What I Learned at FileWave Alliance 2018

Working in Education as and IT Professional or Administrator for close to 20 years has had its share of challenges. From dealing with Faculty/Staff insecurities when introducing new devices or tools. Major Infrastructure or system failures that are never planned for. But the most important part of IT is the customer or in my case the Student and Teachers. I have always had the mindset that the Students, Teachers or Professors have to have zero down time. Now most in the corporate world would say to me "What are you losing with downtime, I work at a bank, if we have downtime we lose money." That is a very true statement, however when technology started making its presence into all divisions of the education. From University, College, and K-12 it changed the dynamics of the classroom. Most classrooms if not all at this point have a white board and a projector or a smart board or all of the above. Each room or lecture hall will have a laptop or desktop to run said projectors. The rooms are designed for technology and run by technology for the most part. What does this mean for a Professor, Teacher or Student? It means the planning by the instructor is mostly wrapped around some sort of power point or slide deck. This is driven by the laptop or desktop and projector within the classroom. So yes the classroom being down does not mean money is being lost. It does however mean learning is impacted and that affects everyone involved, Faculty/Staff/Students. So to my friends in the corporate world, yes in Education downtime in my opinion is just as important.

Where does FileWave fit into this picture you may be asking yourself. Its simple! FileWave is the best multi platform device management system on the market. How do you manage hundreds or thousands of devices with hundreds if not thousands of end users? How do you manage thousands of devices in multiple locations all over the world? How do you schedule application installations or updates in a controlled process? How do you modify installation packages to fit your companies policies or standards? FileWave has become a system that according to Tim Williams, VP Of Global Marketing, "Filewave makes IT the Hero". 

FileWave the product is the perfect system for an IT department in so many ways. What FileWave is doing that any other device management system is not. Working with API's and Custom fields has become a game changer. Going into this conference I had no interest in using the API's for my organization. I thought the Custom Fields was all I needed and didn't feel the time to work with the API's was necessary. After attending the FileWave Advance Track with Tony Keller and Dave Herder I am a changed man. I was blown away by what you can do with the API's working with Custom Fields. Plus using services like Slack and Invigate to process tickets or alerts. The options are almost unlimited and can be customized to your organizations needs. Scripting within filesets with P-M Lejon was also great class on how an organization the size Bonnier News manages so many devices in locations all over. Dan DeRusha with Matthews International showed us how they have refined the DEP Deployments with dynamic workflows that allows the users choose the tools to do their jobs.

FileWave the product is not the only thing that is great. FileWave the company and employees are like a large family. How many companies do you know, when visiting a conference you are able to rub elbows and enjoy lunch with the executive staff? I had the pleasure to have dinner or lunch with Nurdan Eris - Chairwoman of the Board, Rolf Anweiler - CEO, Tim Williams -VP of Global Marketing, Chris Russo - VP of Sales, Kyle Miller - CFO, John Clayton - CTO, Derek Deckard - Engineering Manager (if you have called into support you have reached him at least once), Dave Herder - System Engineer Manager. I think I either had a drink, ate or had a conversation with the entire Filewave employees in attendance. What made this so special is how they welcome you with open arms. Truly wanting to connect to you as a customer and build a relationship. What sets this company apart from many is that connection. They truly care about the customer and love their jobs. I think this small gesture that costs nothing is the key to the success of FileWave. Thats why I am a believer of the company and its vision and its leadership. I am a "FileWaver" not and official term yet but maybe I can start working on that.

My Son On His 17th Birthday

On this day 17 years ago god blessed your mom and I with you. You had such an impact on everyone that saw you for the first time. Your Aunt Becca saw you in the nursery and knew right away who you belonged too. Being that you weighed almost 11 pounds and made the other babies around you look premature. On this day I am going to give you 17 things that you should always remember on your 17^th Birthday.

