My Small Business Consultants

As you plan your future technology upgrades, here are a few deadlines you might want to consider.  Also, as Microsoft ends support, so do many consultants.  This might leave you on your own.  If you are using the software listed below, it might be time for an upgrade or at least someone who will support the software after Microsoft has ended their support.

April deadlines loom for Windows XP, Office 2003 product support

Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:19 am

Next month marks the deadlines for support — in some cases, free support, in other cases, paid — for a handful of older Microsoft Windows and Office products.

Microsoft is ending mainstream (free) support for Windows XP Home and Professional, as well as for its Office 2003 suite, on April 14, 2009. It also is “retiring” Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1), meaning it will no longer provide support for that four-year-old release.

Microsoft is offering paid, extended support for XP Professional users (who also have Software Assurance licensing contracts) until April 8, 2014. It also will provide paid, extended support for Office 2003 through August 4, 2012.

(Microsoft continues to provide free security-specific fixes to customers for its products, even if they don’t pony up for “Extended Hotfix” support until the extended support date is reached.)

In case you’re wondering about support deadlines for other Windows and Office products, here are a few of the key ones.

(Note: I’ve done my best to try to calculate some of the more cryptically-worded deadlines here; if you see any mistakes, let me know.):

Windows 2000: Free support ended June 30, 2005; paid support ends on July 13, 2010. Service Pack 3 was retired on June 30, 2005. No more SPs planned.

Windows XP SP2: Service pack will be retired on July 13, 2010.

Windows XP SP3: Service pack due to be retired two years after SP4 (if there is one) releases or in  April 2014, whichever comes first.

Windows Vista Business: Free support ends on April 10, 2012; paid support ends on April 11, 2017.

Windows Vista SP1: Service pack will be retired two years after the release of SP2 (which is expected in April 2009), so likely in April 2011 (?).

Office 2003 SP3: Service pack will be retired one year after SP4 (if there is one, which is doubtful) is released or in August 2014, whichever comes first.

Office 2007: Free support ends on April 10, 2012; paid support ends on April 11, 2017.

Office 2007 SP1: Service pack will be retired a year after SP2 debuts, so likely in April 2010 (?).

Windows Server 2008: Free support ends September 7, 2013; paid support ends October 7, 2018.

April is also the rumored due date for the final Vista SP2 and Office 2007 SP2 updates. The support clock starts ticking on those once they are released to manufacturing.

Among the new features slated for Office 2007 SP2 are previously announced file-format changes — specifically support for Open Document Format (ODF), Microsoft’s own XML Paper Specfication (XPS) and PDF. SP2 also is expected add improvements to Outlook calendaring reliability and improved Outlook performance overall; improvements to Excel’s charting mechanism; the ability for Visio to export UML models to an XML file compliant with the XMI standard; and an uninstall tool for Office client service packs.

Vista SP2 is anticipated to include a new capability for recording data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista; the addition of Windows Connect Now for simpler wifi configuration; fixes for DRM issues from WMP upgrades; the Vista Feature Pack for Wireless; functionality for reducing resources required for sidebar gadgets; and more.

April deadlines loom for Windows XP, Office 2003 product support | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

On the eve of what main stream media is calling the worst possible virus outbreak ever (I wait to see if its anything more then just sensationalism), here is a good article from the How To Geek.

Important: How To Scan and Remove Malicious Viruses

Every so often, we hear about a new and horrible virus spreading across the internet, infecting millions of Windows computers. Today we’ll show you the steps to remove those threats and (hopefully) prevent them from happening in the future.

Note: The latest horrible virus is set to hit on April 1st, 2009. It’s called Conficker, and we’ll explain how to make sure you are safe.

Whenever an outbreak happens, you should take the following steps:

1. Run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.
2. Run the McAfee Stinger Tool (optional)
3. Make sure you are using Updated Anti-Virus Software.
4. Make sure Windows Updates are turned on.
5. Get Notified for Microsoft Security Alerts.

We aren’t talking about regular viruses… your anti-virus software can handle those. We’re talking about the terrible viruses that will crash your computer, steal your information, delete the pictures of your kids – and cause your computer to be remotely controlled by a spammer. Bad stuff, but they can usually be prevented.

Run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

The first step in detecting and removing horrible viruses and worms from your computer is to run Microsoft’s own Malicious Software Removal Tool – it’s not a replacement for anti-virus, but it’s the best way to get rid of some of the worst offenders, like the current Conficker worm.

