Global BPO biz may slow to 2% growth

Global business process outsourcing sector is likely to see only a modest growth of 2% in 2007, after growing at a compounded annual rate of 14% during the last five years, going by some of the recent indicators, according to a senior industry observer.

Mr Indraneel Banerjee, project director, Technology Partners International, a sourcing advisory firm, said the first quarter of 2007 saw the lowest number of contracts signed since the first quarter of 2003. The contract value was also the lowest since the third quarter of 2002.

There was also a shift away from large multi-process BPO agreements to single function contracts of a smaller size, he said. He was speaking at a seminar “The Changing BPO Landscape: Can India become a knowledge services hub?” organised by Nasscom on Wednesday in Chennai.

While TPI saw a softening of growth in BPO globally, it was positive about the potential of knowledge services outsourcing in India. Mr Banerjee said, “Contrary to the first wave of outsourcing, which was based on data transactions, the focus now is adding business value to a client, to enable their entry into new markets. Innovation is the key factor in knowledge-centric outsourcing”

Mr Lakshmi Narayanan, chairman, Nasscom, and vice-chairman, Cognizant Technology Solutions said that often BPO companies move up the value-chain driven by demand that comes from customers. In response, they build the capabilities to service those demands. BPOs also move up the value-chain by proactively coming up with solutions.

In a customer-driven model, pricing is usually based on (full time employees) dedicated to the project. In the competence-driven model, BPOs had a greater flexibility in pricing. Here, pricing could be based on the value added to the business, he said.

The seminar witnessed participation from offshoring companies like HP BPO, Ajuba Solutions India, Scope International and Pangea3 Legal Database Systems. The speakers contended that though the KPOs offer immense potential for India in the out-sourcing industry, this innovation-driven model would require a high degree of investment in domain and process capability and also employees with specialised skill-sets.

Also, the pricing model would move from being resource-based to value-based. The KPO sector also faces challenges like security, innovation and attrition. Security was especially a matter for concern among players in healthcare and the legal outsourcing arena.

Mr Devendra Saharia, president, Ajuba Solutions said, “Apart from financial data, we also deal with patient details, which is highly sensitive. In healthcare, R & D productivity is the key rather than the earlier phase where it was only claims processing.”

Nasscom has chalked out initiatives to help IT/ITES tackle. Mr Lakshmi Narayanan said, “We encourage educational institutions and industries to develop a finishing school-oriented programme. Apart from encouraging entrepreneurial activity, this would also act as an effective interface between the academia and industry.”

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Types of Services related to Data Entry and Data Mgmt. that can be outsourced in India

Data entry level work may seem inconsequential for some, yet it exists to be one of the most fundamental tasks of a particular business. There are several data entry activities for various industries which India prides with the capability of performing.

Here are the more common lines of work on data entry as specified under a particular industry/category:

Legal Data Entry
Outsource clients often would want to field over their legal proceedings and have a particular transcriptions personnel edit the work to be read on the panel. This type of work requires good hearing skills, as most of the data to be edited come from an audio device. This task is definitely meticulous and very stringent. Errors in the editions could cost a very serious confusion to the proceedings of the case.

Financial Data Entry
Banks and Financial Institutions need the help of data editors to put in additional information or move various client details into particular databases, especially for institutions which handle thousands of client transactions per day. Data entry personnel must accommodate such large requests when dealing with this kind of data entry task.

Website Data Entry
Website data entry is present on web directory editing projects. Most web directories or search engine listings require the services of a web editor to facilitate the input of valuable data for their various categories. On such level, data entries often filter through various categories and websites, choosing the most quality sites to load into the category. Strict measures are supplied by the web directories for their data entry personnel to follow on editing, uploading and making live various sites on the directories.

Health Care Data Entry
Most health care services organization or the health care department itself often mandates employees and the citizens to avail of certain health care services of the government or have a certification from local clinics or hospitals to be allowed to work on any company. The medical certificate is highly essential for everyone planning to take on employment in a company. Health care information is often categorized by company and by year of application. These details are recorded by data editors to speed up the process of retrieving medical information in the future.

