Paul Wallbank – Brilliant Communications

Author: Paul Wallbank

  • The new global businesses

    It’s old hat to point out the internet is changing business and globalisation is making the world smaller. But last Tuesday I saw three businesses that showed just how profound these changes are.

    That Tuesday morning Mark Fletcher’s Australian Newsagency Blog had a post about the Strange Light Magazine, a collection of photos around Sydney during the recent dust storm.

    Some notable points about Strange Light – it was self-published in 31 hours using HP’s Magcloud, the photos were all sourced from Flickr and Derek Powazek, the publisher/author, did everything from San Francisco.

    Publishing on demand using services like Magcloud and Amazon’s Createspace is worthy of many blog posts in themselves. Derek’s story of Strange Light on his own blog is a terrific step-by-step guide to creating a self-published magazine. Notable are his points about obtaining permissions and proof reading.

    It isn’t one-way traffic between California and Sydney, Australians are also doing business in the US without leaving home. The same day I read the Strange Light story, I had a coffee with Andrew Rogers from Sydney’s Anchor Systems, who set up a new data centre for US-based developer management system, GitHub.

    All of GitHub’s hardware is in the US and their new data centre equipment came completely bare, without operating systems or software. Andrew’s team was able to build, configure and test the systems from their Sydney office.

    The fact GitHub were prepared to accept a quote from a business 11,000km away and have full confidence the job could be done from across the world shows just how distance no longer matters to forward-thinking enterprises.

    Finally, that day I managed to catch up with an old contractor who now runs a remote support business for homes and small offices. You call him and he logs into your computer to fix the problems.

    Nothing particularly special there except he operates out of Thailand. So he gets to run an Australian business from a Phuket beach hut. He has business he enjoys without sacrificing the lifestyle he wants.

    These entrepreneurs are showing how the globalised economy is really working. Each are using freely available tools that allow individuals and small teams to offer their talents across the world.

    You might want to have a look at the tools which are revolutionising your industry, you can be sure your competitors around the corner and around the world are already doing so and might soon be offering innovative new ideas to your customers.

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  • ABC 702 Weekends, October 4 2009

    Protecting yourself from the Conficker Worm

    This Sunday Simon and myself will be looking at how to protect your systems from the Conficker worm which has been causing problems for millions of Windows users.

    Tune in at 702 on your AM radio or stream us online from the ABC Website.

    Your comments and questions are welcome so call in on 1300 222 702 or SMS on 19922702.

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  • Protecting yourself from the Conficker worm

    Nearly a year after it was identified, the Conficker computer worm continues to plague Windows users, infecting systems controlling everything from fighter planes to bus lane fines.

    The problem has become so great, a consortium of vendors have set up the Conficker Working Group to deal with the malware’s spread, and Microsoft are offering a $250,000 reward for the identity of the writer.

    It’s not a problem that should be understated – the worm’s main use appears to be as a controller of botnets, networks of remote controlled computers used to launch attacks on other systems or to hide the tracks of scammers and password thieves.

    Update your systems

    Given the risks and embarrassment of being infected, avoiding this worm and others like it should be a priority for your business. First of all your Windows computers should have the latest updates as Conficker relies on some old security bugs that Microsoft patched last October.

    Run an anti-virus

    Naturally, you should be running an up to date anti-virus. Most widely used AV programs will do the job, including Open Source detectors like Clam AV and freeware programs.

    Note though that the licences for freeware programs like AVG and Avast! are specifically for home use only. If you are running those on your office system, respect the developer’s right to make a living and buy a commercial licence, they are actually cheaper and more reliable than many of the better known brand names.

    Restrict your users

    Finally, make sure your users log on in Limited User mode. The reason why Windows computers are more prone to viruses than their Mac and Linux cousins is because most users run their Microsoft systems as the powerful Administrator mode which is the equivalent of leaving your car doors unlocked all night.

    I’ve some instructions on setting up Limited User Profiles for Windows XP systems on the PC Rescue website. If you have an office with a Windows 2003 or 2008 server, your IT department or consultant will be able to do this through the network, which is a lot more secure way of doing things.

    Be warned that some programs won’t work unless they run in Administrator mode. If you find this is a problem then you should consider replacing that software as the vendor has shown they are either incompetent or are prepared to put their customers at risk to save a few dollars.

    Either way, you don’t need suppliers that have no respect for their customers.

    Your computers are too important to your business and shouldn’t be exposed to these sorts of embarrassing and expensive risks. Get your IT people to make sure the office systems are locked down properly.

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  • Growing your business with Tweetups

    Growing your business with Tweetups

    It’s hard to resist the offer of a free sandwich in Sydney’s Hyde Park on a beautiful spring day, so a“tweet up” offering was always going to be successful.

    Like most social media meetings in any big town these days, people from all walks of life gathered to meet and become more than just a Twitter handle or obscure forum name.

    Any idea that your average internet user is a pasty, overweight, underemployed 20-something is quickly dispelled as you meet all sorts of interesting people who are doing interesting things.

    The hundreds of “tweet ups”, coffee mornings and social media dinners across the land are creating new networks which are changing business and society.

    This is opposite of the stereotype being used to reinforce the mindset that blames the internet and social networking sites for everything from schoolyard bullying through to street riots and arrested brain development.

    Over the last few days we’ve been treated to stream of stories about the views of professors and researchers detailing how the world and our minds are being destroyed by the internet.

    My favourite is an English professor currently visiting Australia who claims computer game addled 20-something market traders may be responsible for the global financial crisis.

    Perish the thought that good old-fashioned greed and hubris, the cause of every market crash since the Bronze Age, may have had something to do with the GFC.

    The weekend press mentioned the professor applying for a study grant from an American university to prove her theory.

    If that is true, it’s a shame the she didn’t take the time to check out the Twitter hashtag to join us for a sandwich in Hyde Park.

    Had she done that she’d have had a nice sandwich, caught some sun and seen her theory disproved.

    She would have met a far more diverse group than a bunch of stuffed shirts huddling in a cosy lunch club, desperately trying to validate their deliberate ignorance of the changing world outside.

    It’s those stuffed shirts, along with their newspaper columnist friends, who are isolated. By choosing to demonise the internet and ignore the opportunities social media tools present, they are being left behind in a fast changing world.

    The options for entrepreneurs and business owners are clear – you can lock yourself up with the stuffed shirts and rage about your dying business or you can use the net to help your business grow. The choice is yours.

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  • ABC Nightlife, 17 September 2009. Taking your ideas to the world

    This week on Nightlife computers, Lars Rasmussen and Paul Wallbank join Tony Delroy to look at how you can take a great idea to the world.

    Along with two friends, Lars and his brother Jens came up with the idea of mapping software. Having developed it in a suburban Sydney spare room the took it to Silicon Valley.

    From there, the story gets really interesting and Lars describes the ups and downs of dealing with investors, Venture Capital firms and what happens when your business is bought by one of the biggest companies in the world.

    From one success, Lars and Jens are now working on other product and they’ll give Nightlife listeners a sneak preview.

    Tune in your local ABC station from 10pm this Thursday, September 17 or listen online at Nightlife’s website. We love listeners comments, questions and opinions so if you’d like to have yours say call in on 1300 800 222.

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