To run the tool, you simply need to download the file from Microsoft and run it. There’s no installer required.

If you were affected, the tool would remove the virus and alert you. Since we’re thankfully safe, we got the friendly message that no malicious software was detected. You can click the "View detailed results of the scan" to see more information.

By scrolling down in the list, you can find the current threat and make sure that you are not infected.

The tool should be updated automatically through Windows Update, but you can always just download it directly as well. This is an important tool to keep around.

Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool from microsoft.com

Run the McAfee Stinger Tool (optional)

An alternative tool is the McAfee Stinger tool, which is a freeware tool that removes only the worst viruses from your computer. You can check to make sure that Stinger can remove the current virus problem by checking the List Viruses dialog… make sure you have the latest version of Stinger before you use it.

Simply hit the Scan Now button to do a full scan of your computer, but be warned that this will take a long while.

Once it’s done, you should get a report with the number of clean files.

It’s a simple and rather ugly tool, but it does the job. It’s still not a replacement for real anti-virus though.

Download McAfee Avert Stinger from vil.nai.com

Make sure you are using Updated Anti-Virus Software

This is one of the most important steps in keeping yourself safe. You need to make sure that your anti-virus software is enabled and properly working! Here’s a quick list of what you should do:

1. Make sure your virus definition updates are automatically updated.
2. Make sure that real-time scanning is enabled.
3. Run a full scan (optional but useful)

If you aren’t sure what anti-virus software to use and don’t have money to spend, you can try out AVG Free edition, or you can take a look at the big list of anti-virus software we tested with Windows 7.

Note: We don’t necessarily recommend ClamWin for regular users, because it has no real-time protection. It’s just what I have installed on this computer and I needed a screenshot.

Make sure Windows Updates are turned on

Now we arrive at the most important step: making sure that Windows is fully patched and Windows Updates is enabled. You can’t protect yourself against worms and hackers if you are running a woefully out-of-date version of Windows that isn’t patched. It just won’t work.

Open up Windows Updates, make sure to click "Check for updates" and install every security patch they recommend. Then click the Change settings link…

And make sure you have it set to check for updates automatically, and installing updates automatically isn’t a bad option. Just remember, if you are running an un-patched system, you are leaving yourself open for all sorts of bad things.

Note: Please pardon the alarmist nature of this point, but patching is the #1 key to keeping safe against internet worms.

Get Notified for Microsoft Security Alerts

If you really want to make sure you are secure, you can sign up for alerts from Microsoft whenever there is an important patch that needs to be installed. You can also check the current security bulletins at any time by visiting their security bulletin home page.

Subscribe to Microsoft Security Alerts by Email or RSS

Latest Microsoft Security Bulletin Home Page

How Do I Make Sure the Patch is Installed?

So now we get right down to it… how do you know if you are vulnerable to one of the security holes? As an example, we’ll look at the security hole that leaves you vulnerable to the Conficker worm: Vulnerability in Server Service Could Allow Remote Code Execution. If you look through the list of downloads, you’ll see the particular patch for your system.

If Windows update says that you are up to date, you can check for a particular patch by clicking on "View update history" on the left-hand side.

This will take you to a long list of every update that has been installed. Look through the list, and you should see the update mentioned in the security bulletin… for me, it was KB958644 for x64-based systems, since I’m running 64-bit Vista.

At the very least it’s a relief to know that you aren’t vulnerable… to the current worm, at least.

Conclusion

These steps are essential in protecting your computer from hackers, worms, and viruses, but they aren’t the only important keys to safety. You should still remain vigilant and use common sense: don’t download files from untrusted sources, use a firewall, and make sure your email provider scans for viruses before you open attachments.

Important: How To Scan and Remove Malicious Viruses :: the How-To Geek

According to this article, its time to update a few software programs. 

Lets start with Internet Explorer.  If you have not run Windows Update in a while, please do so now.  This will update IE7.

Adobe Acrobat Reader can be updated by opening the program, clicking on the help menu and choosing Check for Updates.

To update Java, here is the link: click for the upgrade.  There is an option on that website where you can check to see if you have the latest version before installing the upgrade.  I would recommend clicking on the “Do I have Java” link.

