SAGE will be hosting webinars this Summer on a number of hot topics. These webinars are free and all are welcome to participate. Each webinar happens between Noon and 1 P.M. EDT, so please spend your lunch with us.

First up is our popular Metadata 101 webinar, "Your Documents, Your Undoing" (7/15) which discusses the risks from metadata and sensitive content in your documents. We discuss methods and strategies to mitigate those risks using tools like Workshare Protect and best practices.

Next is our webinar on Getting the Most From Your IT Budget (7/23). In it, we provide some benchmarks for what your IT budget should be, and how to stretch it to extend your capabilities. During the webinar, we discuss where IT provides maximum value to a firm and how to balance user support, projects, and regular maintenance.

MS Office is more than just spreadsheets and documents. In August, we debut a new webinar on Doing More with MS Office (8/19). For this webinar, we describe new uses for accounting, CRM, and HR from old standbys like Word, Excel, Access and Outlook, and illustrate what can be done with newcomers InfoPath, OneNote, and Groove.

Sign-up for SAGE Wisdom webinars on our web site. If you have any topics that you would like to learn more about, let us know in the comments or drop us a line.

Here is this week's gems from around the Web:

"Core" Multiplier: Intel says look for thousands of computing cores on future chips. Intel has staked its future on multiple computer cores on a single chip. While a new 8-core chip will soon, debut, an Intel official tells software developers to "start thinking about tens, hundreds, and thousands of cores now." Now everyone needs to figure out how to program for them.

MS Tests Office Subscription with "Equipt". Microsoft is testing the waters with an MS Office subscription service at the consumer level. For $70/year, consumers can get the Home and Office version of the suite with MS OneCare security software. Could a business version be far off?

Hyper-V makes an early debut, set to turn up the heat on VMWare. In a move surely to presage the coming apocalypse, Microsoft released a product early. MS' new Hyper-V server virtualization looks to take on market leader VMWare. C|Net blogger discusses some ways MS can penetrate the virtualization market. In true Microsoft fashion, one strategy is to throw money at it. Surprise!

Have a happy Independence Day and enjoy the long weekend!

This week, an article reported that law firm Reed Smith had let go 50 legal secretaries in recent months in an effort to consolidate some administrative functions in a central, 24-hour call center in Pittsburgh, PA. Why? Reed Smith now operates around the globe--which means around the clock--and mobile technology like Blackberries give attorneys the ability to easily handle their own messaging and scheduling.

This is instructive on how technology often makes the middle vanish through contradictory forces of consolidation and distribution. Technology allows certain jobs to be consolidated to achieve efficiencies: call centers in less expensive and remote locales are feasible because of the available bandwidth (data, voice, and video) connected to "customers" throughout the world via the Internet and cellular phones. Conversely, technology can also decentralize functions. Handheld devices with increased capabilities like the Blackberry and new iPhone will allow attorneys to accomplish more "in the field, " including duties like messaging and scheduling that were once centralized under the domain of legal secretaries.

Duties and job functions that fall into the middle area are most prone to the centrifugal forces IT unleashes, and the vaunted legal secretary may be the next target.

One constant struggle firms face is spyware, adware and other "malware" infections on computer workstations. Cleaning and removing these spyware infections cost significant time and money that can be better spent on improving IT systems. Barring more draconian measures to restrict the use of web surfing and downloading files and other media, we strongly recommend the following safe surfing practices.

Make sure the web address fits the web site.  The web site address, (or "URL") should reasonably match the web site.  For example, if you on the web site of software maker Adobe, its web site address should be "http://www.adobe.com", or "https://support.adobe.com."  Web sites that claim to be Adobe's but have addresses like "http://adobe.0012441tojay.net" are likely phishing sites or web sites designed to infect your system with malware. You can also find out information about the owner of the web site address by performing a WHOIS ("who is") search.

Know your web address. Misstyping the web address for a well-known web site or organization can lead to web sites expressly built to capture misspellings. Many of these mimic a directory of links that you may find on the site you intended to visit, but are really advertising or meant to infect your machine with malware. Also, be sure you have the domain extension correct -- entering ".net" instead of ".com" may land you on a malicious web site.   

Do not click on any pop-up windows, especially one proclaiming that you may have a virus, spyware, or other malware infection.  In fact, the intention of that pop-up is to infect your machine, not inoculate it.

Did not click on any banners, pop-up windows or web pages saying you have won a prize. Almost always it is a rouse to infect your computer with spyware or adware. At the very least, it is an attempt to get personal information for marketing or more nefarious purposes. In fact, be wary of clicking on most banner ads. You can almost always find the site running the banner advertisement on your own.

Avoid downloading software and applications from the web.  The Internet has made delivery of applications and media much easier, but stick with trusted companies, sites, and organizations. There are a host of blogs, discussion forums, and consumer web sites where people report their experiences with web sites and online software vendors to check their reputation.

