Another vendor specific certification, Cisco Certified Network Professional or CCNP aims to validate the ability to plan, implement, verify and troubleshoot local and wide-area enterprise networks and work collaboratively with specialists on advanced security, voice, wireless and video solutions.

To apply for CCNP certification a candidate must have at least one year of networking experience. The CCPN tests are conducted by Pearson VUE.

There are five levels of certification: Entry, Associate, Professional, Expert, and Architect, as well as seven different paths, Routing & Switching, Design, Network Security, Service Provider, Storage Networking, Voice, and Wireless.

Reverse SEO: Restoring Online Reputations by Nilesh Roy.

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Reverse SEO: Restoring Online Reputations

Reverse SEO fits seamlessly within the context of your online reputation management (ORM) program. It is the quickest, most effective solution for dealing with bad press that has surfaced on the search engines about you or your company. By pushing negative listings from the front page of Google, Yahoo, and Bing, reverse SEO shields you from the damaging commentary of others.

Negative publicity online has become one of the most frustrating challenges for companies. It is typically anonymous. Names are often unattached to forum threads, blog posts, and even entire websites. Therefore, it is difficult to track and address the source of the complaint. Moreover, the growing popularity of social networking platforms has made it easier than ever for anyone with a mild grievance to give weight to their grudge. If you or your company have been the target of bad press online, it may be time to launch a reverse SEO campaign.

In this article, we'll clarify how negative publicity gains traction within the search engines, and how it can lead to a public relations nightmare. We'll also provide a working blueprint for executing a reverse SEO campaign and controlling the damage.

Controlling Bad Publicity With Reverse Search Engine Optimization

To appreciate why reverse SEO is effective, you should understand how negative press takes root within the top search listings in the first place. Google, Yahoo, and Bing rank pages based on a large number of criteria. If a website and its individual pages satisfy the most important of those criteria, those pages will rank well.

A lot of the bad press that targets companies (possibly even yours) is placed on websites that meet key ranking parameters in the search algorithms. That means the negative publicity can climb into the top positions and gain exposure. When people search for you or your company, they'll see the bad press. That damages your reputation.

Reverse search engine optimization is an ORM strategy that pushes negative publicity from the top search positions. By moving the bad press off the first page of listings, reverse SEO limits its exposure and stifles its impact.

Ingredients For An Effective Reverse SEO Campaign

Like search engine marketing, reverse SEO uses a methodical, multi-pronged approach to protect your online reputation. The first step is to identify the sites and pages that contain negative publicity about your company and that are ranking for important keywords. Those keywords might include your name, that of your company, or key employees.

The second step of reverse SEO is to analyze those sites and pages for their respective ranking authority. That will help you determine the effort and tools you'll need to use in order to move them from the first page of listings within Google, Yahoo, and Bing. A negative PR blitz that is spreading across social networking sites is more difficult to overcome than a single blog post that is on a non-authoritative domain.

The third step is to gather the necessary tools and execute your reverse SEO campaign. Such tools might include optimized press releases, a new network of competing sites and blogs, social media profiles, and a social bookmarking program. Reverse SEO may also include heavy content syndication to build high-quality links. A search engine marketing specialist will have these tools at their disposal.

Reverse SEO Begins Before Negative Press Emerges

The best time to launch a reverse SEO campaign is before bad publicity appears in the search engines. This is due to the way that the pages link. A page will rank well within the search engines if there are enough thematic links pointing toward it. However, once it ranks, it will gain exposure. That exacerbates the problem.

Negative press can spread rapidly as people attach the press to their own blogs, sites, forums, and social media accounts. That creates a growing portfolio of links pointing toward the damaging press, cementing its position in the top listings. It becomes more difficult to address. By launching a reverse SEO campaign upfront, you can prevent the negative publicity from gaining exposure in the first place.

Protect Your Online Reputation With Reverse SEO

Reverse SEO should play a key role in your online reputation management program. It is far too easy for unsatisfied customers, resentful employees, lazy journalists, and malicious competitors to tarnish your name. And when it happens, it is usually done under the cover of anonymity. Anonymity makes the complaint or grievance impossible to address in private.

Launch your reverse SEO campaign now - before trouble strikes and the damage begins to gain momentum in the search engines. In a year's time, you'll be glad you did.

- Nilesh Roy.