Adobe Reader, IE 7 holes under attack

Crooks launch targeted attacks with PDFs, go after IE7 bug

• By Erik Larkin, PC World
  March 27, 2009  |  Comments: (0)

If you were an Internet crook, the following item would be music to your ears: A zero-day flaw–a security hole with no fix available before attacks could be launched–exists in Adobe Reader and Acrobat, and can be exploited by a poisoned PDF file in an attempt to take over a vulnerable computer.

As Symantec reported in February, crooks have hit the flaw with small-scale attacks that e-mail PDF attachments to specific targets. Adobe says a patch should be ready for version 9 of both programs by the time you read this, with fixes for earlier versions to follow. Read Adobe’s alert and get a link to the eventual fixes.

Word Docs Target IE 7

Bad guys went after a bug in Internet Explorer 7 a week after Microsoft distributed a fix. Those attacks employed a malicious Word document, but the Internet Storm Center has warned that crooks could also add hidden code to a hijacked Web site to create a drive-by download attack. You can in­­stall the patch for this browser flaw via Automatic Updates, or you can download it.

The same patch batch from Microsoft addresses a security vulnerability in the company’s Visio diagramming software; an attack through this hole can be triggered if you open a hacked Visio file.

Meanwhile, Mozilla fixed six security holes in its Firefox browser, one of which was deemed critical. Firefox version 3.0.6 and later has the fixes; click Help, Check for Updates to make sure that you have the latest version. The same critical flaw can hit the Thunderbird e-mail program if Java­Script is enabled for e-mail (it’s disabled by de­­fault, and discouraged by Mozilla). Version 2.0.0.21 closes the hole.

Media File Mayhem

If you use RealNetworks’ RealPlayer, beware of a risk involving malformed Internet Video Recording (IVR) files. According to security company Fortinet, simply previewing a poisoned IVR file in Windows Explorer could allow an at­­tacker to run any command on a vulnerable PC. Versions 11 through 11.04 are at risk, while 11.05 and later are not affected. Check your version by clicking Help, About RealPlayer, and, if you need it, click for the upgrade.

Finally, OpenOffice users should know that a default installation of the productivity suite’s latest version (3.0.1) adds an old, insecure version of Sun’s Java (Java 6 Update 7). According to the Washington Post, which originally reported the issue, the suite should work fine with the latest edition, Java 6 Update 12; remove your old Java versions and install the new one. You can also read the original report. The OpenOffice team should have a new version (with an updated Java version) by the time you read this, and you can also get a Java-less install via peer-to-peer download.

Adobe Reader, IE 7 holes under attack | InfoWorld | News | 2009-03-27 | By Erik Larkin, PC World

Here is an article from InfoWorld.  I love the idea that we can get up to the minute flight status via Microsoft’s Live Search. 

Microsoft adds interactive feature to Live Search

New feature makes searches more interactive for users by providing up-to-the-minute information linked to a particular search query

• By Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service
  March 30, 2009  |  Comments: (0)

Microsoft has added a feature to Live Search designed to give users up-to-the-minute information linked to a particular search query to help make searches more interactive for users.

Oracle White Paper – Nucleus Report: Who’s ready for SMB? – read this white paper.

Microsoft has enabled a new Active Answers feature for "flight status" queries, although it will expand the feature to include other search queries later, according to a post on the Live Search blog.

[ Cut straight to the key news for technology development and IT management with our once-a-day summary of the top tech news. Subscribe to the InfoWorld Daily newsletter. ]

Now when users type "flight status" into the Live Search query box, not only do they get results for that query, but also another box at the top of the results page that allows them to type in an airline and the flight number so they can immediately search for information about a particular flight.

The aim of the new feature is to give users the ability not only to find relevant information but to intuit what other tasks users might want to perform on the Web and get them there more quickly, according to the post, attributed to MJ Lee, a senior program manager for Live Search.

"Live Search is becoming more than just a place to get information — it is also a place you can do things," he wrote. Microsoft’s Live Search team is working with Microsoft Research to build more Active Answers features, Lee added.

Are you ready for event-driven business? – watch this webcast.

Microsoft has been working for some time to improve its search engine to compete with Google, which still has a sizeable lead in worldwide search queries. In fact, Microsoft recently hit a 12-month low with its share of search queries in the United States, at 8.2 percent, according to comScore.

Moreover, adding interactive features like "Active Answers" is something Google has already done. The search giant several years ago introduced a feature in its search engine that allows people to type in departure and arrival airport codes into the query box to get results linking them to information from popular travel Web sites for flights matching that itinerary.

