Cheshire Photocopiers – Consistently Cheaper On Price!
We consistently receive phone calls from further a field checking recommendations against more local competitors. Today was another one of those days and I was happy to hear that we are favourable in cost to other suppliers. At Cheshire Photocopiers we are always keen to win new business and our customer base has slowly been increasing over the course of 2010. From our base in Knutsford, we continue to distribute photocopiers, printers and office equipment across Cheshire and the North West.
Our core customer base centres largely around Cheshire, namely Knutsford, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Northwich, Middlewich, Mobberley, Sandbach & Crewe. Through the power of the internet and through personal recommendation, our business is now stretching further across the North West, including key accounts in Chester, Tarporley, Hale, Sale, Altrincham and Handforth.
We offer both new and refurbished copiers and printers, various leasing options and network solutions: supplying leading market names such as Sharp, Konica, Brother, HP, Xerox and Samsung to mention but a few. As representatives for Sharp, we have the added advantage of excellent back-up and support from one of the largest office equipment manufacturers today.
Whilst Cheshire Photocopiers core business remains the sale of photocopiers and printers and the necessary finance, our business offering has now extended to the provision of a full range of office equipment, office furniture, office stationery, PC networking and PC Support. These additions have become available through a network of Partners who share the same high standards as Cheshire Photocopiers.
For more details on how we can help your business contact our sales team on 01565 621 457.
Cheshire & North West Customer Base Is Expanding
Despite the economic climate, Cheshire Photocopiers customer base has slowly been expanding over the course of 2010. From our base in Knutsford, we continue to distribute photocopiers, printers and office equipment across Cheshire and the North West.
Our core customer base centres largely around Cheshire, namely Knutsford, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Northwich, Middlewich, Mobberley, Sandbach & Crewe. Through word of mouth, our business is now reaching further across the North West, including key accounts in Tarporley, Chester, Hale, Altrincham, Sale and Handforth.
Cheshire Photocopiers business offering has now extended from photocopier sales, printer sales and lease arrangements to the provision of a full range of office equipment, office furniture, office stationery, PC networking and PC Support. These additions have become available through a network of Partners who share the same high standards as Cheshire Photocopiers.
For more details on how we can help your business contact our sales team on 01565 621 457.
iPad Killed the Photocopier
Not since the IBM PC was developed has a computer hit the market that can change the way we view the world. While people talk about Apple's Tablet PC, the iPad, being a competitor to the notebook, there are larger implications. The iPad is the first computer that can change the way we view documents. It combines the visual appeal of print and the interaction of the web together in a way no product has done before. The iPad is the first step into a paperless world where all documents are viewed as data.
In the first 28 days since its release, Apple sold one million iPads. This figure is even higher than iPhone sales when it was launched. The iPad succeeds where previous products such as Amazon Kindle have failed, but it was not greeted with universal approval when launched. "Isn't it just a big iPhone?" was the most common remark, whilst others tagged it 'iLAME'. The popular Dom Jolly mobile phone sketch has even been recreated, using the iPad. The iPad name, which Apple purchased from Fujitsu, has also been the butt of jokes on twitter, where users made fun of its resemblance to a feminine hygiene product. One twitter user posted "I am already going through 4 - 5 iPads a day due to my heavy workflow". However, Apple have a loyal following in desktop publishing with the Steve Jobs/Jef Raskin Apple Mac, and the iPad appears to be exactly what Apple fans have been waiting for.
The tablet PC has been around for a while. Bill Gates's Microsoft made the term popular in 2001 when it launched Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. HP-Compaq developed the TC1100 series. In 2007 Axiotron produced a Modbook, this was a heavily modified Apple MacBook Tablet. Frontpath manufactured a Linux based tablet called the ProGear.
The iPad is the start of a new era that will see the transition from Print to Pixels, bringing the worlds of print and web publishing together. Impressive pages can now be created using interaction, animation and video streaming. Typography and design will no longer be compromised. Notebooks don't offer the same portability of the iPad, and the iPad is the best in the field for screen based reading.