Insurance Data Entry
Insurance companies seek the services of data entry personnel to record their client’s insurance data, payment schedules and medical issues. Insurance information must be edited and placed on the World Wide Web, for faster access by those who may need them.

Academic Data Entry
Schools often turn to data entry level work to facilitate the listing of class schedules, student information and subject availabilities, especially during enrollment. A convenient database is often used to record all the necessary information about a particular student.

Data Entry work should be viewed as a very systematic activity which seeks to improve the reporting or data-retrieving level of any company or website. With data entry work, websites or companies can improve the information indexing stage and reserve a faster and more convenient means of getting information.

Source : www.blog.kpoweb.com

Building a Strong Data Architecture

Keep data available

Portal, Web-based and mobile application deployments keep employees in close contact with data entry.

Database replication techniques allow for broad data distribution while enforcing data quality rules.

Security should be implemented as close to the data as possible using row- and column-level permissions.

Keep data accurate

Maintain a centralized, consistent data dictionary. Try to initially create departmental databases by building subsets of larger operational databases. Enforce business rules at all points of data entry using shared business logic. Keep data in context When possible, fold warehouse and analysis tasks into operational databases to allow all data to be manipulated in one place. OLAP, data mining, data visualization and statistical analysis are all highly effective (although underused) techniques for understanding data. Web services allow data from enterprise resource planning and other vertical applications to be integrated into line-of-business applications far more easily than ever before.

Work From Home Opportunities For Data Entry -The Numbers Are Staggering

Odds are, nearly everyone out there knows someone who is jumping on the "Work-at-home-revolution" Bandwagon. It is a convenient alternative to the trade your time for money experiences many of us grew up with in the traditional field of employment. This new opportunity now comes in many venues. Everything from MLMs to Network Marketing companies -from Paid Surveys to the surging number of Data Entry workers who are utilizing the Internet and computers to not only master their craft -but to make a comfortable living for themselves as well.

The varying opportunities relating to Data Entry workers are literally unlimited. A trained Medical Transcriptionist can command a great salary for his or her assistance to the doctors who obtain their services. Many banking institutions use these individuals to enter information for their seasoned customers. Accountants, Brokers, Law Firms, the list goes on and on. Small businesses as well as large corporations employ people who are willing to put in the time to enter information as it applies in its relevance to the services these industries are seeking. The compensation for these specialists varies from an hourly rate to a per-service contracting fee.

Searching the Internet can prove to be a worth while venture as it can produce a vast number of links and organizations searching out interested parties in this fast growing field. For anyone out there with a few extra hours to spare who wants to get on board this type of opportunity, it is a great way to make some extra quick cash. For full time employment seekers, it is a way for single parents or double income households to leverage this income-generating strategy to stay on track with current monthly obligations. Meanwhile, taking out the mounting expenses of Day Care, gas and car maintenance can add to the all around savings working from home has to offer. This type of employment can also work around ones own personal schedule, making time to fit in other responsibilities -like taking children to and from school without checking in with someone else to get permission to accomplish that type of activity. Can your current 9 to 5 offer you that?

If you have access to a computer, basic software and the internet -and you are willing to dedicate the time it takes to make these tools work to your advantage -you just might find the financial freedom you're currently seeking. It may be well worth your time to look a little deeper into this career opportunity. What have you got to lose? More importantly...what might you have to gain? Don't you owe it to yourself and your family to find out?

Source : www.goarticles.com

Why Outsource Data Entry Work to India?

India, the third largest English speaking nation in the world, is purportedly the hub for outsource service providers in Asia. With more and more people investing billions of dollars into websites and other online advertising campaigns, India stands as a united front to answering the demands of various business clients and industries that span the entire globe.

Search engine optimization companies, especially those involved with database or website management projects from outsource clients would agree, that data entry is one of the more basic, yet more complicated procedures in the early stages of directory development. The procedure for data entry work is fairly systematic. The primary data entry level task is to gather a list of data from specific industries or categories. For example, hotels can be classified under one category, or business industry.