Microsoft may be betting on a new search engine it is testing internally called Kumo that uses semantic search capabilities the company acquired when it purchased San Francisco startup Powerset last June to improve its position against Google. The company, however, has stopped short of acknowledging the new search engine will be the next incarnation of Live Search.

Still, improving its share of search queries could be more a marketing and perception issue than a feature issue at this point, something even Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer acknowledged in a keynote talk at McGraw-Hill’s Media Summit in New York two weeks ago.

"Marketing’s an issue. Brand’s an issue," he said. "There are a lot of things to go work on."

But Ballmer added in his talk that because people already attach certain basic search qualities to Google, being somewhat unrecognized for its search engine gives Microsoft an opportunity to differentiate itself from competitors with features search users haven’t seen before.

Microsoft adds interactive feature to Live Search | InfoWorld | News | 2009-03-30 | By Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

How to Cut Tech Costs without Cutting Effectiveness

By Steve Adams

      In any business, large or small, there is one mantra that gets chanted over and over anytime the economy goes even a little weak: cut costs. Of course when the economy completely tanks and ordinary citizens start wondering if they should keep their money in their mattresses instead of the major banks, the mantra does seem to get noticeably louder.

      Generally speaking, cutting costs is good advice in any economy. Even when times are flush you really shouldn’t be paying for things you don’t need, or paying more than necessary for the things you do need. But when money gets tight you want to be sure you’re using what you have more efficiently.

      One strategy that has had a major effect on businesses of all sizes is moving away from purchasing technology that requires software and/or hardware. Web-based services are a “pay-as-you-go” model that eliminates the need for huge up-front capital expenditures, high maintenance costs, and ongoing support costs. All while assuring the technology you’re using has all the latest features and upgrades.

      Here’s how it works. Typically when you purchase a business application for a small office you have to install it onto a server – either by yourself (if you’re tech-savvy) or more likely by bringing in a technology expert. Once the application is up and running, you need an IT person to keep it running at peak efficiency. If there is a significant software upgrade there is another cost, and you again have to call on a technology expert to complete the process. If the server goes bad there’s an additional cost to replace the hardware.

      Moving to the Web-based model greatly reduces your overall costs. The big up-front cost for hardware and software is replaced by a small monthly fee. In most cases you get the service running yourself, even if you’re not particularly good with computers.

      The same goes for hardware and software maintenance. It all happens behind the scenes, saving time and money while assuring you’re benefiting from the software’s latest features. Should a technical issue arise, one call to the supplier’s tech support group generally solves the problem – again at no cost to you.

      This move to Web-based services isn’t just for “outlier” applications anymore either. Even core applications, such as your office productivity suite, are now moving away from the traditional client/server model to being Web-based. The reason is simple: because keeping applications running is their primary business instead of a utility, service providers dedicate considerably more resources to that function than you can on your own, resulting in greater uptime.

      If you’re looking for ways to reduce your own business costs – and who isn’t these days? – consider moving some of your applications to the Web. It’s a great way to cut costs without cutting effectiveness.

 
Steve Adams is Vice President of Marketing for MyFax (www.myfax.com), a provider of Internet faxing services for individual home users, small businesses, and large corporations. MyFax has won a number of awards in head-to-head competitions for ease of use, reliability, and best overall value. He can be reached at sadams@protus.com.

I got a message in my email today that HP is clearing out some of its inventory.  “Up to 40% off”

Check it out at this link: HP Clearance Sale

By Steve Adams 

      Ask most people what they like about working with small businesses and you’ll hear answers such as “their personal approach” or “I’m not just a customer number to them” or “I get to work with the heavy hitters instead of some trainee just out of school.”

      Yes, those are the things they say when things are going well. But should the perceived service level drop, those same enthusiastic supporters begin to question their decision about working with a small company. In particular, things they used to find charming – such as a live person taking messages instead of a system putting a call through to voice mail – suddenly become indications that maybe they need to look into finding a somewhat larger, “more professional” firm.