1.     Always Be Humble – This is something that we as parent rarely have to say to you because you have always represented this qualities. But for the sake of this post I will say. No one likes an arrogant ass, however don’t let anyone walk over you because you are humble. Self–confidence is great but acting better than those around you pushes people away. But, being Humble draws others close to you and will draw attention to how great we already know you are.
2.   Always Be Punctual – Always be on time and early to anything you do. A person who always late is labeled as unreliable.
3.    Don’t Be Afraid to Say I Love You – Telling your Mom, Dad, Sister or Friends you love them is nothing to be ashamed of. You never know if that day will be the last day you see them.
4.      Be Kind To All You Meet – You never know if you path will cross again. The world is small and as you know when we go out and travel that I see someone I know all over the country. This will be the same for you in your travels through life.
5.   It Is Usually Not About You - As you grow older, don't worry so much about looking a certain way. Most of the time, no one is paying attention. Really. People like to think everyone is focused on them but, in actuality, people are usually focused mostly on themselves. And if someone does something to you that's hurtful, it's almost certainly related to something going on in their life that has nothing to do with you.
6.   If Someone Confides In You With A Secret Or Trust And Asks You Not To Tell Anyone, DON’T! – Trust is something that takes but a second to destroy and sometimes a life time to rebuild. Remember your word and reliability are all you have. Make sure you never destroy those with your Family, Friends and Co-Workers.
7.   Stay Close With Your Sister – A relationship with your Sister or Brother is very important. They will always be there for you. They will always love you in a way you may not understand. They will always have your back. And when your Mom and I are gone in to those Eternal Gates in Heaven they will be the only ones to remember you as a child.
8.   Don’t Hold A Grudge – Sometimes it is hard to forgive someone and it will eat at you and cause you to remain in that moment. What you will learn is that overtime those things that caused you some much anger and pain are mostly insignificant to what is really important. We all make mistakes and we do not have to forget what has happened to us but we do need to forgive those that may have caused that pain. Not for them but for us to live with peace and happiness knowing that those individuals have not hold over us anymore.
9.   Don’t Forget The Skills We Taught You – As you go to college and become independent you will need the skills of Cooking, Cleaning, Balancing a checkbook, paying your bills, etc. You will compound upon those skills as you get older. I know you hate having chores but you will thank us one day.
10.  Be Careful Of The Company You Keep – If you want to be successful in life surround yourself with successful people. If you want to be positive talk and communicate with positive people. Don’t let yourself be dragged down into someone else’s self-loathing and negativity. As with being Humble positivity is an infection that draws others to you. NO one likes a complainer!!
11.  Work Hard Now To Have It Easy Later – You and your sister have heard me preach this from the early years of your life. I know you are seeing this now in your life when you put that extra effort into a project or class assignment and come out with a Grade above what you expected. Keep that up it will never fail you.
12.  Listen to the Song “Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin” – This song will remind you what is important in life.
13.  Don’t Miss Those Special Occasions – The last thing any of us want to do is spend our Saturday at relatives 80^th Birthday or 50^th Anniversary party. Or your sisters school events, but it is very important that you do.
14.  Don’t Forget to Have Fun – It is too easy to get wrapped up in the seriousness of being a teenager, student and productive member of your family. Have fun when you can and enjoy the time you have with your Mom, Dad, Sister, Friends!! When High School is over and the real work starts you will look back and appreciate the time you spent just having fun.
15.  Yearn for the Experience – Look at every opportunity that you are given as a learning experience. Look at what you can obtain from every situation. All things happen for a reason, find out what it means to you.
16.  Look to the Bible and God for Guidance When you Feel Lost or Afraid – When you are at a point of stress, despair, fear or uncertainty always remember that God has your back he has a path laid out for you. You just have to accept his help and take his guidance. The Bible is a user’s manual to happiness and peace. Read it often and let it speak to you.
17.  Mom and Dad Always Are On Your Side – Remember no matter what happens in your journey we are always here for you. You are never alone in this, we will support you in whatever you do. We will always love you more than anyone in your life

 Happy Birthday to my Brilliant and Loving Son you will always be my little Buddy!!

What do Synchronization Log error messages mean in Outlook 2010/13?

Sometimes you may receive an email, apparently from yourself, with the Subject line "Synchronization Log:" and the content may look something like this:

12:49:39 Synchronizer Version 14.0.7108

12:49:39 Synchronizing Mailbox ‘Your Mailbox’

12:49:39 Synchronizing local changes in folder 'Inbox'

12:49:39 Uploading to server ‘server.yourcompany.com’

12:49:39 Synchronization of some deletions failed.

12:49:39                  [0-130]

12:49:39            1 item(s) deleted in online folder

12:49:39 Done

Your name (or the name of the mailbox) would be shown where we have used 'Ann Other' as an example here.  The time shown on the left of the lines in the message indicate the time the synchronizer log entry was made, and will probably match the time the message was sent to you.
This is probably happening if you're using Outlook in Cached Exchange Mode and there is a problem with the caching file on your computer.  You may also receive apparently false 'mailbox full' warnings.

The simplest solution is to switch off Cached Exchange Mode (we do not recommend using CEM anyway).  To do this, follow the instructions

If Outlook 2010 or 2013 is using Cached Exchange Mode, although sometimes useful, it causes a number of side-effects which can be detrimental.  See under the heading 'Effects of using Cached Exchange mode' below.
To check if Cached Exchange Mode is in use, follow the instructions below. Step 1 depends on which version of Outlook you have:

1. Click the File menu tab, then click the Account Settings button, then click on Account Settings... in the drop-down menu.
2. Click to select the required account (there may be only one) in the list shown.
3. Click on Change....
4. If the Use Cached Exchange Mode checkbox is ticked, Cached Exchange Mode is in use by your Outlook profile.