The main task of the data entry personnel is to identify possible records which could help in supplementing the base data on the hotel or hotel chains being discussed in the directory. Common items like hotel locations, hotel management contact details, reservation information and dining services are the most fundamental facts which need to be entered for a particular hotel index on the directory.

It is not a coincidence that India should be one of the more deserving nations who could easily acquire data entry jobs from outsource clients, as the whole country itself is rapidly mobilizing its technological prowess to facilitate the outburst of outsource service demands from around the world. In a sense, India is qualified to brag that it can certainly do the job. In terms of technology and experience on the "Web Business", India has greater lead than the rest of the Asian countries.

Even the Philippines, which ranks as the fourth largest English speaking nation in Asia, is curbed to follow a very far distance, already paced by India.

It's no wonder then, that outsourcing data entry level work in India could be an excellent choice for most businessmen or web investors. Nothing really beats the quality and reliability honed by years of dealing with optimization and outsourcing services, which India has been exposed to.

India nonetheless remains as the dominating force in Asia when it comes to outsource services with its proven track record.

In totality, Outsourcing data entry work in India is a decision that should be made with quality in mind. Nothing beats India when it comes to this, as they are bantering on a more acknowledged field, to which they have been first made privy, and have done reasonably well to maintain. To get the best deals for Outsource service with Data Entry work, do not forget to level out with India on this aspect.

Source : www.goarticles.com

Make Money Online with Data Entry - A Complete Review

Are you familiar with the words Make Money Online? What if i told you that you can quit your current job, work from home entering simple data online, and then make money online than you ever could - would you believe?

When i joined a social network called "Ryze", i discovered a lot of earning potentials having made friends with some netpreneurs on that network who were already making good money from home, i eventually cracked the code and i was determined to make money online and had a positive mindset to make money online. At first i was really not sure on how to get started untill i eventually came across a system called " Data Entry Bank"...

Do you know any one including stay-at-home-mom, students, home maker, retiree or any one with a computer and an internet connection can now make money online? Let me quickly give you a brief review of what i discovered with Data Entry Bank below.

- Data entry work involves entering data by typing simple online pay per click forms for online companies and once you become a member they set up a free clickbank account for you, as you make money online clickbank then pays you by check every two weeks. You can choose to have them mail you a check or make a direct deposit into your bank account. If you are in the U.S. it takes 3 - 5 business days for checks to arrive; if you are outside the U.S.,

it could take up to 1 week. Direct deposit is generally quicker. I have found ClickBank to be extremely reliable; I have always received my checks on time.

- These companies are willing to give an amazing share of their profits with you, as you are helping them generate sales in which they would never have made without your help. By recruiting associates like you, they are able to keep their marketing costs low and spend more time improving on their products and services instead, which is why they are interested in recruiting as many associates as possible to enter data online.

- Their unique make money online program involves turning on your computer, accessing the Web, and typing basic data into simple online forms and then submitting them. How simple is that. Simply follow their step-by-step instructions and that's all there is to it.

- After you join and set up your free ClickBank account, you will be set-up with your own personal online Adwords account. Step-by-step instructions will be provided from here again. Then you will be able to access the online ppc forms that the companies want you to fill out, and they will provide all the data you need to make money online.

- The forms contain 3-5 lines that need to be filled out with 1-3 short sentences - it takes 5 minutes at the most. The members' area has a library of data versions that you can use to complete the forms to ensure you make money online - they will show you exactly what to select and enter, you even can copy and paste if you would like, and this is perfectly acceptable. You can access these online forms whenever you want and there are an unlimited amount of forms available to be filled in.

What kinds of companies are these?

To Make Money Online!. The companies that need you to enter data online are in a wide range of businesses. All these 10,000+ Internet companies belong to various categories like: Business to Business, Computing & Internet, Fun & Entertainment, Health & Fitness, Money & Employment, Sports & Recreation, Home & Family, Marketing & Ads, and Society & Culture..

You can be as selective as you like in partnering with these companies to work with and make money online. For example, some of their customers want the satisfaction of knowing that a company's products are helping people or the environment - so they choose companies that do this. It is up to you - you can pick from the various types of categories and also the number of companies that you wish to partner up with.

