Our Frequently Asked Questions page is a collection of articles, notes and links that help better understand the importance of services that we offer.

Question 1. What is a logo? Why is it important for your company?
Question 2. Identity Crisis: The Importance of a Good Logo
Question 3. Small business advertising (link)
Question 4. History of Local Area Networks (LAN).
Question 5. How to buy networking equipment for your business? (from www.cnet.com)
Question 6. How to buy secutity and utility software for your business? (from www.cnet.com)
Question 7. Infrastructure - definition
Question 8. Core infrastructure needs (PCMagazine - pcmag.com)

What is a logo? Why is it important for your company?
By Erin Ferree (AllBusiness.com)

The initial lack of customers and cash flow often causes new small business owners to put off designing a logo and marketing materials professionally "until they get a few clients" or "until they get started." Unfortunately, designing their own marketing materials when they launch their businesses instead of having them professionally created will make getting those initial clients more difficult and may result in a business that will not succeed.

Many entrepreneurs choose to design their own marketing materials when they launch their businesses, especially by creating their first business card. Or sometimes they will have an amateur designer, friend, or relative create the design. There are several reasons why this is not the best idea. An amateur logo design and business card can make your business more likely to fail for a number of reason.

Your business will not look stable. It will appear to be more likely to fold or to fail. Clients will not have confidence in doing business with you. Would you do business with someone who seems to be on unstable footing and who might not be in business by the end of your project or after you have purchased an item?

You will look like a very small business. Large, successful businesses would never consider doing business without professional, originally designed marketing materials. Using materials that are not professionally designed (i.e., Microsoft or Vistaprint templates) makes your business appear even smaller and can possibly indicate that you cannot perform to or meet the standards required.

You will look unpolished and rough. Not having a professional "look and feel" can make it appear as though your business does not matter to you. Customers may get the impression that you do not care about the way your business presents itself, which might indicate that you would not care about the quality of your work or the way that your work reflects upon their business.

You will look unfocused. Unprofessional, uncoordinated marketing materials can make your business look "jumbled" or confused. If you have a business card with one look and feel and a Web site with another, this creates a confused -- and confusing -- look and feel for your business. This can also cause an identity crisis for a small business. When looking at your differently designed materials, potential clients may be fooled into thinking that they are looking at materials that represent different companies.

About half of all businesses fail within their first few years. One source of failure that is commonly cited by experts is sloppy or ineffective marketing. If your marketing materials do not stand out from those of your competitors, your sales will suffer.

When you start a business, you need to create the quickest possible route to business success. A logo helps to create this by contributing to your business's visibility, credibility, and memorability -- three factors that will help your business to grow and achieve success. So, while putting off your logo development may seem like a prudent idea from a cash-flow point of view, it could result in your business never getting off the ground. It can also lead to your business folding when it would otherwise succeed.

If you think that you can't afford to design a logo when starting your business, consider the outcomes -- how can you afford not to?

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Identity Crisis: The Importance of a Good Logo
By Rich Carango

This article originally appeared on B2BTalk in April of 2001 as Rich’s Creative License opinion column. We thought it was worth repeating.

Every company on the planet has a logo. And the design of these logos is as varied as the companies themselves.Some companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on logos and trust their look to only the top advertising and design studios. Other companies pay almost nothing and give the design task to the local quick-print shop or a part-time freelance artist. Designers love logos because they are pure design. When you create a logo, you must take an entire company and everything it stands for and refine it down to a simple, graphic representation. It’s the ultimate design challenge. Yet the end results are always the same – a special symbol or a name printed on paper. So what's the big deal about logos? How important are they, really? And how much do you really need to spend for a good one?

Well, you know what – it’s true. Logos ARE very important.

At the very least, they serve a practical purpose. After all, you need some way to visually refer to your company on price quotes, proposals, and invoices. But logos are obviously much more than that. Your company's logo is its identity. Its face. The first impression on the market. A logo is a tiny advertisement for your company. It gives your customers and prospects an easy way of remembering who you are, and what you do.

Image-conscious companies like Macintosh, Xerox, and Lucent spent upwards of half a million dollars each to develop their logos. Then countless millions more to promote them. What they got for their money are symbols that are recognized instantly, around the world. You don't even need to see a name – the symbol is enough.

But few B2B companies have half a mil. set aside for their logo. What are the rest of us supposed to do? The reality for most companies is that the logo and corporate identity is just one part of an overall marketing communications plan. It is important, yes, but the budget needs to be spread around. After all, what good is a nice logo if you don't have any money left over for advertising? No one will see the logo!

Developing a quality logo is not a simple task. Imagine trying to boil down all of your personality traits, interests, hobbies, and activities into one sentence that describes who you are as a person. It would require a good bit of soul searching, introspection, and prioritizing, wouldn't it?