To switch off Cached Exchange Mode, click to remove the tick-mark from the Use Cached Exchange Mode checkbox, then:

1. Click the Next button.
2. Click Finish.
3. Click Close to close the Account Settings dialogue box.

Effects of using Cached Exchange Mode

Having Cached Exchange Mode switched on for your installation of Outlook means that a copy of every email message is downloaded and kept on your computer.   It can also affect how soon you see changes made on the Exchange system, such as changes to the Global Address List (staff address book).   It can also adversely affect Outlook's message searching facility.  For most users we recommend that Cached Exchange Mode should be turned off, but if you really need to keep a copy of your email (for example if you have a laptop and want to be able to search old emails while you are offline), you can use this mode.   Please be aware however that if your account has only recently been transferred to Exchange and you have a lot of email, it could take several hours for Outlook to download all of your mail the first time you use it.

What I Learned About School Wireless Networks from the IT Director

 by Danny Mareco, Secure Edge Networks

Creating a successful wireless network at any school isn’t very different than baking a cake. There are many different ingredients and many different factors involved that all work together to make the cake not look but taste good and the same is true with building a school wireless network.
But where do you start, what kind of recipe should you use?
When thinking about these questions I always look back to a recent conversation I was apart of with Guy Ben-Eliyahu the IT Director from Charlotte Latin School here in Charlotte, NC. As the IT Director, Guy is responsible for each decision and each success or failure.
His insights and experiences open my eyes even more to the challenges that schools face and just how critical their roles have become in creating a successful and safe learning environment for students today.
There are many decisions and moving parts to mobility and wireless network design, here are my biggest lessons from my conversation with a school IT Director.

What is Mobility?

To different people at different levels and at different points in the process, mobility can be viewed in many different ways. Guy from his viewpoint as an IT Director at a very large and prominent school, was able to make it simple and make it clear as to what mobility really boils down to, saying,
“We’re making technology accessible for our students and faculty in and out of the classroom.”
Also Read | "School Wireless Network Design: A Lesson in Mobility"
Evolving Classrooms Mobility is changing and evolving the current model of what the classroom looks like. He continues to describe saying,
“Before you used to have labs where students used to go to,...sitting down in chairs in front of desktops, or a classic classroom where you would have a desktop connected to a projector, and thats what you had.
But now what we’re saying is mobility allows our students to have a mobile device in a classroom setting, outside of a classroom setting,...enabling our faculty the enhancement of curriculum with technology. It’s there, it’s available and its all up to that faculty member to say I need to use this,...it allows them the flexibility.”
With the increased popularity of the cloud, blended or flipped learning and interactive content the classroom has clearly transformed in a very short period of time. At Charlotte Latin Guy’s approach to mobility has led to,
“a more collaborative space, a flex space where we can bring students together in groups of three and four to do discussion or research, and then dispersing them to do individual work…”
It’s this shift in ideology combined with major advances in technology that is driving a new kind of wireless network design and the way you approach and build them.

BYOD

BYOD has become a somewhat overused term in today’s wireless world, however, it’s still a critical aspect and for good reason, bring your own device shouldn’t and can’t be overlooked and as they say at Charlotte Latin you don’t want it to be “Bring Your Own Disaster”.
There are all sorts of technical and financial pieces to BYOD but really the driving force should be the why. We always talk about the application driving the infrastructure and with BYOD from Guy’s point of view definitely agrees with this.
“We want to be able to support anything that comes on our environment, regardless of the platform.”
Also Read | "The Solution to BYOD in Schools"

Where do you start?

Some school wireless networks are in need of major upgrades to support the latest mobile technologies and curriculum. One of the biggest challenges is how to decide where to start, it can seem overwhelming and it can be an uphill battle to move forward with mobility.

It starts again with the applications. Today in education we have access to an incredible and increasing amount of online resources, and most importantly teachers and students are choosing to utilize those online resources.

“With a team of 2-3 IT members trying to support 250 faculty members and 1400 students how do you support them,...it can be chaotic and you can be constantly putting out fires and having to react to issues that are arising.”
So what do you do?
According to Guy and we agree with him, “You start with your infrastructure, a solid, solid infrastructure.”
For Charlotte Latin this meant a brand new core, new switching, a bigger pipe which increased their bandwidth (connectivity) from 45Mbps to 300Mbps with the ability and plan to go to half a gig to a full 1Gbps in the future.
Also Read | "7 Wireless Network Design Steps Every School Should Master"
Moving to mobility their mission was to move away from hosting servers locally, taking everything to the cloud. Guy wanted to enable mobility and online resources by having a solid infrastructure that can flex and grow to support current and future initiatives.
“You’re not tied to wherever those servers are, you’re tied to wherever you have wifi or a connection, and thats the goal, we don’t want you to be limited or tied to a certain facility.”
When we started giving students or allowing them to use mobile devices a shift in school wireless network design started, now we are not just supporting the faculty but the students as well.
Rome wasn’t built in a day though and neither were any successful school wireless networks, it takes planning, collaboration and the right infrastructure.

Danny Mareco

Danny is the Marketing Manager at SecurEdge Networks. This basically means it’s his mission in life to make sure you have the secure mobility tools and resources that you actually want and can use. P.S. He also loves a good craft beer.