Printers and Photocopiers could become a thing of the past in a few years with less and less output to paper. Magazines, books and newspapers are set to be reinvented online. By changing how we read documents, Apple have created the next big hardware battle. Already Chinese manufactured iPad clones, working on Google's Android Software, have started to appear. Microsoft Courier is set for release soon, a 7 inch dual screen booklet that will see Microsoft making further strides into hardware manufacture following on from Zune and Xbox.
The battle for the Screen Based Reader audience is unlikely to be defined by the operating system but by the hardware itself. Imagine a iPad that is wafer thin and you can roll up and put in your back pocket like a magazine. That is what the future holds.
Flexible display technology is close to production with a team in Ireland close to a touch screen prototype. Samsung unveiled their 7 inch flexible LCD screen in 2005 and Fujitsu have a 3.8 inch flexible LCD panel that does not require a power supply. Ultimately, it's the flexible screen technology in the near future that will see users finally turn away from paper based publishing. Apple have won 'round one' of the screen based reader and have brought their product to market before Microsoft's Courier, but this hardware battle has a long way to run. Google have already produced the Nexus One, an internet mobile dubbed the Google Phone, and the Android operating system may yet enter into screen based readers as well. Amazon potentially have the most to lose if the iPad continues to grow, with Apple's iBooks directly competing with another part of their core business, following the success of iTunes, so presence in the screen reader market will be essential for Amazon.
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Jennifer Robinson writes for Online Connect, suppliers of document management and photocopiers. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_E_Robinson |
Information Technology in Crisis – Three Priorities For IT in 2010 – Part 2
As we launch into 2010, the IT industry is faced with three major challenges. What makes these so significant is they are not on the radar of most companies. In this report I will address the second challenge we, as an industry, have ignored. Although I can't provide answers, my hope for these articles is to expose the issues and launch a dialogue within the IT community as we search for answers.
Your Digital Copy Machine can't keep secrets
You'll never guess who's walking out your front door with confidential data. Yes, it's the guy who leases you your copy machine. When digital copy machines are replaced or come off lease they are wheeled out your front door with a disk-full of images that were printed, scanned, copied or faxed.
Digital copiers can't erase their hard drive so at the end of their lease, gigabytes of images inside the copier are wheeled out your front door. Newer copy machines can make the data unreadable to the copier itself but your data is still on the disk! If you happen to have a network connected digital copier, additional information is retained on the copier such as IP addresses, DNS server IP addresses, email addresses, etc.
A company called Digital Copier Security Inc (DCSI) is a pioneer in raising awareness to this security hole which exists at most companies. DCSI claims they have obtained "off lease" copy machines where they scanned the hard drives with proprietary utilities and have recovered thousands of pages of documents fully intact. Here are some examples of what they've recovered.
A complete home refinance application including applicant's full name, SSN, current employer, previous employers, bank account numbers, etc.
A Spreadsheet showing employee names and company issued credit card numbers.
Full Tax Returns
Confidential Medical records
Confidential Executive Business Reports
Over 20,000 documents were recovered from just one hard drive
You would never let a vendor walk out of your data center with an un-scrubbed hard drive but yet it is done every day with digital copiers.
Don't even think about removing the hard drive before releasing the copy machine, doing so would make the copier unusable and void your lease agreement. You would become liable for the complete cost of the copy machine. Don't expect the copy machine technician to purge the device either; they don't have the technical knowledge of where your information is stored, or how to purge it. Most technicians believe the copier is purged when the images are no longer visible to the display. Don't fall for their ignorance on this matter. Also, don't think you can push the responsibility onto the leasing company as I guarantee your lease agreement doesn't require them to provide this service.
This is one of corporate America's biggest risks, yet I haven't found any company with security policies addressing digital copiers. Most end of lease copiers are sold overseas where recipients of these copiers (and your data) are not subject to US laws.