      The good news is these small business quirks don’t have to be fatal. In fact, many can be fixed with the application of simple technology that provides big business tools while allowing organizations to stay true to their small business core. The following eight cures to the common small business ailments will help ensure your company doesn’t fall into the “too small” trap: 

1. Don’t have one phone line for all your business communications. Nothing says “too small” like a phone number that returns a busy signal, or a phone that rings and rings until the caller finally gives up. In today’s business world, when someone actually places a call (instead of sending an e-mail) they expect it to be answered. Or, at the very least, routed to an auto-attendant or voice mailbox. While a standard public branch exchange (PBX) phone system might be too costly to install and require too much specialized knowledge to maintain, virtual PBX services can provide the same professional “face” without the equipment investment or the maintenance. These services automatically route calls to extensions you set up, and provide voice mail services so callers can leave a message. Callers will never get a busy signal or be stuck in a ringing loop, giving them the confidence that you have the staff to service their business.
2. Don’t keep using a portal e-mail account for your business. An e-mail address that reads @gmail.com, @aol.com, @yahoo.com etc. makes you look like a small-timer with a serious lack of working capital – and perhaps one that doesn’t expect to be in business for very long. Since your business has a Web site, most Web hosts allow you to create one or more e-mail accounts with an address of @yourdomain.com. If you don’t have your own domain yet, buy one! You can create one for less than $10 per year (sometimes substantially less) if you look around a little. Then put up that Web site so customers can get to know how good you are, and new customers can find you.
3. Don’t make your customers wait while you switch your phone over to accept a fax. Or the corollary – give your customers an earful of fax screeches when they try to make a call. Either way, your customers start to wonder whether you’re big enough to handle their business. An Internet fax service solves both issues by allowing you to send and receive faxes via your e-mail account or a secure online server. Your customers never know the difference – to them they’re sending to and receiving from a fax machine. But it’s much more efficient for both of you. As a bonus, you’re able to send and receive faxes from anywhere you can get an Internet connection, making you far more reachable than you would be if you were relying on a fax machine in your office.
4. Don’t give customers a series of phone numbers to call. Business cards (or e-mail signatures) with too many phone numbers on them can be confusing to customers. Often they’re not sure which number to call and when, so sooner or later they decide the best number to call is your competitors’. Here’s where a virtual PBX system can again come in handy. It allows you to provide a single phone number for customers to call, then rings multiple phones (office, home, mobile) either all at once or in a sequence you determine. It takes all the guesswork out of calling for your customers while assuring you’re always reachable – which is often the reason they signed with you in the first place.
5. Don’t wait a day or two before responding to customer calls or e-mails. Customers love when you’re giving them all the attention. They love you a whole lot less when you’re giving all the attention to someone else. Deep down they know you have other customers, but they don’t like to think about it. Checking voice mail regularly is good. Having your voice mail messages find you is better. Virtual PBX systems allow you to send voice mails to your e-mail inbox so you’re always aware that a caller left a message – and expects a prompt reply. That expectation applies even more to e-mail. Be sure to check it often. If your business is such that you can’t open a laptop regularly (or can’t access the Internet everywhere you go) invest in a mobile phone with e-mail capabilities. The more reachable you are, the better service you’ll be able to provide.
6. Don’t include text message abbreviations, typos, poor grammar and other mistakes in written communications. As the line between our business lives and our personal lives continues to blur, it seems some people think that it’s OK to communicate with business associates the same way they do with friends. It’s not. Using text abbreviations (such as “r u” for “are you”) makes you look like someone playing at running a business. Typos and poor grammar may allegedly make your blog look “real,” but they do little for creating a professional image for your business. Take the time to create well-crafted business communications and then proofread them thoroughly before sending. You’ll be amazed at how that attention to detail helps you stand out from the crowd.
7. Don’t have constant technology problems. Sure, every business experiences a technology glitch (or even an outright outage) now and then. But if you’re constantly apologizing because this or that system isn’t working, pretty soon your customers will seek out a competitor whose technology does work. Unless your business is in IT desktop consulting, you may not have the technical knowledge to deal with IT problems quickly. Rather than continuing to tear your hair out trying to learn IT management on the job, why not just outsource it? There are firms that will manage the equipment you already own, and others that will let you create your network on their equipment. Either way, keeping your systems up and running becomes their job, which allows you to put more focus on doing your real job for your customers.
8. Don’t lose all your customers’ files. Telling a customer you lost data due to a hard drive crash is like telling the teacher the dog ate your homework. It may be true, but it doesn’t excuse you from the loss. Nor does it present you in a very good light. The IT departments at the typical enterprise-size business set up and perform automatic backups on a frequent basis – sometimes more than once a day. That way if a hard drive crashes the data can still be recovered. If you don’t want to hassle with that yourself, there are hosted services that will backup and store your data for you via the Internet. Remember, there are only two kinds of users – those who have had a hard drive crash already, and those who will. Make sure you have a solution in place.

