Ryan’s position as an IT manager at NSK Inc. has him serving two roles: first, as an account manager for several managed services clients, and, second, as the manager of the Projects Department. The Projects Department, which is new to NSK this year, serves as a separate branch of the company where all IT projects are managed and performed. Typical projects include server replacements, firewall installations, remote office setups, enterprise wireless installations, client moves, and any other larger-scale IT projects.

Tim’s role as an IT consultant at NSK differs from other IT Associates here in that instead of managing IT services at certain client sites, Tim designs and implements entire IT projects. These projects involve long-term planning and collaboration with vendors, clients, and other resources. Tim’s job revolves around his grasp of IT project management skills. When clients ask for work to be done, Tim organizes the efforts to get the project going. He is responsible for writing the scope of work, figuring out what labor and parts are needed, and determining vendors and pricing.

Google+ started out with a bang, boasting 25 million users before the social network was even open to the public. Now, after establishing itself as a true player in the social networking realm, and with 45 to 50 million users to boot, Google+ is opening up its doors to businesses. Called Google+ Pages, the profiles are similar to the Facebook Page platform, except that Google+ Pages will be integrated into Google search results. Additionally, page owners can manage their followers using “circles,” which allows them to target content such as updates, photos, and videos to certain demographic groups. So how do you create a Google+ brand profile?

1. Sign into your personal or work-related Google account and go to http://www.google.com/+/business/.
2. Here, Google lets you select which category your business fits into. Your options are:

• Local Business or Place (examples: hotels, restaurants, places, stores, service, etc.)
• Product or Brand (example: apparel, cars, electronics, financial services, etc.)
• Company, Institution or Organization (example: companies, institutions, organizations, non-profits, etc.)
• Arts, Entertainment or Sports (example: films, TV, music, books, sports, shows, etc.)
• Other—if your business does not fit into any other category

So far we have discussed tape backup, snapshot backup and data replication as examples of data recovery solutions. Each of these methods copy data on a computer in case a disaster recovery is necessary. Mirroring is another type of data recovery solution that is often used to create multiple drives with the same information. It works by linking two systems together that will continually match each other. For example, when “File A” is created on a computer, it will be saved on two separate disks at once. Mirroring is used for a variety of reasons—for data backup, for faster downloads in different geographic locations, and to balance a server load.

Before starting at NSK Inc. three years ago, Mike Zappala worked in the IT Department of a small environmental lab in Woburn, MA. Now, instead of fixing computers internally like he did at the lab, Mike is currently responsible for two different clients in the Boston area five days a week. He serves as the IT Team for these clients — sitting in their offices, answering their technology questions and fixing their daily computer issues. He also configures user accounts, servers, and networking equipment.