And for me specifically I’d be moving from my 3G Mifi to the 4G speeds now available in this area.

I’m going to confirm this with Verizon (Apple chat confirmed this was the case, but I’d like to validate it once more before pulling the trigger), and will likely follow up with a post on how I’m replacing my workstation/laptop with an iPad to work

The post iPad – 3rd GENERATION – MIFI! appeared first on eGroup.

Mobile Security will be a big focus for a number of companies as we shift in 2012, and Trend Micro is here to help.

As smart phones and tablets enter and traverse networks at record levels, IT administrators will have to find ways to ensure that devices accessing corporate resources are secure.

Look no further than Trend Micro Mobile Security.

 There are 3 main technologies behind the security:

1. Walled Garden – essentially keeps network applications (email) completely separate from regular consumer applications

2. Remote Wipe – if the phone is lost or falls into non-company hands, it can be remotely wiped

3. Encryption – the contents of the phone can be encrypted and secure

As a plug-in to Trend Micro’s OfficeScan, organizations can quickly deploy the mobile security app to IOS (iPad & iPhone), Android, Windows, Symbian, and RIM Blackberry devices.

The devices can be remotely provisioned, encrypted and password protected. Remote lock, remote wipe, power-on-password enforcement, and location tracking are some of the key features that you will have at your disposal. Plus you’ll know that your devices will be protected through Trend Micro’s best in class cloud-based threat intelligence, Smart Protection Network, safeguarding against malware, viruses, malicious code and attacks.

Plus the app gives the smart phone user the ability to filter calls and messages. So if an unwanted user is calling and texting you, you can simply put them on the block list and move on.

 The game has changed: Smart Phones and Tablets are omnipresent and being able to prevent enterprise assets from being at risk is key.

eGroup can help.

The post TREND MICRO MOBILE SECURITY appeared first on eGroup.

Click here for more information on the Apple Developer Program.

The post eGROUP NOW ENROLLED IN APPLE DEVELOPER PROGRAM appeared first on eGroup.

Apple spoke about around 250 updates to the OS, including improved gesturing, a Command Center, and a major Mail update.

This update along with IOS 5 (to be released in the fall) seems to be further blurring the lines between OSX and IOS, the new Mail app looks almost identical to the iPad version.

The upgrade will be available on the App Store in July and will cost $29.99.

The post MAC OSX LION COMING IN JULY appeared first on eGroup.

http://www.apple.com/icloud/

Any application. Any device. Anywhere.

The post WHY iCloud AND iOS 5 IS A BIGGER DEAL THAN WE REALIZE! appeared first on eGroup.

The question is, what is Thunderbolt, and what does it mean for end users.

Thunderbolt was designed by Intel to be a lightning fast way to transfer data from a laptop to a peripheral. Originally developed under the code name Light Peak, Thunderbolt, is a dual-protocol technology that fields the use of both PCIe and DisplayPort.

Below is the list of features from Intel’s website:

- Dual-chennel 10Gpbs per port
- Bi-directional
- Dual-protocol (PCIe and DisplayPort)
- Compatible with existing DisplayPort devices
- Daisy-chained devices
- Electrical or optical cables
- Low latency with highly accurate time synch
- Uses native protocol software drivers
- Power over cable for bus-powered devices

To achieve the high speeds, Thunderbolt transmits and receives simultaneously, so that it can make use of the full bandwidth for the connection. This allows transmission of large files in a fraction of time as compared to previous peripheral connections. Intel states that backups of a years worth of continuous MP3 playback in just over 10 minutes. That’s huge!

So, what does this mean for end users? Basically, it means all the benefits that you normally would get from a desktop versus a laptop fly out the window. Need expanded storage? No problem, slap on an external drive array and see practically no hit to performance. Been wishing for a docking station for your Mac? Here it is, with daisy-chaining, connect all the devices you need to one port on your latop.

It is yet to be seen if Thunderbolt will become as widely adopted as Intel hopes, but with data streams getting larger and USB being more and more behind the 8-ball, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a nice shift to Thunderbolt Technology.

The post Thunderbolt Technology appeared first on eGroup.

PCoIP Support
Virtual Touch Pad
System Monitor for Performance
In-Depth Preferences Control

Here’s a link to the VMware Blog.

The post VMWARE RELEASES VIEW CLIENT FOR iPAD! appeared first on eGroup.

I was really excited to get my hands on one, and a lot of colleagues of mine have already switched and made comments like, “You’ll never go back to a PC”, or “I rarely ever use my windows VM”.

I decided to test these thoughts and go full emersion into the Mac OS, no Bootcamp partition with Windows 7 loaded as a safety net, and only allowing myself to use Fusion with a Windows 7 VM when absolutely necessary (Still no VI client on Mac.)

I did install the 2011 Office Business suite and decided to use the Outlook 2011 client for my email.  But I think I will review that in a later post.

Ok, here are my first impressions….

