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Breeze through security with your laptop

 

The patent-pending Checkthrough™ Bag looks and functions like a high-end business case, but is designed and rigorously-tested to be "checkpoint-friendly," so you can run it through airport x-ray screening without removing your computer.*

The bag opens and hinges in the middle to separate and isolate the laptop compartment from the rest of the bag. For initial, immediate visual reference, the laptop can be seen by the inspector through a clear, quick-recognition window that is exposed when the bag is unfolded. With the window facing up, the bag is sent through x-ray screening. The design of the laptop compartment is such that the image presented to the screener is the same as if the laptop were removed and placed in a bin. The Checkthrough bag and all of its contents can be carried securely with or without the hinge zipped shut, so it can be readied in line, prior to screening. Once through, the traveler can simply pick up the bag and go, zipping it back up on the move or at the gate.

*It is the intention and expectation of all involved in the “checkpoint-friendly” bag program that once fully implemented, the process will move smoothly and that suitably designed and constructed bags, properly packed and used, will move through the system efficiently as planned. However, in all instances, screening personnel always have the right to require laptop removal, secondary screening, or any other measures deemed necessary to ensure travel security.

Looking for other checkpoint

Best Laptop Computer Bags – Carrying Cases – Messenger – Skins

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Future Consulting (Consulting2.0) « Future Business

 

Future Consulting (Consulting2.0)

December 30, 2008 · 1 Comment

Historically, most consultants have done their best to differentiate from other consultants by touting a better process and/or better experience in a particular area. For small consulting companies this may be relevant. In larger companies neither of those factors have much bearing on the probability of success with the new project. Process is usually only partially followed and the team is likely to be significantly different from previous similar projects.

Unfortunately, there are two dynamics at odds here:

  1. Consulting companies are under more pressure than ever to maintain exceptionally high utilization rates (% of hours which are billable).
  2. Clients are starting to expect a point of view rather than just smart people with a process. With so many choices, a client can now pick the firm that has both the good process AND the well-matched point of view.

These two are at odds because when a consultant is “on the beach” (not billing) there is incentive to place them on a project that doesn’t match well with their skills/knowledge just to get them billing as quickly as possible. Thus, you rarely end up with the right resources on a project. If resources are less experienced, they are less likely to have a qualified point of view.

For decades consulting firms have been seeking knowledge sharing and re-use process and IT solutions that will help empower the less experienced consultant to jumpstart their performance on a project. However, the amount of sharing and re-use is still surprisingly low in large firms. They rely on smart people learning fast.

Rather than maintaining an exceptionally broad opportunistic profile that relies largely on relationship selling; in a Consulting2.0 world consulting firms should follow the Jack Welch strategy of being in the top 2 or getting out. Grow deep practice areas where sharing is rampant and there is enough market penetration to create an unrivaled critical mass of skills in that area. Success will beget word of mouth recognition which will support ongoing sales. Also, the best people will want to work there if they know they will get to interact with other experts.

Without going deep, large consulting firms run the risk of consistently losing out to mid-size firms.  The mid-size firms will be able to compete on size because that particular practice are is the same size.  They are less broad, have a point of view, and provide consultants with relevant experience every time.

What else is going to change in “Future Consulting”?

Future Consulting (Consulting2.0) « Future Business

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Email from the past…

Email from the past…

Who remembers this?

—–Original Message—–

From: Alex Mercer [mailto:amercer@altiris.com]

Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 7:51 PM

To:

Subject: SMS Users Conference 2001

For All SMS Gurus….

SMS Users Conference 2001

Las Vegas, Nevada

MGM Grand Hotel

March 5-9, 2001

Don't miss your chance to meet with the many of the members of the SMS Product Team from Microsoft including the SMS Product Manager, and the SMS Development Manager. This is a highly technical conference and a great place to work hands on with SMS.

Where is it?

The MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Room rates are included in the conference package. A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees. Your room reservation will be confirmed when payment is received.

Please note space is limited.

Check-in starts Sunday, March 4. Check-out is on Friday, March 9. Want to take advantage of the Saturday night stay airline discounts? You can make reservations for additional days (before or after the conference) by contacting the MGM directly <http://www.mgmgrand.com/lv/pages/accom_main.shtml>. Indicate that you are attending the Computing Edge SMS/Windows 2001 Conference.

Who is it for?