Steve Adams is Vice President of Marketing for Protus (www.protus.com), provider of the highest quality software as a service (SaaS) communications tools for small-to-medium-businesses (SMB) and enterprise organizations, including award-winning MyFax, the fastest growing Internet fax service and my1voice, the cost-effective, feature-rich virtual PBX phone service that travels with the user from phone to web and Campaigner, software-as-a-service email marketing solutions with advanced automation features.  Steve can be reached at sadams@protus.com.

Following is a press release from Epson.

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EPSON WORKFORCE® 40 IS SELECTED TO PRINT CREDENTIALS FOR THE 81ST ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS

The High-Speed Epson WorkForce 40 to Print Thousands of Credentials for
The Biggest Movie Event of the Year

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Feb. 20, 2009 – For the tenth consecutive year, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has turned to a high-performance Epson printer, the Epson WorkForce 40, to quickly and flawlessly print thousands of high-quality credentials for the 81st Annual Academy Awards Ceremony on Feb. 22.
“This year presented a unique challenge because we needed a high-speed printer with instant-drying ink to produce borderless credentials,” said Deborah Cahn, manager of Credential Operations. “We knew we could count on Epson to deliver and the WorkForce 40 certainly performed, even beyond our expectations.”
The WorkForce 40 is a compact, single function printer designed for high-volume printing, with speeds up to twice as fast as competitive models1. The WorkForce 40 offers sharp laser-quality black text at up to 27 ppm in default mode.2 In addition, it produces laser-quality color text at up to 19 ppm in default mode2 and offers built-in Wi-Fi and wired networking to share and print files from virtually anywhere in an office area.
More About the WorkForce 40
Cost-Efficient Printing: The WorkForce 40 is ENERGY STAR compliant, uses up-to-three times less energy than a laser printer3 and includes double-sided printing capabilities for increased paper saving.4 It also uses four-color individual ink cartridges for replacing only the color that is needed, and extra high-capacity black ink cartridges are available for high volume tasks.
DURABrite® Ultra Ink: Epson’s exclusive all-pigment inks produce laser-quality text and stunning graphics on all media types. The ink offers smudge and water resistance5 to protect important documents, fade resistance on plain paper that is rated up to six times longer than leading competitive prints6, and is highlighter-friendly on plain paper.
Advanced DX3™ MicroPiezo® print head technology: Epson’s print head technology features smart nozzles that can each produce and precisely place three sizes of ink droplets, as small as two picoliters; this technology is also featured in large-scale printers used by leading commercial and industrial companies across the globe to deliver innovative digital, photo lab and textile printing products and services.
“We’re thrilled that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences again called upon Epson to deliver the fastest and best print quality for their unique credentials application,” said R. Craig Allen, product manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America Inc. “The WorkForce suite of printers and all-in-ones were engineered for small business customers and the line provides the best printing, scanning and image output tools critical to their success.”
About Epson America Inc.
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, photographic, business and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.

Below is a press release that I recieved.  Its a really cool idea.  While you are traveling, you can send documents from your movile device to a printshop near you. I looked for places near me in Minnesota and the closest one was in Chicago, IL. The service is new, so I would expect an increase in printing shops over then next year. If you do a lot of travel and have a need to print something , this is a great option.