1.  It boots fast.  Yeah, I know it’s supposed to, but I was really surprised at the boot time.  It only takes about 38 seconds for the system to come to the login screen, and is instantaneously into my account after logging on.  With my Windows 7 machine it took about 2 minutes to boot and then another minute and a half for my account to load after logging on, and then another couple minutes before I could actually do anything effective.  So this was a huge efficiency boost for me.

2.  While also on the subject of speed, let me throw in there that the time to come out of sleep mode is instantaneous, whereas my Windows 7 laptop took about half a minute to wake back up.  And again, as soon as I log in, I’m fully functional, up and running

3.  The touchpad is by far the best thing ever invented.  Being multi-touch makes navigation so easy.  Use one finger to click, two fingers to right-click, pinch and stretch to zoom in and out, and a whole bunch more!  I have to say that my wife was able to, with no instruction from me, figure it out in no time.

4.  The keyboard is super comfortable and a joy to type on, however (here comes the first negative) you will notice that there are quite a few of your normal keys missing on an Apple keyboard.  There is no “home” and “end” buttons, “page up” and “page down” are not included, and more.  There are shortcuts built into the system to address the missing keys that we are used to (like “command” and the arrow for “home” and “end” for a complete list see here)

5.  The MacBook display is GORGEOUS!  Crystal clear and bright. You simply can’t beat the LED monitor.

So, here are a few questions on everyone’s mind when it comes to making the switch to Mac, and my answers to them….

Q.  Is it worth the money?

A. In short, YES!  The MacBook hardware is vastly superior to any PC I have seen that runs for a similar price tag.  The Aluminum body is built to last, and you will find that it just “feels” stronger and more durable.

Q.  Is it hard to switch from PC to Mac?

A.  No.  Switching to a Mac was really simple.  I found that I was able to get used to the interface very quickly, as well as getting into the system settings and customizing it to fit me better.  After only about a day of use, I found that I was able to navigate the interface efficiently, and found that the gesturing system was very natural.

Q.  What about my applications?

A.  Ok, that is a question that plagues people when talking about going to a Mac, me as well.  I have found that for the most part, the apps that I used in Windows have a Mac counterpart or equivalent.  And as I stated in the beginning of this blog, I am using the Office 2011 for Mac (which takes care of most of my Office needs).  However, there are applications that are not available on Mac, yet.  And I say “yet” because with the push toward cloud computing and deployment of nonlocal apps, pretty soon it won’t matter what OS you are using.  In the meantime though, apps like the VI Client, Visio, and Project are not available for Mac OS X.  These I run on my Windows VM.

All that beginning said, what do I think?  To go Mac or not to go Mac, that is the question.  I have to say, I love my Mac.  I have been using it for about 2 weeks now, and can’t imagine going back to a regular PC.

So, I guess it’s true what I was told…Once you go Mac, you don’t want to go back.

The post Going Mac appeared first on eGroup.

Click here for the Infrastructure Slideshow:  Apple’s Mac Versus Microsoft’s PC in the Enterprise.

Click here for the blog post on eGroup becoming an Authorized Apple Reseller.

The post MAC ADOPTION IN THE ENTERPRISE EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY 57% BETWEEN 2009 AND 2011 appeared first on eGroup.

eGroup is authorized to sell the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro, Xservers, and supporting software. Look for eGroup to announce its iPad Authorization in early 2011. eGroup is authorized to sell to corporate customers – and also to end users, consumers, and individuals – at extremely competitive prices.

eGroup accepts credit cards to make purchases easy and seamless.

“eGroup is thrilled to become an Apple reseller, and to be able to bundle the increasingly popular Apple end-user devices with our sophisticated VMware, Cisco, EMC and Citrix data center solutions for the “total virtual desktop solution”, said Mike Carter, Principal, eGroup.

About eGroup

eGroup provide technology solutions for Serious Competitors. Specifically, eGroup specializes in IT infrastructure design, Enterprise storage and backup strategies including Disaster Preparedness, data centralization and secure access solutions, virtualization, network security, and secure LAN/WAN/Wireless architectures. eGroup’s solutions combine robust high-availability and performance with secure information access. These solutions enable customers to efficiently execute revenue-driving roles, and achieve the goal of cutting the organization’s acquisition and on-going support costs. eGroup understands that investment-oriented professionals must focus on making sound business decisions that provide significant returns. eGroup provides the thought leadership and expertise for customers to ensure that their technology investments continue to strengthen their competitive advantage in the marketplace. After all, a company’s success hinges on making critical business decisions that must be supported by its IT systems. By architecting high performance networking and computing platforms, and delivering the industry-proven systems engineering and application development expertise, eGroup helps companies make confident decisions. To learn more, visit www.eGroup-us.com.

About Apple

Apple Inc. design, manufacture, and market personal computers, mobile communication devices, and portable digital music and video players and sell a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers and value-added resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Macintosh (“Mac”), iPhone, iPad and iPod compatible products including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and supplies through its online and retail stores. The Company sells to consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise, government and creative customers.

The post eGROUP, INC. NOW AN AUTHORIZED APPLE RESELLER appeared first on eGroup.