Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft windows server’
Dr. Ware Will Launch a New Low-cost Electronic Health Records/Practice Management System
Dr. Ware, in partnership with Microsoft and PracticeFusion, is happy to announce the launch of a world-class Electronic Health Records EMR/PMS system on September 15, 2009. In step with our SaaS (Software as a Service) and “managed services” business model we will be offering doctors and hospitals a suite of offerings targeted at reducing IT costs while increasing efficiency and bringing patients improved care. The three primary modules in this system will be:
Practice Fusion addresses the critical needs of today’s healthcare environments by providing a revolutionary application and delivery model for physicians and patients at no cost. Practice Fusion’s award-winning, free, web-based applications require no on-site software, hardware and integration, eliminating the burden of supporting traditional enterprise software products. As a result, Practice Fusion dramatically reduces costs and complexities, enabling medical practitioners to deliver the highest level of care possible to their patients.
Microsoft® HealthVaultTM, is a platform that puts people in control of their health data. It helps them collect, store, and share health information with family members and healthcare providers, and it provides people with a choice of third-party applications to help them manage things like fitness, diet, and health. Microsoft has also developed HealthVaultTM Search, a new intuitive Web search service that helps people discover answers to their health questions, learn more about topics important to them, confidentially store the information they discover, and act on that knowledge to improve their health and wellness. Healthcare organizations can use the HealthVault platform to deliver compatible tools and services to facilitate communication between patients and healthcare professionals and enable patients to participate more actively in their care.
Microsoft Online Services makes it easy for you to leverage and rapidly deploy familiar Microsoft server products as flexible services. These hosted services-our Business Productivity Online Standard Suite-include the following:
Exchange Online
Provide employees access to e-mail, calendar, and contacts from virtually anywhere, at anytime, on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices-while helping to protect against malware and spam. Exchange Online can be rapidly deployed, flexibly expanded, and is designed to be securely administered using a powerful yet easy-to-use Web-based console.
SharePoint Online
Share documents, contacts, calendars, and tasks in a single location. Based on Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007, SharePoint Online delivers rich collaboration capabilities that enable team members to flexibly and efficiently collaborate, find organizational resources, search your intranet site, and manage content and workflow.
Office Live Meeting
Connect with colleagues and customers through real-time meetings, training sessions, and events using only a PC with an Internet connection. Hosted Web conferencing services from Microsoft Office Live Meeting give your employees the power to collaborate wherever they are, to set up project meetings, brainstorm ideas, and collaborate on whiteboards without the cost and hassle of travel!
Office Communications Online
Enable users to find and rapidly connect with the right person from the applications they use most. Office Communications Online provides streamlined access to rich presence and instant messaging capabilities that are centrally managed by IT and work seamlessly with a range of Microsoft Office system programs.
With this combination of services doctors and hospitals can concentrate on caring for their patients while they employ low-cost integrated solutions that promote communication between all participants involved in a patient’s care – labs, pharmacies, insurance companies, employers, family members, etc. I.T. support resides on the desktop and is monitored full-time for immediate response. PracticeFusion is free, Microsoft® HealthVaultTM is free, and Microsoft’s Online Services are as little as $15 a month per user for the complete suite. No in-house server(s), networks, IT staff required. Additionally an integrated solution allows patients to use devices at home: like blood-glucose meters, pulse oximeters, blood-pressure gauges, and even scales. The data is automatically uploaded to the patient’s HealthVaultTM account and then made available, by the patient, to medical professionals and/or family, etc. If you would like more information we would love to speak with you. Feel free to contact us.
What You Should Know About Conflicker and How You Can Prepare
Conflicker, also known as the Downadup worm, is going to change the way it operates on April 1, 2009 but it is unlikely to cause anything visible. The media has hyped this story but it is still very important we take the threat seriously. Here are a couple of media articles on Conflicker:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/ptech/01/16/virus.downadup/index.html
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1162343
So what exactly is going to happen April 1st? Conficker has been polling 250 different domain names every day to download and run an update program. On April 1st the latest version of Conficker will start to poll 500 out of 50,000 domains a day to do the same thing. I use the term ‘latest version’ because most of the infected machines are infected with the B variant which became widespread in early January. With B variant nothing happens on April 1st. If you are running a Mac you have nothing to worry about. Also if you have all your Microsoft updates and up-to-date virus protection you are safe. As a precaution you should run a full virus scan on your PC.
I consider this a real threat because of the nature of this worm. First of all it is very sophisticated. It is one of the first world-class worms that use the MD6 cryptographic hash algorithm developed at MIT. For more information on MD6 go to:
http://groups.csail.mit.edu/cis/md6/
The creators are professionals and, as of now, we have no idea who they are up to. As of February 13, 2009, Microsoft has offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals behind the creation and/or distribution of Conficker. The downloadable virus exploits the autorun feature on Windows machines and installs with admin privileges. Attackers could use this download channel to run any program on all infected machines. The worm also has some peer-to-peer functionality which means that infected computers can communicate with each other without the need for a server. The gang behind this is serious and we should not underestimate them. They could steal your data, send spam, do DDoS, and so on. The fact that we don’t know what they are really after just makes it all a bigger mystery. For a more detailed look at Conflicker go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conficker
How do you know if you are infected?
- 1. You can’t access antivirus sites like avg.com, kaspersky.com, or security sites like f-secure.com. You also will not be able to access the Microsoft/Windows updates sites.
