Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1 is a clever combination of multi-touch tablet and laptop.  The device is notebook computer with a detachable screen that has it’s own processor and can be used as a multi-touch slate tablet.   When closed it looks like a regular laptop, with rounded edges and a snazzy red cover. 

When both halves of the U1 are together, it runs on Windows 7 on an Intel Core 2 Duo SU processor, but when you split them up, the tablet will use a custom version of Linux and a Qualcomm ARM Snapdragon processor.  This means that you get the best combination of power and battery life for each scenario.   Weighing just 3.8 pounds total, each mode supports more that 5 hours of Web browsing and 60 hours of standby. 

Lenovo will start selling the hybrid in June and until then we will be left wondering if it really the best of both worlds wrapped in a pretty package.

Being an eco-conscious business is no longer just something that’s the right thing to do - it makes financial sense. Environmental policy and energy efficiency are priorities of the Obama administration, so businesses that don’t take voluntary steps to reduce their carbon footprints may face regulations later on. What’s more, consumers are demanding more sustainable practices from the companies they patronize.  Technology is one place that businesses can focus with a clear economic return.

The Green Plan:

1. Write a sustainability plan for your technology systems. Put your environmental goals in writing, so you have a roadmap to follow throughout the year. Any plan should include a mission statement describing what you’re trying to achieve and set some attainable goals for the year ahead - along with descriptions of how you’ll achieve those goals. Sign up for a Launch Pad Green IT Audit.
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In today’s global and always-on business environment, organizations are racing to adopt new technologies to enhance productivity and reduce costs, such as mobile devices, cloud computing, and collaborative Web 2.0 technologies. A new study by the Ponemon Institute and commissioned by Lumension, Worldwide State of the Endpoint Survey 2010, found that many organizations are struggling to adapt to changing endpoint security environment, resulting in greater risk to sensitive corporate and personal data. Insufficient budget allocations, poor collaboration between IT operations and security, and a lack of C-level support for security initiatives cited among reasons for shortcomings.

Key findings:

• 56% of individuals surveyed said mobile devices are not secure, representing a risk to data security;

• 49% of individuals surveyed said data security is not a strategic initiative for their company;
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 Did you know that the SMB market (<500 employees) employs nearly 10 times that many (about 60 million according to the US Census Bureau) and yet it seldom receives the same attention? CompTIA is definitely paying attention and has released the ” Third Annual SMB IT Spending Trends” research study.

A few highlights for savvy MSPs and Technology Provider Prospects:

  ü    More SMBs will embrace a software-as-a-service model.

ü    Top areas of SaaS interest include: productivity applications (e.g. word processing), accounting/financial applications and business intelligenceapplications.

ü    55 % of SMBs expect to increase spending on IT products and services over the next 12 months

ü     Desire to maximize IT ROI will entice many SMBs to explore the full range of IT options available to them.

ü     More SMBs will turn to a managed services solution to handle their IT needs. Most small firms do not have a dedicated IT department (4 in 10 do not) and among those that do, many face reduced headcount. Moreover, a number of SMBs report IT complexity often sours their opinion of IT investments. For these and other reasons, more SMBS will find the managed services model is a good fit for their needs

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Join us for Part I of The Launch Pad’s 10-part MSP Franchise Business-in-a-Box Podcast Series tracking the nation’s first managed IT service franchise launch. 

Featured in this episode with Channelpro editor Michael Siggins and Launch Pad CEO, Ilene Rosoff;  “Has Your IT Company Hit the Wall?  Let Us Show You the Door.”  Many existing IT service companies hit a “brick wall” both in the shift to managed services and in achieving real growth. In this podcast, the Launch Pad discusses how their MSP Business-in-a-Box franchise model offers you the chalk to draw a door and get to the other side.

**Stay tuned for next Podcast 2:  “MSP Sales & Marketing - Stop Chasing the Illusive Golden Goose”

 Podcast Part 1: “Has Your IT Company Hit the Wall? Let Us Show You the Door.”

 

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