NetStandard Corporate Blog

NetStandard Presents GaleForce CRM

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:49:00 +0000

CRM Financial Services: Microsoft Certified CRM Financial Services & CRM Banking

In business, the company with the best customer service wins. In the banking and financial services sector, providing that superior customer service means knowing all you can about your clients. Helping your firm gather, input, organize and utilize client information is what the new Customer Relationship Management software from GaleForce is all about and NetStandrd is excited to offer clients this unique and powerful tool.

The new CRM software, created exclusively for commercial and retail banks, wealth management, investment and capital market firms, allows your company to gather, store and access the client information that's so key to success. Maybe more importantly, GaleForce software presents that information to employees in a clear, concise, simple-to-use format.
From a client's total net worth to his favorite charity, any information an employee needs appears on screen instantly. This remarkable functionality makes it easy for employees to provide the superior customer service your clients deserve.

The genius of GaleForce is integration. This impressive software system integrates seamlessly with the entire Microsoft Office suite; including Word, Outlook and Excel. In fact, virtually every function of the CRM package, from creating a customer profile to full-scale account management, can be performed within MS Outlook. Even if your business doesn't use Outlook, GaleForce employees can work online, using any standard web browser. Either way, any changes or additions are automatically updated in real time at the central CRM database, so there’s never a question of accuracy.

The GaleForce package is highly customizable, with each user able to determine precisely what information appears on screen. From bank tellers, who might need only the most basic financial data, to commercial loan officers, who want information on investment loans and insurance accounts, everything is on-screen, easily entered, and instantly updated. Need to set up mailing merge? GaleForce can do it.
Need to send out quarterly reports? GaleForce can do it, on time, every time. Even something as ordinary, yet vital as sending out company Christmas cards is just a few simple mouse clicks away.
One especially useful GaleForce feature is the Relationship Tree. This simple, visually-appealing feature allows employees to instantly access a truly astonishing amount of client information; from the exact worth of a customer's total assets to a favorite spot for lunch.

But the most exciting thing about GaleForce is how easy it is to use.
You won't need a programmer. You won't need a professional to write code. Your employees won't even need to learn new software, because everything GaleForce does integrates beautifully with Microsoft products they already know. For functionality, convenience and ease nothing beats this new GaleForce CRM package and NetStandrd is extremely proud to offer our clients this unique and valuable tool.

Hosted CRM for Financial Services

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:28:00 +0000

CRM Solutions Made Easy for Financial Institutions

Looking for an alternative to high-priced, money-down CRM software?
Consider a more flexible, on-demand approach. Software as a Service
(SaaS) is a pay-as-you go software model that many small and midsized companies are choosing for its agility and speed.

In order to give SaaS options to our clients, NetStandard has signed an agreement with GaleForce, an award-winning SaaS provider who delivers Microsoft-based CRM software. With people trained in the Galeforce and SaaS environments, NetStandard is poised to provide CRM for the financial services sector.
While we can deliver either approach—typical licensing or Software as a Service—most people aren't yet aware of the advantages of SaaS, so here's a quick rundown.

SaaS is delivered to your business via a VPN-type connection to our servers. In other words, the software is being pumped directly from NetStandard's secure environment, through a customized connection, to your company. Entry level service is $110 per user per month. Contrast this with paying $10,000 up front to own the rights to a software package. With SaaS, the entry cost is low, rather than a huge up-front investment. If process engineering or customization is necessary, they're added as hourly services.

A second consideration is the low total cost of ownership. With the SaaS approach, you'll get just the software you'll need, finely tuned for your environment. That means there's no need to train your staff in multiple areas like emailing, Microsoft CRM, imaging, etc. Since SaaS is highly customizable, you'll avoid the additional knowledge requirements that cause costs to rise.

A third factor in favor of SaaS is that it will be run for you from NetStandard's secure environment by people who are experts with the software. As of today, we've had our SaaS environment up and running for over a year and three months, and have people ready to endorse its reliability and speed. Obviously, we have a vested interest in keeping your software up at all times. If we don't, you'll fire us!

Finally, with SaaS there's a much lower overall risk. You don't install it on your machines. You simply allow us to remotely integrate the software with what you're already doing. At the same time, you're drawing from the strengths of NetStandard's environment. Not many businesses can afford the redundant power grids, network connections, and cooling facilities we provide to make sure your software keeps running at peak efficiency.

Are there potential challenges with SaaS?

The primary issue is whether you're comfortable letting go of organizational control. Are you willing to let a vendor (NetStandard) run your systems for you? Of course, when you buy software licenses, you still depend on a vendor. With the SaaS model, we can deliver all the capabilities you need, but avoid the up-front expense. And while it's true that our team will be running your software, we'll also take care of security, troubleshooting, and integration—the usual time-consuming obstacles.