When in doubt, search Google. Usually searching on the web site name or organization on Google will provide a wealth of links to let you assess the reputation of a web site and those behind it.

Just like any scam, the common sense adage that "if it seems to good to be true, than it probably is." The Web is full of great discount web sites like Woot.com, but if the price of some consumer item or software is outrageously low, likely the site is trying to scam you for your money, likely injecting some spyware or adware at the same time.  If you are bargain shopping, stick with Ebay or Craigslist.

Following these guidelines should reduce the amount of spyware and other malware. Many of the same rules apply to unsolicited emails.  Don't click on links in spam e-mails or from senders you don't know, no matter what the promises to your financial prospects or "prowess."

While there are still few compelling reasons for Office 2003 users to upgrade to the new Office 2007 version, more documents in the Office 2007 format are trickling into area law firms from corporate clients.  To read these documents requires the "Office Compatibility Pack" from Microsoft to be installed on a person's workstation or laptop.  Installing this compatibility pack will ensure that users can read, revise and create Office 2007-compatible documents from within Office 2003 applications.

SAGE will have not one, but two speakers at the Annual Conference of the Association of Legal Administrators next week in Seattle, Washington.  Speaking on topics ranging from getting more out of Microsoft Office to future trends in technology, be sure to attend the sessions Monday and Tuesday hosted by SAGE President George Nicholson and Tony Buffkin.

SAGE President speaks on Monday, May 5, 2008 from 2:15-3:30 on "Future Tech That Breaks With Tradition." He will discuss how the pace of technological change is accelerating and what that means for mobile computing, tapping into the power of the Internet computing, and managing the torrent of information that will be available to us all. George opens up his crystal ball for a fun and enlightening look at technologies being tested today that will change how we work in just a few short years.

On Tuesday, May 6, 2008 from 2:15-3:30 PM, Application Specialist Tony Buffkin will discuss how to get more out of Microsoft Office for your law firm needs. From accounting to marketing, lawyers to administrators, Tony shows ways to use MS Office to make your office more productive and capable.  He will describe new uses for old standby's like Word, Excel, Access and Outlook, and illustrate what can be done with newcomers InfoPath, OneNote, and Groove.

If you are attending the ALA national conference, be sure to sit in on George's and Tony's sessions.

Now that you have hung your shingle you are thinking about your IT needs. Not just the laptops and Internet connection for you and your partner or two, but a year or two down the road when the practice takes off. That was the topic that SAGE's fearless leader, George Nicholson, spoke about at the 2008 DC Judicial Bar and Conference last Friday, April 11, 2008. George's advice to small firms and those attorneys looking to strike out on their own: address as many IT requirements as possible with the resources you have available.

For any small firm, IT purchasing is a matter of walking the line between getting by with the IT that will work today, or buying IT for tomorrow's growth. The accounting and finance package that works great for three attorneys will fall apart when there are twenty. The cost to upgrade to the mid-market package includes the price of the software, plus the cost of converting the current data from the old system, training, consulting, and any impact on productivity and billable hours. Viewed from that perspective, does it make more sense to buy the mid-market package from the outset?

This calculus--part crystal ball, part gamble, part investment--is the balancing act that George spoke about as part of the panel discussion. Having a good technology partner becomes vital to help you come up with a calculus that is right for your firm. Come back because we will have more posts about this topic.

Our creative director, resident futurist, and agent provocateur, Peter von Elling authored the article "Future Technology That Breaks With Tradition" appearing in the Jan-Mar 2008 issue of NoVa Network. The article focuses on technology trends currently incubating that will change how we work in the near future.

• The accelerating pace of technological change: change not only happens, that change is occurring faster than ever before. This trend holds true even for legal technology.
• Ultra-mobility where people are not just always available - like we are today - but "always capable" - able to perform any task on their mobile device.
• "Cloud computing," which is data and applications reside on the Internet rather than a desktop or laptop and accessible anywhere there is an Internet connection.
• Information management through social networking tools -- the torrent of information available will only get worse in the coming years. Surprisingly, searching, sorting, and filtering it will fall on groups of highly interconnected people and not intelligent software.

The article is currently available online at alanova.org, the web site of the Northern Virgina Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators.

Cisco has announced the plan to discontinue the Cisco PIX. After July 2008, PIX will no longer be available for purchase, with accessories sales ending in January 2009. Cisco will continue to honor only existing support contracts after July 2009, and will honor those commitments until 2013.

Models on the chopping block include: Cisco PIX 501, PIX 506E, PIX 515E, PIX 525, and PIX 535.

Why? Even though many network admins would say "mine gets the job done." Cisco says there is a greater need to support Payment Card Industry Data Security, HIPAA, and SOX standards and the PIX doesn't cut it like their new ASA device does.

Rumor has it that the biggest complaint is that the Java-based user interface (PDM) doesn't play nicely or at all with the latest Java virtual machine. (Cisco doesn't make any mention of this).