Froodee

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On Service Level Agreements

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Service Level Agreements, or SLAs, are popular with companies outsourcing IT work. For instance, if a company does not have its own IT department, but would need IT-related services such as installation and maintenance of equipment and/or software, it can sign an SLA with an IT services provider.

One issue with getting into SLAs, however, is expectations. SLAs are known to be prepared by technical personnel, hence the wordings and stipulations are usually in tech-speak. So if the company getting into contract with the IT firm does not have organic personnel or managers who understand technology, they are most likely to be left in the dark with the contents of the SLA. This might lead to the company’s being dissatisfied with service, for instance, if the service levels are different. For example, downtime might mean for the IT company that equipment and software are completely not working. But for a company’s managers, it might mean just even a slight slowing down of the system.

.EU domains available to the public this week

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Internet domains in the .EU namespace will be available to the public by this Friday the 7th. And by this time, users are in eager anticipation of registering their very own domains, reserved especially for European businesses and individuals.

The first wave of registration was reserved for trademark holders, wherein companies were given a sunrise period of registering their trademarked names early. Of course, it can be expected that with this system owners of similar or sound-alike trademarked names would clamor for the best names. The presence of domain squatters—or entities registering domain names and then later on re-selling at ridiculously high markups—has also been anticipated.

Managers of the .EU namespace say that the top-level domain will be considered second only to .COM in terms of importance in e-commerce. At this point, upwards of 1,500 entities have applied to serve as registrars that will sell .EU domains to the public. Domains will be charged from 12 to 100 Euros per year.

Windows Vista release to be delayed

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Microsoft is set to announce that it will be pushing back the release of Vista, the latest version of its Windows family of operating systems, from November 2006 to first quarter of 2007. The reason, according to company officials, is to let its engineers do further refinements with the security components, a laudable move, considering security loopholes prevalent in Vista’s predecessors.

Investors aren’t all to happy, however, as the company’s stock fell 3% with the announcement. Also, companies are likely to hold off purchases of new desktop and laptop systems, in anticipation of Vista’s release at a later date. So this move by the software giant may actually be harmful not only to the company’s stock, but to hardware retailers as well.

Technology is integral in the development of business nowadays. And any operating system is expected to be stable enough especially in business settings. Business consumers are eagerly anticipating Vista, in the hopes that it will be a better platform than past Windows incarnations, some of which proved to be riddled with security holes. But will the wait be worth it?

Desktop sales declining

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Market research firm Gartner has warned that sales of desktop computers are on the decline. Mobile computers—including laptops and other mobile alternatives—are on the rise!

Desktop sales are expected to grow 1.9% in 2006 over the previous year. Laptop sales are, meanwhile, expected to grow 31.4%. A steady decline in sales in desktop-based computing platforms is seen henceforth.

What does this mean for businesses? This is most likely brought about by the popularity of mobility in the workplace. In today’s business environment, many deals and transactions are done out-of-office. And with mobile connectivity options such as WiFi and other cellular-based networks, work can be done anywhere with a network signal.

If you’re planning to buy equipment for your existing or new business, consider opting for mobile devices instead of desktops. You’ll thank yourself later on, especially when the office goes fully mobile, and the virtual office becomes the norm!

Vodafone considers landline and broadband services

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First, it was mobile provider Orange, that announced it was launching a landline service for business clients. Now, another large cellular provider has announced it is considering entry into the landline and broadband market.

Vodafone prefers to resell broadband and voice services in bulk, though, rather than acquire a service provider for enduser needs. Offering landline and broadband services is seen as a smart move, with the increasing popularity of wireless Internet (WiFi) and Voice over Internet Protocol, among other technologies. First, these might pose a challenge to the dominance of the cellular industry. Then again, the increased uptake of broadband and data services is a good business prospect to broadband providers.

Such tie-ups are considered “triple-play,” as providers, traditionally only offering either voice or data services, are now getting into a convergence of technologies: voice, data, and mobile. Expect more tie-ups or acquisitions soon, as telcos gear up on offering fresh technologies to clients.