Do you know who has your old digital copy machine and all your data that was on its hard drive?
How many digital copy machines do you have that are ready to go off lease? How will you ensure your data doesn't go off site with the copy machine? How will you ensure your competitors or hackers won't get their hands on your data through your old copier? Are you at risk of lawsuits from employees or vendors that use your copy machines? This is a security issue we cannot ignore, and it's an issue without an easy solution. The options available are limited and can be expensive for companies with multiple copiers. DCSI provides a certified disk scrubbing service. Another option is to purchase a "Security Kit" which is expensive and not user friendly. The device is so troublesome that most companies disable them over the course of time.
If your company is regulated by SOX, GLB, HIPAA, FERPA or FTC Red Flags, a breach can be construed once your digital copier leaves your possession and control. Considering the costs of fines, penalties, sanctions, public notification, credit monitoring, and damage to a corporate image. Careful purging of these machines should be a top priority for every company.
As you can see from this series, IT has three pressing challenges; Old paradigms that cripple businesses, digital copier security and our "part 3" topic in the final article of this series. These challenges are easily ignored and have been to this day. However, ignoring these challenges only puts your business at continued risk of pending crisis. In 2010 we must take steps to limit our exposure with answers to these challenges. As I mentioned earlier, my intent is to open the door to further dialogue. Let us consider the door now wide open. I encourage you to propose your ideas and join me in a discussion on this topic.
John Bagdanov
Founder and Chief Advisor at IT Answers 4U
John has been in IT for almost 30 years and has supported numerous clients. His IT Leadership experience spans from formal IT leadership to leading world-wide technology projects.
At IT Answers 4U we provide free content on our web site and a fee based Advising service that enables companies to run effective IT departments
Visit our site for:
Free Information
Free answers to your IT questions
Free 1 hour consultation
For more information about John and IT Answers 4U visit our web site at http://www.itanswers4u.com.
If you missed Part 1 of this series you can find it posted at our web site or on the EzineArticles web site.
For more information about this Security threat, take a look at the following news video done by an investigative reporter: http://copiersecurity.com/about-us/company-news/82-cbs-news-13-story.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Bagdanov
Digital Copier Security – There’s More to Overcome Than Just the Hard Drive
The CBS Evening news recently broadcast a story called "Copy Machines a Security Risk?" The information presented in the story was alarming to say the least but CBS only scratched the surface of the topic. For companies who rely on securing confidential and proprietary information from competitors or hackers, there's much more you need to know about the inconspicuous digital copier. In this article we'll look at five areas where confidential information may be compromised.
If you haven't seen the CBS story please click on this link at the bottom of this page and view the five minute broadcast before you continue with this article.
In addition to the risks presented by the CBS story here are 5 additional areas where copiers can compromise your security.
1. Many digital copiers are also network printers that store network information such as IP addresses, subnet masks and gateway IP's. These settings are not stored on the hard drive and are not cleared by the digital copier "Purge" feature. Network settings must be manually cleared. Security experts will tell you to keep your network configuration private. You don't want competitors or hackers to know your internal network configuration. The more information about your network infrastructure that's accessible to hackers the less they have to figure out on their own and the sooner they can compromise your network.
2. Many digital copiers store the IP addresses of your DNS servers and/or Domain controllers. Depending on the type and model of your copier, this information may not be cleared by your copier "purge" function. You definitely don't want competitors or hackers knowing the IP addresses of your Name Servers or Domain Controllers.
3. Many digital copiers store email addresses and some even download your entire Email Global Address List to the copier. Again, you don't want this to be accessible to those outside your company.
4. The "purge" function used by older digital copy machines doesn't delete any data from the copier hard drive. It only renders the data inaccessible to the copier software. It either deletes a file we techies would call a "file allocation table" or it will use other tactics to render the data unreadable to the copier software. The "Purge" button merely gives an allusion the disk has been cleaned. However, the data is still there and can be removed as shown on the CBS story. Most copier security policies rely on this built-in Purge function and think their data is cleared. It is not cleared. It can still be accessed with free scanning tools available on the internet.