Well, the same is required of your company when you create a logo. Your agency can make the process run smoothly by asking the right questions, but be prepared to commit the time and resources necessary to produce a quality result. Work with your agency to figure out what makes sense for your budget and your situation, but just to give a ballpark, allocating 5 – 10% of your overall marcom budget to corporate identity is not uncommon. The design of your logo should be focused on communicating the name of your company and what it does. You can add a tagline as part of your logo if the name of your company does not clearly state your business. Don't get hung up on symbols. It’s better that prospects see and remember your company's name. Use a symbol in addition to your name if you like, but do not rely on a symbol alone to create your identity. That's fine for Nike and Coke, but most B2B companies don't have the nearly endless amount of marketing dollars necessary to make it work.

And try to stay away from using initials in your logo. The B2B world is saturated with companies whose names are made up of initials. You want to stand out, not blend in. Whatever you do with your logo, don't sell yourself short. It’s worth the investment to have a classy, professional look for your company. A logo that proclaims to the world "This is a quality company. We care about what we do. You can trust us."

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History of Local Area Networks (LAN)

In the days before personal computers, a site might have just one central computer, with users accessing this via computer terminals over simple low-speed cabling. Networks such as IBM's SNA (Systems Network Architecture) were aimed at linking terminals or other mainframes at remote sites over leased lines—hence these were wide area networks.

The first LANs were created in the late 1970s and used to create high-speed links between several large central computers at one site. Of many competing systems created at this time, Ethernet and ARCNET were the most popular.

The growth of CP/M and then DOS based personal computer meant that a single site began to have dozens or even hundreds of computers. The initial attraction of networking these was generally to share disk space and laser printers, which were both very expensive at the time. There was much enthusiasm for the concept and for several years from about 1983 onward computer industry pundits would regularly declare the coming year to be “the year of the LAN”.

In reality the concept was marred by proliferation of incompatible physical layer and network protocol implementations, and confusion over how best to share resources. Typically each vendor would have their own type of network card, cabling, protocol, and network operating system. A solution appeared with the advent of Novell NetWare which gave: (a) even-handed support for the 40 or so competing card/cable types, and (b) a much more sophisticated operating system than most of its competitors. NetWare dominated the personal computer LAN business from early after its introduction in 1983 until the mid 1990s when Microsoft introduced Windows NT Advanced Server and Windows for Workgroups.

Of the competitors to NetWare, only Banyan Vines had comparable technical strengths, but Banyan never gained a secure base. Microsoft and 3Com worked together to create a simple network operating system which formed the base of 3Com's 3+Share, Microsoft's LAN Manager and IBM's LAN Server. None of these was particularly successful.

In this same timeframe Unix computer workstation from vendors such as Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, Silicon Graphics, Intergraph, NeXT and Apollo were using TCP/IP based networking. Although this market segment is now much reduced, the technologies developed in this area continue to be influential on the Internet and in both Linux and Apple Mac OS X networking. The TCP/IP protocol has now almost completely replaced IPX, AppleTalk, NETBEUI and other protocols used by early PC LANs.

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How to buy networking equipment for your business
By Xiao Ming Wu and Allen Fear (Cnet.com)

An office with multiple computers but no network is like a club with members who never speak to each other. Connecting the computers, printers, and other digital equipment in your office lets you do more with the same resources, enabling file, printer, and Internet connection sharing and keeping valuable resources at everyone's fingertips. A network can also help structure workflow in your office and automate chores such as backing up your data. But networks can be complicated to assemble and maintain, and there are a few things you should ask yourself before purchasing equipment.

When planning your network, you should consider not only how you'll connect the computers in your office to each other but also how these computers will connect to the Internet. Make sure your Internet service delivers enough bandwidth to your employees for them to fully utilize the Internet in their daily work. If you're running a Web server or VPN services on your network, you may even need multiple high-speed connections.

What should a network do for my business?
Networks can give multiple employees access to the same files and applications. They can help teams work more efficiently and maintain better records. You can use your network to control shared data, permitting some people access to particular folders and denying others access. A network can also help you make the most of existing resources, such as printers and disk space, and a wireless, or Wi-Fi, network can clear networking cables out of your office and let you carry a laptop from room to room while meeting with clients or just eating lunch.

What can't a network do for my business?
Convenience usually comes at a cost--a network may expose your individual computers to increased risks. Sharing files and resources opens your computers up to new ways of sharing viruses, and while connecting multiple computers to the Internet gives them all access to a world of information, it also exposes every one of them to new avenues of hacker attacks. Make sure to lock down your network with a bulletproof security policy. Bonus network uses: 1.Host your own Web and e-mail services. 2.Work remotely via a secure VPN connection.

What should I pay for a network?
The price of setting up a network varies widely. Most computers come equipped with Ethernet adapters, and if your office is already wired with Ethernet cables, a basic network can cost less than $100 to set up. More complex networks, with file, Web, and e-mail servers and strong security, backup, and recover mechanisms could cost you several thousand dollars.

Are there any hidden, recurring, or long-term costs of owning a network?
Networks can help boost efficiency and productivity, but they can also be tricky to install and often require ongoing maintenance. A business must balance the demands it places on its network with the resources it will need to keep it up and running. A simple network with few connected devices and limited shared resources may not require much know-how to maintain, but more complicated networks will require dedicated IT staff to ensure that your network is there when you need it most.