These companies sell ebooks, membership's sites, software, and hundreds of other useful products and services that help people solve problems. These companies welcome your participation and they will never reject you as long as you genuinely want to make money online. The companies that you select from their catalog will always welcome you as an associate. These companies would like people to complete as many of these forms as possible, so there is no limit to the number of forms you can complete.

Your Simple ad Submissions will effectively help companies generate more sales, earning them profits they never would have received otherwise. That is why the're willing to split an amazing share of their profits with you to ensure you also make money online with this opportunity i earn an average of about $3500 weekly you can be off doing anything you want and this system will still continously earn you steady amounts of money each and everyday from your home, on vacation, or literally anywhere - Even while you sleep!

I didn't think it was possible to have so much control and flexibility in my work life - and make a good living at the same time. But the Internet changed everything. When I figured out this unique way to make money online from home entering data online, I joined the new club of people who use this phenomenal medium - the Internet - to earn more and work less. Now, instead of sitting in rush hour traffic, I get out of bed when I feel like it - and the only rushing I do is to turn on the computer to check my program stats: those glorious numbers that tell me how much money I made while I was asleep! Then I spend 15 minutes on account maintenance and I'm off for the day!

Once you become a member, just follow the simple steps they've outlined and you'll be able to have the kind of free time and extra money I now have. You can do things on your own schedule, spend more time with friends and family, maybe take up a new hobby or sport - it's all up to you! You hear a lot about the power of the Internet to do amazing things - and I'm here to tell you it's true. This is one of the most effective ways for making money online from home - risk free - that you'll ever see. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Source : www.goarticles.com

Enter Data Online - Work From Home Benefits and Drawbacks

The internet is filled with every variety of work from home opportunity you can imagine. From entering data online to stuffing envelopes at home, if there is a way to work at home, someone is going to try and sell you how to do it. The recent economic internet boom has allowed new markets to be developed overnight, creating a vast pool of untapped wealth that continues to grow daily. There has been a steady increase in the amount of companies offering data entry programs since this economic expansion began. The question still remains, can you get paid to enter data online through data entry programs?

What does it mean to "enter data online"? Well, there can be a number of different ways to enter data online, but the most common practice is referring to ad creation and placement for affiliated companies. There are also companies out there who offer data entry positions for hourly wages, this refers to companies looking for skilled typers to file records and other varieties of information on the web. Because the majority of data entry opportunities are geared towards our first definition of entering data online, that to will be the main focus of this article.

If you are considering an Enter Data Online opportunity there are several signs you should look for to determine how legitimate the opportunity really is.

First, be sure that there is a money back guarantee. Due to the high amount of scamming on the web, always be sure there is a money back guarantee offered before making any purchase or registration. You would not want to spend a dime on something that wasn't worth it, by having the option of getting your money back you can stay safe and also take the first step towards improving your income.

Second, the cost should be relatively low. The going rate is about $49.95 and this is ok if the opportunity is worthwhile. But be careful with high priced programs, sometimes opportunities that require the most money turn out to be nothing more than time consuming money pits.

Third, can you get support if you need it? Email is the most commonly used method of support and this is fine assuming you can get an email response in a timely fashion. Often, email support can take 3-4 days to respond through some data entry programs. A response within 24 hours should be expected from any legitimate opportunity. Its always a good idea to ask a question or two to gauge the support response time should you really need some help.

You may find that these three tips are quite simple and obvious, but they do apply to all work from home opportunities, not simply entering data online, and should always be kept in mind.

The benefits of working from home and entering data online can be seen not only financially, but also socially, and emotionally. The opportunity to increase your income from home can take a load off of an individual or families financial burdens, but sometimes the benefits reach further than numbers. By working from home you are opening yourself to more time available to be devoted to not only your own personal finances, but your family, friends, and personal health.