- 2. You can’t update your antivirus or get Microsoft automatic updates.
What should you do if you are infected? You need to run a cleaning tool. Here is a good one. Please follow the instructions carefully:
http://support.f-secure.com/enu/home/onlineservices/fsec/fsec.shtml
Please remember, to remain uninfected, keep your anti-virus up-to-date and install all the latest Microsoft updates.
What You Need to Know About Viruses
Note: This article is based on a series of articles originally published by Microsoft.
What is a virus? According to Microsoft computer viruses are small software programs that are designed to spread from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operation. A virus might corrupt or delete data on your computer, use your e-mail program to spread itself to other computers, or even erase everything on your hard disk. Viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail messages or instant messaging messages. That is why it is essential that you never open e-mail attachments unless you know who it’s from and you are expecting it. Viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Viruses also spread through downloads on the Internet. They can be hidden in illicit software or other files or programs you might download.
How can you prevent computer viruses? Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. You can continue to improve your computer’s security and decrease the possibility of infection by using a firewall, keeping your system up-to-date, maintaining a current antivirus software subscription, and following a few best practices. Because no security method is guaranteed, it’s important to back up critical files on a regular basis before you encounter a virus or other problems.
Steps to help avoid viruses:
- Use an Internet firewall
Note: Windows Vista and Windows XP with SP2 has a firewall already built-in and turned on by default. - Visit Microsoft Update and turn on automatic updating.
Note: If you’ve installed the most recent version of Microsoft Office, Automatic Updates will also update your Office programs. If you have an earlier version of Office, use Office Update. - Subscribe to industry standard antivirus software and keep it current.
- Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don’t know.
- Avoid opening an e-mail attachment from someone you know, unless you know exactly what the attachment is. The sender may be unaware that it contains a virus.
What about spyware? Although spyware programs are different from viruses, some can behave like viruses and pose similar and other risks. To help protect against spyware, use antispyware software such as Windows Defender. Windows Defender comes with Windows Vista. If you use Windows XP SP2, you can download Windows Defender for no charge.
How do you know if you are infected? After you open and run an infected program or attachment on your computer, you might not realize that you’ve introduced a virus until you notice something isn’t quite right.
Here are a few primary indicators that your computer might be infected:
- Your computer runs more slowly than normal
- Your computer stops responding or locks up often
- Your computer crashes and restarts every few minutes
- Your computer restarts on its own and then fails to run normally
- Applications on your computer don’t work correctly
- Disks or disk drives are inaccessible
- You can’t print correctly
- You see unusual error messages
- You see distorted menus and dialog boxes
These are common signs of infection-but they might also indicate hardware or software problems that have nothing to do with a virus.
How do I remove a virus from my computer? Even for an expert, removing a virus from a computer can be a daunting task without the help of tools designed for the job. Some viruses and other unwanted software (including spyware) are even designed to reinstall themselves after they have been detected and removed. Fortunately, by updating your computer and using free, trial-period, or low-cost antivirus tools, you can help permanently remove (and prevent) unwanted software.
Steps to help remove a virus:
- Visit Microsoft Update and install the latest updates.
- If you currently use antivirus software, visit the manufacturer’s Web site, update your software, and then perform a thorough scan of your computer. If you don’t use antivirus software, subscribe to a service and scan your computer immediately.
- Download, install, and run the Malicious Software Removal Tool. Note that this tool does not prevent viruses from infecting your system; it helps to remove existing viruses.
Why didn’t my antivirus software work?
It’s crucial to keep your antivirus software current with the latest updates (usually called definition files) that help the tool identify and remove the latest threats. In addition, not all antivirus tools are the same; if you find that the one you use isn’t working to your satisfaction, you should do some research and try an alternative.
Note: What you might think is a virus could actually be spyware. Download and install Windows Defender or other antispyware software to see if that fixes the problem. Windows Defender comes with Windows Vista. If you use Windows XP SP2, you can download Windows Defender for no charge.
How do I install updates and antivirus software if I can’t use my computer?
It might be difficult to download tools or update your computer if your computer has a virus. In this case, use a friend’s or other computer to download the tools to a disk, or get support from Microsoft.
Summary
The best offense is a good defense. To help avoid viruses, it’s essential that you keep your computer current with the latest updates and antivirus tools, stay informed about recent threats, and that you follow a few basic rules when you surf the Internet, download files, and open attachments. Once a virus is on your computer, its type or the method it used to get there is not as important as removing it and preventing further infection.
Does your business need a server?
If your office has more than two computers the answer may be, “yes.” If you’re being slammed by spam, want to share your calendar, or would like to access your office desktop remotely, the answer is definitely, “yes!” These are just a few examples of the many benefits of centralizing your data and controlling access, antivirus, and security over a network. For the price of a decent desktop a server just makes good business sense.
A secure network protects against unauthorized users, filters out spam, blocks virus threats, and prevents data loss. One central location for data increases productivity, maintains standards, and maximizes your software investment while sharing printers, faxes, and Internet access reduces costs and promotes productivity. An office network fosters teamwork through collaborative calendars, tasks, and contacts, creating a more professional environment.
Among the most important reasons for deploying a server on your network is the ability to access facts you need in real time so your team can respond to customers’ needs more quickly and accurately. If you are operating your business without a server now is the time to act. Let us know how we can help.