Hello everybody this is Chris Bangs of SMB Nation and I am at the BASBITS user group meeting in Menlo Park, California. This months meeting was about cloud services. The future presenter was Microsoft and their new BPOS online solution.

This very engaging presentation covered the Microsoft business productivity online suite. Because is a robust hosted messaging and collaboration solution that includes Microsoft exchange online, Microsoft SharePoint online, Microsoft live meeting, and Microsoft office communications online. The amount of raw power that this brings SMB's at a very low cost is nothing less than amazing.

I urge you to go to www.Microsoft.com/online and check this out.

About Microsoft Business Productivity...

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Today speakeasy announced its plans to merge with megapath Covad. This deal is going to create the first managed services local exchange carrier able...

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All indications point to Steve Jobs unveiling a new iPhone today. Jobs is giving the keynote address at Apple's worldwide developers conference in San Francisco. In the past he has used his keynote to showcase new products. Apple has updated the iPhone each summer since the devices release in June of 2002. Although iPhone enjoys the top position and smartphones individually, it cannot rest on its laurels, with stiff competition coming from HTC Google Nexus one. Other top competitors include; Palm pre, Motorola Droid, Nokia N97, Samsung Omnia, BlackBerry Bold, Sony Ericsson Xperia X2, LG Arena, HTC Hero, and the Nokia 5800 Xpress Music. Stiff competition? Apple's got an app that! - Chris Bangs - SMB Nation / Telephonation

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This weekend I will have the distinct pleasure of reviewing the FaxBack fax server. I am very excited about this opportunity and appreciate the good folks at FaxBack for providing me the hardware for me and Harry to test.

The following "Pre-review" of the FaxBack server for SMB is based on information that I have obtained through training on this product and white paper information. The review is not an endorsement of the FaxBack server. I am simply sharing with you the information that I have so far. After I have installed the server and have extensively tested it, I will make my recommendation.

My current opinion is that the FaxBack server for SMB is definitely something that we should all look into. It seems to be the real deal, but I simply must use it for a while before I can put the Telephonation stamp of approval on it.

So, on to my pre-review.

I don't know if you are aware, but when faxing over VoIP there are some challenges, especially when faxing large documents.
Traditional faxing over VoIP networks doesn't work. You can sometimes arrange things so a fairly high percentage of SMALL Faxes get through OK. At best your results will be unrepeatable. You need to use a proper FAX over IP protocol, such as T.38, to achieve consistent reliable Faxing across IP networks. But still, you will have problems. Problems that your client will find unacceptable.

Some say that things will work properly will work OK if you use the G.711 u-law or A-law codec, read on.

Sending Faxes over VoIP networks usually fails for a number of reasons...

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So here we are on Saturday at the IT Pro 2010 conference in New Orleans Louisiana. The morning opens up with the delicious breakfast. Including Southern fried bacon delicious scrambled eggs with cheese and ham in them scrumptious chicken Cordon Bleu electable rectus sausage so plump you would've thought it was a hot dog and eight on a delicious gourmet desserts. But enough of that, you can tell I enjoyed it, on to the brain food!

This delicious breakfast was sponsored by Linus Chang of Backupassist who did a wonderful presentation of their superior product. It was a lot of fun because it started out with a trip down memory lane. Linus asks questions about our first computers and people began comparing notes between Apple 2E's, Vic 20's, 8086, 8088, Timex Sinclair and more. He asked the audience some very valid and some very funny questions and rewarded correct answers with champagne!

Backupassist really knows how to get the crowd in the mood!

You can check out Linus and his gang at www.backupassist.com

I recommend that you check out their fantastic partner program and sign up.

Today's other sessions started out with MVP Eric Neale talking about my favorite exchange alternative, Kerio Konnect. If you have not heard of this fantastic, stable, resource efficient alternative to exchange, I urge you to visit www.kerio.com.

I personally guarantee you will find this product an interesting and worthy competitor, if not replacement, for the Microsoft exchange product.

Today's speakers also covered VPN firewall products, our WW-SBS, WHS, remote access alternatives, monitoring, choosing your virtualization engine, deploying desktops and the tools you should use, and more.

Of particular interest was Kevin Royaly's session about Windows home server codename Vail. He went through a demonstration and covered some of the features and differences but you may see in Vail. There was much that he could not say but more exciting information is sure to follow.

I am hoping we get a chance to hear more about Vail at SMB nation fall in Las Vegas this year.

I caught up with Kevin after the conference and spoke with him a little bit about Vail.

Well on to the festivities!

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I got a chance to catch up with Matt Makowicz and speak with him about his about his new book "A Guide to BUILDING a SALES TEAM - faster, & for greater profit" For more information about Matt's new book, click on the video below Or just go to: www.ambitionmission.com.

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Our adventure began last night at the Microsoft reception where we ate, drank and were generally merry.  I enjoyed many great conversations with our friends including, Karl Palachuk, Matt Makowitz, Mark Krall, Oliver Sumner, Steve Banks, and many more.  The wine flowed freely thanks it Microsoft and the Bananas Foster was AWESOME.

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This is Chris bangs with SMB Nation/Telephonation and I am rocking at the IT Pro Conference in the fabulous city of New Orleans Louisiana.  I am ...

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So here we are on Friday at the IT Pro 2010 conference New Orleans Louisiana and today on the agenda there was Jeff Middleton talking about keeping fo...

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Admittedly it's not the AOL mailer we all received "back ion the day" but Symform has gone old school on me! They have gone to market with an old fashioned competitive upgrade offer that I couldn't resist sharing with you. It's hard rock with a mullet hair cut for them to call out competitors in this upgrade offer. I kinda like it! I call it "good form" with Symform!

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