Working from home completely cuts a commute out of your daily schedule, immediately freeing up time that used to be spent in a car, bus, train, etc. Time spent well with family and friends because of newfound financial and personal freedom are some of the immediate visible benefits. If the your focus is for a part time home business opportunity, then the main benefits are financial as more income creates less financial stress. Working from home can create an overall improvement in the quality of life.

Data entry programs also have their own drawbacks as most things that seem to good to be true usually are. Working from home requires a certain level of discipline and focus, as those extra hours at home can get wasted very easily. If you are going to work from home, you need to be able to actually do work when you are home. Aside from personal drawbacks such as lack of focus and scheduling, its possible to run into problems actually entering data online.

More often than not, the work will be more complicated than the website has advertised. If the training provided is insufficient or simply wrong, you can spend a lot of time and money trying to figure out exactly how to get your data entry campaign rolling. This is why going with a legitimate opportunity that provides real resources and support is so crucial to the success of any work from home data entry campaign.

To determine if entering data online is the proper home business opportunity for you, weigh out the balance between the benefits and drawbacks. If you find that the program is legitimate and the opportunity is in line with in your current situation, then going forward may be your best option. There are so many legitimate work from home opportunities out there, everyone can find their own little niche and enter data online.

Source : ezinearticles.com

Data Entry Services Are The Core of Any Business

Data entry is the core of any business and though it may appear to be easy to manage and handle, this involves many processes that need to be dealt systematically. Huge changes have taken place in the field of data entry and due to this handling the work has become much easier then before. So if you want to make use of the best data entry services to maintain the data and other information about your company, you must be ready to spend money for this. It is in no way an attempt to say that data entry services are costly, but just to say that good services will not come that cheap either. You just need to decide if you will hire professionals to do this work in house or if you would like to hire the services from an outside firm. The business is your and you are the best person to decide what is suitable for your business.

Doing the data entry of any business in house can be advantageous and disadvantageous as well. The main advantage can be in the form that you can keep an eye on the work being done to maintain proper records of all aspects of your company. This can prove to be a bit costly to you as you will have to hire the services of a data entry operator. The employee will be on rolls and thus will be entitled to all the benefits like allowances and other bonuses. So another option that you can use for this is to get a third party handle the work for you. This is a better option as you can hire the services depending on the type of work you need to be done.

This is one of the core components of your business and consequently you must ensure that this is handled properly. Data entry services are not the only aspect that business owners are seeking out these days. With the huge surge in the field of information and technology data conversion is equally important. The need to convert the data that has been entered is gaining momentum day by day. Conversion of the data makes it more accessible and this can be used easily without too many hassles to draw customers for buying the goods. Traditional methods have been done away with and professionals who work for data entry services these days are highly skilled and in tune with the latest methods.

Data entry services done for a company by third party has been found to be very suitable. In fact studies have indicated that outsourcing data entry services is one the rise due to the high rate of success enjoyed by business owners for this. The main advantage of getting data entry services done by a third party is that it works out very cheap and the work done is of the top most quality. So if the data entry services of the best quality id provided there is absolutely no chance why someone would not undertake the process to increase and brighten business prospects.

Source : www.ezinearticles.com

A brief history of data entry

FROM THE EARLIEST TYPEWRITER TO THE MOST MODERN COMPUTER KEYBOARD, THERE'S BEEN REMARKABLY LITTLE CHANGE IN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OF DATA ENTRY-DATA ENTRY STILL REQUIRES THE HUMAN TOUCH.

Modem data entry can be traced back to the confluence of two inventions, the electric punch card tabulator and the typewriter. In 1881, Herman Hollerith invented a punched card device to help analyze the 1890 US census data. His was the first to use electric power to read, count, and sort punched cards with holes that represented data gathered by the census-takers. As a result, the 1890 census processed an amount of data in one year that would have taken nearly ten years of hand tabulating. Herman Hollerith founded the Tabulating Machine Company in 1896 to manufacture and distribute his invention. The company was mnamed International Business Machines in 1924.