Standards compliance:
Look for equipment that operates in accordance with widespread standards such as Ethernet or 802.11g. This will help ensure that your gear will be interoperable with new devices for the foreseeable future. Bare minimum: Widespread standards include Ethernet and 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a Wi-Fi.

Speed:
The faster your network is, the more efficient your office will be. Keep an eye on the throughput speeds of the equipment you're considering. The faster the better. Bare minimum: 25Mbps.

Equipment:
Networks vary widely in their composition, but here are some of the components you may need to roll your own: a wireless router, a network adapter for each computer in your network, and an access point to extend your wireless coverage area. Bare minimum: N/A.

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How to buy security and utility software for your business
By Robert Vamosi and Allen Fear (Cnet.com)

It's a fact of business that you need to protect your intellectual property, whether it's in e-mail, marketing plans, or in-house software. Security software can go a long way toward protecting these assets, and utility software will help you maintain them. Increasingly, utility apps are being integrated into operating systems. Windows XP, for instance, includes a disk defragmenter, a zip utility, and a backup feature--but you may find yourself on the hunt for a more full-bodied, third-party utility from time to time.

On the other hand, the software built into Windows isn't always the most secure. Although Internet Explorer remains the most widely used browser, less popular alternatives such as Firefox, Netscape, and Opera offer better features and typically attract less attention from hackers, which can ultimately make them more secure for your employees to use to access the Internet.

What should security and utility software do for my business?
Security software helps keep out intruders and protect your company's assets from theft within the office walls. Virtual private network software allows only those with legitimate purposes to access your company's network remotely; a firewall app will keep all others at bay. On every computer at your company, desktops and specific files should be protected with antivirus and antispyware apps. Particularly important files and apps can be locked with their own passwords. For more security, specific files should be encrypted. If possible, employees should have access only to as much information as they need to perform their jobs.

Utility software can help keep up shop. A partitioning app, for instance, will help your business install and upgrade operating systems--important if you plan to keep your desktops for a long time. And backup and ghosting software is particularly important for insuring the longevity of your data and preserving it in case of emergency.

What can't security and utility software do for my business?
Security and utility software can't protect your data from natural disasters. To make sure your QuickBooks files remain after an earthquake, a tornado, or a house fire, you may want to look at a redundant backup solution offered by your Web host or another backup facility.

Also, a hardware firewall that protects your network is not the same as a software firewall. Hardware firewalls obscure the computers inside your network from outsiders. Software firewalls keep inside information from leaking outside onto the Internet. In short, you need both firewalls.

What should I pay for security and utility software?
Prices vary widely depending on the size and needs of your operation. The free app Spybot Search and Destroy is an excellent way to keep your desktops free of spyware. Good antivirus apps run about $40 per head, while Internet security suites cost about $70 per copy. Utility software runs the gamut, but prices tend to hover in the $50 to $100 range per license. Remember that to use most software legally, you'll need to shell out for a copy for each PC you plan to install it on.

Are there any hidden, recurring, or long-term costs of owning security and utility software?
Most antivirus apps now require annual subscription fees for updated antivirus signature files to block the newest threats. Suites such as Norton Internet Security also require annual subscriptions that include software updates. Subscriptions run from $20 to $40 per year. Live technical-support fees for security software can also be very expensive. Symantec, McAfee, and ZoneAlarm each charge $2.95 a minute.

Forthright firewalls
A software firewall is only as good as you make it. Look for software that has rigorous default settings that you can easily modify to let the software you use at work every day talk to the Internet. Otherwise, you'll spend all your time trying to get your applications to work once you've put up the firewall.

Sophisticated antivirus software
Antivirus software should be installed on each desktop and should use signature files and behavior-based heuristics to catch newly discovered viruses before they do damage.

Robust antispyware
Antispyware installed on each desktop should be regularly checked for updates--make sure that you can easily do so. Antispam software can be installed at the Internet gateway, on each desktop, or both. It should use algorithmic analysis, whitelists containing only your existing e-mail contacts, or both to check incoming e-mail.

Ease of use
The best software in the world will do nothing for you if you don't know how to install and configure it. Unless you have a dedicated IT staff, make sure that you understand the software you're about to buy and check our reviews to confirm that you'll be able to install and maintain the app in question.

Tech-support price and availability
If you're installing an unfamiliar app--or even if you're living with a piece of software you know well--chances are you'll run into a glitch somewhere along the line. Driver meltdowns and conflicts with other software on your system are all too common. Make sure that when the worst happens, you'll be able to talk quickly to a technician without spending an arm and a leg to do so. Most software companies nowadays do charge for tech support, but look for apps that give you a free trial period for installation phone calls and companies that provide free tech support via online chat or e-mail.

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Infrastructure (encyclopedia.com)

(1) The fundamental structure of a system or organization. The basic, fundamental architecture of any system (electronic, mechanical, social, political, etc.) determines how it functions and how flexible it is to meet future requirements.

(2) May refer to system and development programs in contrast to applications. A computer system's infrastructure would include the operating system, database management system (DBMS), communications protocols, compilers and other development tools.

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Core infrastructure needs

Click to enlarge - www.PCMag.com

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