What’s Hot, July 2006

Some of the most underutilized screen real estate on the Windows desktop is the title bar that appears at the top of an application window. Bill Cravener of Sharon, Pennsylvania, puts this empty space to use with QuickerSoft's TitleBar-Clock (TBC) Pro. "The product fills the title bar with information about my computer's free physical RAM and free disk-drive space. TBC Pro also adds the day, date, and time in eight different languages," says Cravener.

The product's built-in alerting lets you create custom message reminders and have TBC Pro alert you with a .wav or AVI animation file. And entering the time in the system shutdown feature causes TBC Pro to automatically shut down your system at the scheduled time.

According to Cravener, TBC Pro is very customizable. He says, "You can change the fonts and colors, and the product's placement in the title bar can be adjusted either horizontally or vertically." TBC Pro also features a pop-up calendar and costs $9.95.

Manage Users' Mobile Devices
Good Technology's GoodLink for Exchange

The increasing popularity of mobile devices in the organization caused management to set Jeff Kowalke of Rochester, Michigan, a difficult task: Have all mobile email synchronized with Exchange Server. After researching solutions, Kowalke purchased Good Technology's GoodLink for Exchange. GoodLink provides users with a Microsoft Outlook?like feel and requires no desktop software installation. Because the product can be installed, upgraded, and managed over the air, it has a low total cost of ownership (TCO). "Our users' mobile devices can be shipped directly to them and provisioned with a simple set of email instructions. And if a user loses his or her mobile device, we can remotely wipe the data," says Kowalke.

GoodLink's Good Monitoring Portal lets administrators view software version, device type, and wireless carrier for all their users' mobile devices and use that information to control who is allowed to run GoodLink. The product provides rich attachment viewing and editing; users can view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, receive faxes as .tif files, and print documents—all from their handhelds. GoodLink is compatible with Palm Treos, Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, and WindowsMobile Smartphones. For pricing information, contact Good Technology.

Remotely View User Sessions
Citrix Systems' Citrix GoToAssist

Many software vendors offer some type of technical support to their customers, and such support can be a huge drain on resources if support team productivity is low. Robert Bell of Boston realized that finding the right remote support solution is the key to high productivity. Because of the highly technical and customized solutions Bell's company offers, average resolution time was almost five hours. "Asking customers to send log files or screen prints is very cumbersome," says Bell. "We needed a secure way to remotely view their systems." Bell found the right solution with Citrix Systems' Citrix GoToAssist.

GoToAssist has lowered Bell's average call handling time by 40 percent. "GoToAssist is so quick. In less than two minutes we can view a customer's desktop," he says. In addition, the product allows multiple support technicians to participate simultaneously in a GoToAssist support session. "Using GoToAssist, several of our people can get a virtual over-the-shoulder look at the customer's site, which enables training and knowledge transfer," says Bell. GoToAssist played a big role for Bell after Hurricane Katrina. Using GoToAssist, Bell's team was able to remotely upload files and configure backup servers for organizations in the disaster area. Contact Citrix Systems for pricing information.

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