Hollerith's inspiration came from two sources: trains and looms. From observing a train conductor punch tickets, he hatched the idea of punch caixl-assisted data entry. he used a punch card-driven loom, invented in the early 180Os by a French silk weaver called Joseph-Marie Jacquard, for his tabulation machine. From this prototype, he developed a mechanism that could read the presence or absence of holes in the cards by using spring-mounted nails that passed through the holes to make electrical connections. The finished model was an automatic electrical tabulating machine with a large number of clock-like counters that accumulated the results. By means of switches, operator could instruct the machine to examine each card for certain characteristics, such as profession, gender, marital status, number of children, and so on. When a card was detected that met the specified criteria, an electrically controlled sorting mechanism could gather those cards into a separate container.

In addition to solving the census problem. Hollerith's machines proved themselves to have wide application to statistical tasks; their fundamental principles eventually formed the basis of the development of the digital computer. In fact. IBM's punch card technology was used in computers up until the late 1970s.

EARLY TYPEWRITERS AND THE RISE OF QWERTY

The history of data entry coincides largely with the evolution of the data entry keyboard. One could rightly conclude, then, that the first mass-produced data entry machine was the typewriter. The name "QWERTY" for the typewriter keyboard derives from the first six letters in the alphabet row just below the numeric row at the top. Due to its ubiquity, it is also referred to as the "Universal" keyboard. It was the work of inventor G. L. Sholes. who put together prototypes of the first commercial typewriter in a Milwaukee machine shop back in the 1860's.

The QWERIY layout is in fact different from the serially ordered (a.b.c...) layout designed by Sholes in the late 180Os. An industry myth is that the QWERTY keyboard was invented so that a salesman could handily type the word "typewriter" by placing his fingers on the top row of letter keys. The QWERTY arrangement may allow it. but that is not why Sholes originally made it that way. he based his decision on far more sophisticated principles.

When initially introduced to the public in 1877. the first typewriter users typed with only two Gngcrs. The technique of ten-finger typing is credited to a Mrs. L. V Longley in 1878. Shortly afterwards, the concept of "touch typing" was introduced by Frank E. McGurrin, a federal court clerk in Salt Lake City, in which, by memorizing the keyboard layout, users would type without looking at the keys. This method revealed and accentuated the value of the typewriter at some notable typing competitions, and resulted in continually rising sales of the machines for Sholes' company. The consequent superiority of typing speeds (60-80 wpm at the time) over handwriting speeds (approximately 20 wpm) became a problem as professional typists easily caused the typewriter mechanisms to jam.

There are still those who think that Sholes deliberately designed his keyboard Lo slow down fast typists who would otherwise jam up his sluggish machine. In fact, the truth is just the opposite. Sholes actually reconfigured the inner workings of the typewriter, made up of typebars, to lower the frequency of key jams. His mechanical redesign minimized their number, enabling typists to work the keyboard faster.

Sholes accomplished this with the aid of a letter-pair frequency analysis carried out by educator Amos Densmore, brother of James Densmore, who was Sholes' chief financial backer at the time. Por example, Sholes paid special attention to the most common letter pairs such as "TII" in order to make sure that their lypebars hung at jam-proof distances from one another. His solution did not eliminate the problem altogether, but the new keyboard schema was considered important enough to be included in the patent granted to Sholes in 1878, some years after the machine was being manufactured. Because it reduced key-jamming incidents by speeding up typing rather than slowing it down, Sholes' QWRRTY configuration could rightly be crowned the first "ergonomically-correct" design for a keyboard input device. Despite this historic milestone, the accomplishment was largely ignored when it was introduced to the public.

Data Entry Outsourcing eases handling of your business

Running a business of any kind successfully is not an easy task and as a business owner one must put in lots of effort in this direction. There are different aspects of a business which one needs to monitor constantly and see how the business is doing actually. Data entry is one such aspects of any business that needs to be handled properly for making your business a successful venture. There are many other aspects and each component has its own importance, so being a business owner it is your prerogative to decide which ones are on priority for your business. Often it is not possible on the part of the business owner to take care of all aspects of business as he does not have professional qualifications to do so. So in such a scenario outsourcing is an option that can be adopted to take care of this.