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Print Anything, Anywhere at Any Time with Earthtone
Innovative E-Commerce Platform Aggregates Print Service Providers to Offer Convenient, Choice-Rich Online Printing to Businesses and Individuals
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Earthtone’s online printing service goes live today with a launch of its cutting-edge e-commerce platform that is set to revolutionize the way people shop for print services. As of today, Earthtone will be available in the Northeast and will rapidly roll out nationwide over the coming months.
In an online printing market dominated by a few big-brand printers, Earthtone’s vendor-neutral business model empowers consumers by giving them easy, impartial access to hundreds of smaller, independent printers across the US. With nearly 1,000 independent printers signed up already, and more joining each week, Earthtone’s vendor-neutral platform enables consumers to find, compare and order from the supplier best suited to meet their unique requirements.
“E-commerce is driven by consumers who recognize that transparent information and more choice empowers them to make uncompromised purchasing decisions,” says Nader Alaghband, Earthtone’s Founder and CEO. “Earthtone is the first service designed to give print buyers the choice they want and the information they need.”
In an economic climate that demands the efficient allocation of resources, Earthtone’s enterprise-grade e-commerce platform is a secure, user-friendly way to shop for prints online. Whether it’s reports, presentations or any other type of print – and whether specialist services, environmental credentials, quality, or value is the driver of decision making – Earthtone makes it easy for businesses and individuals to search for, compare and choose the print provider best suited to their needs.
Moreover, as working patterns change and mobile Internet, smaller computers and global communications solutions facilitate an explosion in flexible working, Earthtone provides a solution to the mobile printing problem. In the US, the mobile workforce is growing at 20% each year, but unlike almost every other part of the mobile professional’s workflow printing’s inherent immobility makes it a real obstacle to “on the road” productivity. Earthtone gives mobile professionals a convenient and efficient way to find and use the nearest printer. Smartphone users will be able to connect to Earthtone’s printing network where they will be able to easily store, share and print their files.
Whether you’re a mobile professional looking for convenient printing, a business looking for secure printing or a consumer looking for choice, you can start using Earthtone for free and in less than a minute today.
To find out more, please visit: www.earthtone.net
About Earthtone
Earthtone is the first non-proprietary e-commerce platform connecting businesses and professionals to local print providers across the world. With US operations based in New York and headquarters in London, the company makes it easy for end-users to search for, compare and buy from any print provider in its extensive network. At the same time, Earthtone provides any print business, regardless of size, brand or location with a world class e-commerce capability and the opportunity to grow by attracting new business from across the web. For more information about Earthtone, please visit: www.earthtone.net

I was sent the following press release.  I have not tired the product mentioned here, but thought someone might be interested.  I am thinking about dropping my fax line and moving to an online fax service.  When I do, I will check out this service.

Dean

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MyFax Introduces MyFax Free
 
Leading Internet fax service provider offers national and international free faxing services
for small businesses and occasional users
 
Ottawa (March  13, 2009) – MyFax, the world’s fastest-growing Internet fax service, today announced a new free service for business and individual users who need to send a fax only occasionally.  MyFax Free allows users to transmit two faxes per day of up to 10 pages without going through the fuss of setting up an account or providing a credit card number.
 
“In these difficult economic times, every penny counts,” said Joseph Nour, CEO of Protus, provider of MyFax and MyFax Free.  “Yet whether you’re starting a business or ensuring your company is running efficiently you don’t want to give up value. We are committed to offering an option that delivers full quality while easing the cost burden for our users.”
 
MyFax, the winner of the prestigious Gold Award from “TopTenREVIEWS,” an Internet publisher of expert technology and entertainment reviews used by millions of consumers, is now offering a convenient, no-obligation version of the service.  With an Internet connection, users can:
 
·                  Send up to two faxes per day
·                  Fax two 10-page documents plus cover sheet
·                  Transmit a fax for free to 41 countries around the world
·                  Use the most popular image and document file types including Microsoft Word, PDF and 175 other file formats
·                  Use the service without setting up an account
·                  Avoid using a credit card as there is no cost outlay or monthly service fee
 
MyFax Free allows users to send faxes electronically via a Web browser. This method helps reduce office expenses by reducing paper use and eliminating the need for a fax machine, toner and dedicated fax line. It also helps organizations reduce energy consumption. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  lists fax machines at the top of office equipment considered “energy vampires” – equipment that continually consumes power, whether it is in use or not.
In addition to being rated the No. 1 Internet fax service by TopTenREVIEWS  in January, MyFax was named a finalist in the Customer Service Management Team of the Year and the Customer Service Department of the Year categories in the third annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service. 
 
For more information about MyFax Free visit www.myfax.com/free. For tips and tricks on using MyFax as a communications business tool, visit the MyFax blog at http://blog.myfax.com/ .
 
About MyFax
MyFax is the fastest-growing Internet fax service used by individuals, small, medium and large businesses to send and receive faxes using existing email accounts or the web. MyFax offers services in North America and Europe, including the United Kingdom, to industries recognized among the fastest-growing adopters of Internet fax including finance, insurance, real estate, healthcare, transportation and government. More than 15,000 new customers subscribe to MyFax each month. MyFax is part of a total Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business communications offered by Protus that also includes my1voice feature-rich virtual PBX service and Campaigner, an email marketing service enabling organizations to have highly personalized one-to-one email dialogues with their customers. Additional information is available at www.campaigner.com, www.my1voice.com or www.myfax.