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Osborne: The Information Technology Professional’s Guide |
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1: The many faces of IT: Responsibilities
of IT Specialists: Keeping
Servers Running. User
Account Administration. Troubleshooting
Master. Doing
Detective Work. Repairing
Systems. Setting
up Desktop Hardware Programming. Providing
Technical Support. Documentation
Librarian. Documentation
Creator. In-House
Consultant. Purchasing. Security
Guard. Retiring
Old Systems. Coordinating
Moves and Relocations. Combining
Forces after Mergers and Acquisitions. Working
with customers. Training
Users. Looking
out for New Opportunities. Managing
IT Departments. What
Comes Next. |
CH
8: Exploring IT Skills: The
Need for Building Skills. Professional
Licensing and Organizations. Vendor
certification: Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, CompTIA, Other. Traditional
Academic Programs: Computer
Science Degrees. Business
Degrees. Engineering
Degrees. Non
Computer Degrees. Associate
Degrees. Judging
Academic Programs. Non
Academic Learning. User
Groups. Informal
Training. Books. Magazines. Web
Zines and Independent Sites. NewsPapers. Trade
Shows. |
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CH
2: Maximizing your Infrastructure: Maximizing
your Entire Networking. What
Users Demand from the Entire Network. Understand
your Hardware. Start
with Reliable Hardware. Data
Archiving. Secure
your Data. Hubs,
Switches and Routers. Install
Quality Cabling. Get
HOT SWAP Components. Install
Adequate Power Protection. Use
HVAC for Comfortable Computers. Make
Systems Flexible. Making
Entire Network easier to Support. Limit
Variety of Equipment Installed. Building
up Speed. Elegant
Tweaking. Brute
Force Enhancements. |
CH
9: Winning at the Purchasing Game. Everything
IT Buys. Hardware. Software. Services. Consultants. Infrastructure
Support. TYPES
of VENDORS: Direct
Sales. Vertical
Marketers. Traditional
Computer Stores. Superstores. Office
Supply Stores. Independent
Computer Sellers. Building
it Yourself. Rating
Your Sellers. Negotiating
a Price. Planning
IT Purchasing. |
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CH
3: Understanding the Users you support. What
types of users are there? The
click-o-Holic The
click-o-Phobe. The
Dare Devil. The
Demander. The
Power User. The
big Bosses and their Minions. Special
Users Roles. Understanding
User Relationships See
How Data gets Shared. Place
Users into Groups. A
User’s Bill of Rights. Handle
Problems in a quick and Timely Manner. Remember-Break
and Fix is only half the job. Always
treat Users with Respect. Listen
carefully to complaints. Carefully
consider all Suggestions. Never
close call until USER Happy. Explain
to User what Occurred. Respect
other people deadlines. Broadcast
all disruptive repairs or service well in ADVANCE. Provide
Alternative Solutions. |
CH
10: Surviving the Tech Support Nightmare. Do
all The Right Things First. Read
the Full Manual. Don’t
Automatically Install Anything Ever. Print
out All Read me and Release notes. Scan
Vendor Web Sites. Send
a letter to KEY Vendors. What
Every Vendor Wants to Know. Telephone
Support. Keep
a phone LOG. When
Support Fails. Technical
Support Answers are not always Right. Support
From Suppliers. Systems
Engineers. Internet
Based Support. Vendor
Web Sites. Independent
Web Sites. WebRing. NewsGroups. List
Servers. Other
Support Systems: Bulletin
Boards systems. FaxBack
Services. Non
Internet Online Services. Technology
Publications. Radio
and Television. |
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CH
4. Formal Support Structures: Getting
New Hires Started. Setting
up a Buddy System. Documenting
Procedures. Working
With HR Department. Documentation
for Users. Help
Desk: Attitude. The
Check Back. Escalation. Outsourcing. Feedback. Training: Economic
Benefits. Gains
in Abilities. The
Many Faces of Training. |
CH
11: System Security, Inventory and Repairs. Security: Levels
of Access. Physical
Security. Passwords. Account
Access Limits. Monitoring
Account Activity. Data
Encryption. Guarding
Your Backups. Virus
Attacks and Harmful Programs. Types
of Pernicious Programs. Virus
Protection. Hackers. Protecting
your Networks. User
Errors. Putting
things on a High Shelf. Inventory. What
to Track. Tracking
Software. Repair
Facilities. Service
Centers. Parts. Hot
Spares. Crash
Carts. Cleaning
Equipment. |
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CH
5: Individualized Client Support Strategies: Strategies
for Client Support. Making
your Presence Felt. Special
Challenges of a Hostile Environment. Common
Computer Problems. Check
Status Lights. Pinging. Printing. Where
are my Files. My
System keeps Crashing. |
CH
12: Project Management: Defining
a new Project. Saving
Money. Technology
is the only way. User
Generated Tasks. IT
Created Projects. Project
Size. Keeping
Focus Clear. Setting
Reasonable Goals. Set
Timetables and Control Costs. Limit
Number of Project Planners. Upgrading
vs. Starting ANEW. The
Project Plan. Getting
Everyone to Sign on to the PLAN. Keeping
Users Informed. Providing
Background Information. Holding
Meetings. Test,
TEST, TEST. Leaving
Yourself a Way OUT. When
to KILL a PROJECT. Excessive
Costs. It
Just Doesn’t WORK. Current
Technology is Inadequate. When
more Important Problems come UP. Cutting
Your Losses. Project
Management Tools. Gantt
Charts. PERT
Charts. Flowcharts. Project
Management Software. Low
Tech Tools. Learning
more about Project Management. Seminars. Web
Resources. |
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CH
6: Your Company and Technology: Business
Challenges for IT. Data
is a Resource and it Costs Money. The
Keys to Understanding Your Company. Learning
your Industry Vernacular. How
does Customer Communication take place. Communication
with Suppliers. Working
with Partners. Tracking
your Competitors. Understanding
your Company Personality. Does
size of Company Matter. Legal
and Contractual Obligations. The
Company’s AGE and History. Corporate
Executive Attitudes. IS
specialists as Consultants. IT
Consulting and Project Management. Composing
a Mission Statement for IT. Defining
Priorities. Learn
to FIND PROBLEMS. |
CH
13: Things Learned along Way. Building
Management. Electrical
Systems. UPS. HVAC. Fire
Protection. Furnishings. Space
Allocation. Human
Relationships. You
Don’t Know Everything. You
Will Be Wrong Sometimes. Computer
Cartoons. Beating
Stress with Humor. |
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CH
7: IT Department Structure and Management: IT
Department Structure. Company
Size and IT department Structure. The
ONE MAN BAND. IT
People. Winning
the Hiring Game. Hiring
Practices. |
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