Data Entry Outsourcing is one aspect of a business which is undertaken on a huge scale by several companies. Global statistics on outsourcing indicate that the process is one the rise and many companies have been immensely benefited by this. One of the main reasons why this has become such a common phenomenon is the fact that the services are available from highly qualified professionals at a very low cost. Data entry services provided by outsourcing companies offer various services under this. So it does not matter what type of data entry services you require, everything will be taken care of by these outsourcing service providing companies.

Having records of a business in the correct manner is very important if one wants to make their business a success. The need for data entry in organizations is on a daily basis and if done on time, one can actually manage all the records in just the correct way. So it may be that you may require the services of the professionals who work for data entry outsourcing daily, weekly or on a monthly basis. This depends on the kind of business you are running and you have to decide what type of data entry outsourcings services you want to have for your business. Today maintaining all the records of company through data entry services manually is apse. In fact with the huge amount of data and other information which any business possesses this is not at all possible.

While you are seeking an outsourcing company to help you out in taking care of this work, you have to be careful about certain aspects. You will be handing over certain important elements of your business to an outside party to a third party, so you need to find out the credentials of the company. Make sure that you get the work done from a reputed company and do not fall prey to the hands of any fake company that are operating in the market. The business is your and it's your responsibility to ensure that you hire the services of the best firm to handle your data entry outsourcing work.

Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later

If you’re like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods… everyone knows what they’re supposed to do… but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?

Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, it’s always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless you’re prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company’s payroll, it’s really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.

So here’s a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I’ve put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.

Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.

To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.

Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn’t a priority until something goes wrong. By then it’s too late…. Like the article title says, “Test Now or Cry Later!”

People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.

Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems

With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.

If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.

The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems

Why do you need to take these precautions if you’re purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.

As a result, it’s more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it’s easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.

Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems

Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.

Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.

When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.

Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure Checklist In times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.

This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.

Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System

In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you’ll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.

As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, it’s now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.

Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e-mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.

Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files

Many computer consultants have their small business clients’ log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.

However, don’t think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.

For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant – so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when you’re out of the office or on vacation.

Source : www.imagementor.net

Inmate data-entry program is halted

The Utah Department of Corrections has temporarily suspended a data-entry program that employed inmates, after Grantsville's mayor received a letter claiming prisoners had compromised city employees' personal information.

The letter was sent in April by an inmate who did some of the data entry. However, corrections officials have since determined the inmate sent the letter to retaliate for being fired from his job.

Grantsville contracted with the Utah State Prison to have records compiled onto CDs. After receiving the letter, city recorder Wendy Palmer said the mayor had a letter sent out to city employees.

"After we met with the prison, we sent out a follow-up letter to all of the current employees and all employees from 1960 forward, letting them know that we had a letter from an inmate that claimed their information could have been compromised," she said Wednesday. "We included information on how to check for fraud."

Newly appointed corrections director Tom Patterson pulled the plug on the program Tuesday. He was out of town and did not return calls from the Deseret Morning News seeking comment on Wednesday. Attempts to reach Grantsville Mayor Byron Anderson were also unsuccessful.

Palmer said to her knowledge, no Grantsville city employee has reported any identity theft or fraud. She refused to release the letter from the inmate or the letter sent to city employees.

The program's biggest client is not overly concerned about any compromised personal data. The Utah Department of Health has used the prison's data entry program for the past 18 years for the state's Medicaid program, spokeswoman Charla Haley said.

"We haven't had any problems the whole time we've worked with the program," she said.

Inmates input Medicaid clients' personal data, but no one person has access to the entire record, Haley said. Rather, the confidential information — Social Security numbers, dates of birth, etc. — is divided among workers. Putting the information together to form an entire record that could be used for identity theft would be almost impossible, she said.

About 65 inmates are hired to do data entry and paid about 40 cents an hour.

Haley wasn't sure Wednesday whether the health department would immediately begin to look for a new data entry service or wait for corrections officials to decide what to do with the prison's program.

Palmer told the Deseret Morning News she would likely use the prison data entry program in the future.

"They do a good job," she said.

Source : deseretnews.com