5. If your copier has a fax capability, the copier also stores all the phone numbers it dialed and numbers that dialed it along with any information you provided in your Fax phone book. Again, the "Purge" function will not clear this information.
One of the biggest obstacles surrounding this whole issue of Copier Security is the apathy and ignorance of the Manufacturers. Most copier technicians today still believe the built-in Purge function deletes all information on the copier. To make matters worse, most copier technicians don't know where the different type of information is stored. Some data is stored on the hard drive, some data in flash memory, and some data is stored in firmware. Sensitive information is stored in different places depending on the manufacturer and model of copier. Just when you think it can't get worse. Let me drop the final shoe. There are no utilities that will scan a copier and certify that it has been completely purged for older digital copy machines.
As I mentioned earlier, this CBS news story only scratched the surface of the real risks associated with digital Copier Security. The Copier Security pioneers who were interviewed in the CBS story, Digital Copier Security inc., have done extensive research on these security risks and are working to provide services and resources to help companies thoroughly purge their older copy machines. I applaud Digital Copier Security for bringing this issue to the attention of Corporate America and for working diligently to address this significant security hole.
I encourage the Copier industry to take responsibility for ensuring new copiers have the capability to purge themselves of all sensitive information and to provide a certification report indicating what has been purged. This should be a standard feature on all Digital Copiers and not an add-on feature that comes at an additional cost. Additionally copier technicians should be trained to thoroughly purge all Digital Copiers.
Until such a time, Corporate America must take necessary steps to ensure their own safety. They must ensure they are not exposing themselves to unnecessary security risks or even breaking Privacy Laws. Digital copiers must have processes defined (and documented) that ensure appropriate actions are taken before copiers are released to third parties.
Here's the link to the CBS Story
www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6412572n&tag=api
John Bagdanov
Founder and Chief Advisor at IT Answers 4U
John has been in IT for almost 30 years and has supported numerous clients. His IT Leadership experience spans from formal IT leadership to leading world-wide technology projects.
At IT Answers 4U we provide free content on our web site and a fee based Advising service that teaches companies how to run effective IT departments
Visit our site for:
Free Information
Free answers to your IT questions
Free 1 hour consultation
For more information about John and IT Answsers 4U visit our web site at http://www.itanswers4u.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Bagdanov
Digital Copier Security – There’s More to Overcome Than Just the Hard Drive
The CBS Evening news recently broadcast a story called "Copy Machines a Security Risk?" The information presented in the story was alarming to say the least but CBS only scratched the surface of the topic. For companies who rely on securing confidential and proprietary information from competitors or hackers, there's much more you need to know about the inconspicuous digital copier. In this article we'll look at five areas where confidential information may be compromised.
If you haven't seen the CBS story please click on this link at the bottom of this page and view the five minute broadcast before you continue with this article.
In addition to the risks presented by the CBS story here are 5 additional areas where copiers can compromise your security.
1. Many digital copiers are also network printers that store network information such as IP addresses, subnet masks and gateway IP's. These settings are not stored on the hard drive and are not cleared by the digital copier "Purge" feature. Network settings must be manually cleared. Security experts will tell you to keep your network configuration private. You don't want competitors or hackers to know your internal network configuration. The more information about your network infrastructure that's accessible to hackers the less they have to figure out on their own and the sooner they can compromise your network.
2. Many digital copiers store the IP addresses of your DNS servers and/or Domain controllers. Depending on the type and model of your copier, this information may not be cleared by your copier "purge" function. You definitely don't want competitors or hackers knowing the IP addresses of your Name Servers or Domain Controllers.
3. Many digital copiers store email addresses and some even download your entire Email Global Address List to the copier. Again, you don't want this to be accessible to those outside your company.