Any SMS professional looking for a great way to network with peers and share insights. The conference is designed to promote the exchange of ideas amongst professionals in the SMS community. 

Devoted solely to Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) and Windows 2000 administration, the SMS/Windows 2000 Users Conference is designed to promote the exchange of ideas and best practices utilized in the management community.

Investment:  $1,695.00 including 5 nights hotel stay, meals, conference registration, conference materials, free prizes, and evening social events.

After January 1, 2001 the conference fee will be $1,895.00.  Register now to secure the best price and your accomodations.  Payment is not due until February 1, 2001. 

TO Register:   Call Blair Allen or Alex Mercer at 800-585-7002

or go online at http://www.altiris.com/shows/sms_over.htm#12

 

http://www.altiris.com/smsconference/

This conference is a one of a kind event. There is simply no other forum where you can meet with so many of your peers. Comments from past conferences include:

"Most excellent in every way!"

"Great conference, great location, great speakers. Looking forward to next year!"

"Without question the best ever attended. Excellent for all levels."

"An excellent source of information and networking."

What's New for 2001?

Last year we touched on Windows 2000. This year we're adding even more Windows 2000 sessions. Stay tuned for details.

Back by Popular Demand (Again!)

Microsoft along with many of the top speakers from previous conferences have agreed to speak again, such as, Rod Trent, Darwin Sanoy, Paul Thomsen, Shantanu Sen and Ian Turek.

Hands on labs will be even bigger and better in '2001. We appreciate Compaq's support, which enables us to expand the number of sessions and the content of the labs.

Blair Allen

Altiris/Computing Edge

 Toll Free 800-585-7002  x128

Direct 801-847-5128

Fax 801-847-0023      .

ballen@altiris.com

Alex Mercer

Altiris/Computing Edge

 Toll Free 800-585-7002  x105

Direct 801-847-5105

Fax 801-847-0023      .

amercer@altiris.com

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Incident Management in System Center Service Manager

Incident Management in System Center Service Manager

Feed: www.contoso.se
Posted on: Sunday, December 28, 2008 2:17 PM
Author: Anders Bengtsson
Subject: Incident Management in System Center Service Manager

I have been testing Incident Management (IM) with focus on the notification part of IM in System Center Service Manager beta 1.

The main goal of the IM process is to get back to a normal service operation as quickly as possible and to minimize the impact on the business, in other words ensuring that the best possible levels of service quality and availability are maintained. “Normal service operation” is defined within Service Level Agreement (SLA).

 In my test environment I built the following workflow:

Incident templates can be utilized to achieve IM flexibility. Incident templates include common settings for different types of incidents. For example when a service desk receives a call from a user who can´t access a network folder, the service desk operator can then apply the network issue incident template and make sure all the necessary information is collected from the user reporting the incident. The templates also guarantee that incidents are configured with correct owner, category, priority and other related items.

System Center Service Manager has a connector to System Center Configuration Manager that synchronizes hardware information and other relevant information to Service Manager. When a service desk creates an incident and selects which machine the affected user is working from, the service desk can see all information synchronized from Configuration Manager.

In Service Manager there are a number of workflows out of the box and you can also create your own. One of them is Incident Change.

In my test environment I built the following four workflows:

1. One workflow sends e-mail to the affected user when new incidents are created. It is always good for the user to have the incident ID and to know which service desk has begun working on the incident.

2. One workflow sends an e-mail notification to the operator who is configured as “assigned to” in the incident. If it is not the same operator creating the incident who will be working on it, it is good to send a notification.

3. One workflow sends an e-mail notification to the operator who is configured as “assigned to” in the incident. If another operator adds a comment or information to the incident a notification will be sent to the operator who is assigned to the incident.

4. One workflow sends an e-mail notification to both the affected user and the operator who is configured as “assigned to” in the incident.

Service Manager synchronizes information from Active Directory through an AD connector so e-mail addresses and other account information already exists in Service Manager. Here we don’t have to create recipients the same way as we do with subscribers in Operations Manager.

It is reasonably easy to configure incident templates and notifications based on them. There are a couple of scenarios where I could see a need of more detailed criteria parameters. But as this is Service Manager beta 1 I guess we will see a lot more features in the RTM version. I think that the biggest obstacle will not be to how to configure Service Manager but instead how to plan and design all your workflows before you can input them into Service Manager.

View article…

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