4. The "purge" function used by older digital copy machines doesn't delete any data from the copier hard drive. It only renders the data inaccessible to the copier software. It either deletes a file we techies would call a "file allocation table" or it will use other tactics to render the data unreadable to the copier software. The "Purge" button merely gives an allusion the disk has been cleaned. However, the data is still there and can be removed as shown on the CBS story. Most copier security policies rely on this built-in Purge function and think their data is cleared. It is not cleared. It can still be accessed with free scanning tools available on the internet.
5. If your copier has a fax capability, the copier also stores all the phone numbers it dialed and numbers that dialed it along with any information you provided in your Fax phone book. Again, the "Purge" function will not clear this information.
One of the biggest obstacles surrounding this whole issue of Copier Security is the apathy and ignorance of the Manufacturers. Most copier technicians today still believe the built-in Purge function deletes all information on the copier. To make matters worse, most copier technicians don't know where the different type of information is stored. Some data is stored on the hard drive, some data in flash memory, and some data is stored in firmware. Sensitive information is stored in different places depending on the manufacturer and model of copier. Just when you think it can't get worse. Let me drop the final shoe. There are no utilities that will scan a copier and certify that it has been completely purged for older digital copy machines.
As I mentioned earlier, this CBS news story only scratched the surface of the real risks associated with digital Copier Security. The Copier Security pioneers who were interviewed in the CBS story, Digital Copier Security inc., have done extensive research on these security risks and are working to provide services and resources to help companies thoroughly purge their older copy machines. I applaud Digital Copier Security for bringing this issue to the attention of Corporate America and for working diligently to address this significant security hole.
I encourage the Copier industry to take responsibility for ensuring new copiers have the capability to purge themselves of all sensitive information and to provide a certification report indicating what has been purged. This should be a standard feature on all Digital Copiers and not an add-on feature that comes at an additional cost. Additionally copier technicians should be trained to thoroughly purge all Digital Copiers.
Until such a time, Corporate America must take necessary steps to ensure their own safety. They must ensure they are not exposing themselves to unnecessary security risks or even breaking Privacy Laws. Digital copiers must have processes defined (and documented) that ensure appropriate actions are taken before copiers are released to third parties.
Here's the link to the CBS Story
www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6412572n&tag=api
John Bagdanov
Founder and Chief Advisor at IT Answers 4U
John has been in IT for almost 30 years and has supported numerous clients. His IT Leadership experience spans from formal IT leadership to leading world-wide technology projects.
At IT Answers 4U we provide free content on our web site and a fee based Advising service that teaches companies how to run effective IT departments
Visit our site for:
Free Information
Free answers to your IT questions
Free 1 hour consultation
For more information about John and IT Answsers 4U visit our web site at http://www.itanswers4u.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Bagdanov
Cheshire Photocopiers Customer Trends 2010
Despite the slow climate, Cheshire Photocopiers customer base has slowly been expanding over the course of 2010. From our base in Knutsford, Cheshire we continue to distribute photocopiers, printers and office equipment across Cheshire and the North West.
Our core customer base centres largely around Cheshire, namely Knutsford, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Northwich, Middlewich, Mobberley, Sandbach & Crewe. Through word of mouth, our business is now reaching further across the North West, including key accounts in Tarporley, Chester, Hale, Altrincham, Sale and Handforth.
Cheshire Photocopiers business offering has now extended from photocopier sales, printer sales and lease arrangements to the provision of a full range of office equipment, office furniture, office stationery, PC networking and PC Support. These additions have become available through a network of Partners who share the same high standards as Cheshire Photocopiers.
During the last quarter we have acquired new customers primarily through the sale of office consumables which have later led to photocopier sales and maintenance contracts. Key areas of growth have been Knutsford, Wilmslow, Northwich, Macclesfield and Chester.
For more details on how we can help your business contact our sales team on 01565 621 457.