One other thing to keep in mind: NetStandard can advise you on best practices within the SaaS framework, but as with traditional software licensing, you'll still need to define processes for your company.
SaaS is an agile, on-demand solution, but great SaaS can't replace consistent data cleanup and processes. It's designed to enhance and accommodate your workflow—which will need to be predefined.

That's the big picture! At this point, you're on your way to understanding the potential of Software as a Service. If you're looking for an alternative to one-and-done licensing, be sure to contact us with your questions.

Concepts of Managed Services

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:43:00 +0000

CEO Jeff Melcher discusses why NetStandard’s Managed Services are helpful to companies

NetStandard has learned through the years the right things and the wrong things to do in the managed services sector. Business processes have been molded into the most efficient possible while still maintaining the highest level of quality, and specialists have been hired to work in order to better serve customers needs effectively. NetStandard’s first-class data center and staff consistently provide customers with the highest quality services.

NetStandard’s Managed Services Principles

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:43:00 +0000

NetStandard targets small to medium-sized business offering predicable results at a predictable cost. Offering a partnership with your business rather than a vendor-relationship, NetStandard is team-driven.

Each customer is given primary and secondary engineers to work with. The service desk is kept in house, on-site where the experienced staff escalates issues if needed through our service level tiers. NetStandard aims to provide all customers with Fortune 500-quality services as employees are constantly learning about new products and gaining new certifications.

NetStandard’s Managed Services Practices

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:39:00 +0000

Tom Crimm, Professional Services Manager, discusses the operations framework that NetStandard provides for customers. Health Modeling, Redundancy, and Road Mapping, are all integral parts of what NetStandard supplies to customers.

A Health Model is a document that gives you a virtual “picture” of your network. It shows what applications are operating on your servers and adapts as time goes on to your changing network. Our technology managers and NOC also use the health models for day-to-day activities. The health model provides instructions for guiding oversight and maintenance.

NetStandard’s redundancy provides 7x24x365 staff monitoring customer’s environments. A ticketing system is also used that customers can look back on the issues that have arisen and how they were fixed. The program also has all agreements and documents easily accessible in PDF format.

NetStandard’s technology managers work with customers’ businesses to help in road mapping up to 24 months in advance. Managed Services is seen as a strategic approach to information technology, and planning is very important.

To talk with a sales representative about our Managed Services product, call (913) 262-3888 or visit us at www.netstandard.com.

The Particulars of Managed Services

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Discussing NetStandard’s Managed Services offering, Tom Crimm, Professional Services Manager, hits the requirements and optional offerings that NetStandard can provide.

NetStandard’s managed service customers benefit from having an assigned technology manager, monitored network, regular maintenance performed, and backup manager. We also require that our customers have a hard-wired firewall and the latest anti-virus to ensure protection of services and hardware.

Optional services for customers to “pick-and-choose” from include: SAN maintenance, on-site services, Barracuda anti-spam services, email archival encryption, and some others. For more information, call 1-888-636-HOST or visit www.netstandard.com.

NetStandard Demonstrates the Benefits of GaleForce CRM for Banks

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:36:00 +0000

NetStandard recently demonstrated their alternative CRM product offering for banks. Attending the Community Bankers Association’s event at the Overland Park Convention Center, Walt Lane, President, and John Leek, Director of Technology, discussed the benefits of using the alternative product.

The Software as a Service offering gives banks many advantages in customer relations, product-use tracking, and ease of use. NetStandard offers the product based on cost per user per month without a capital investment required. The product is designed with GaleForce as an ad-on feature.

To talk with a sales representative about the product, call (913) 262-3888 or visit www.netstandard.com.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Dream Gala 2008

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:32:00 +0000

On Saturday May 3, 2008, NetStandard attended the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Dream Gala at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, MO. Raising awareness for Type I and Type II diabetes, the gala was an important fundraiser for the foundation and a fun night for its supporters.

Part of NetStandard’s public relations team attended the event, and our own Melissa Thoenen, TITLE, was on the red carpet greeting important guests! NetStandard not only strives to provide their customers with a high quality of service, but strives to support charitable organizations and the Kansas City community.

JDRF’s emcee for the night was one of their board members, Melissa Smith. Smith noted many staggering statistics of diabetes cases in the United States and around the world. Diabetes cases are expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades. For more information on how you can help, visit www.jdrf.org.

Barracuda Spam Firewall Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Thoenen) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:44:00 +0000

Are you still getting unwanted spam email at your business because your anti spam system isn’t effectively blocking email? Every day you have to shift through your email inbox and sort out all of the junk email, taking away valuable company time from you and your employees. Don’t you wish we could just somehow pass a law that would actually really stop all this abusive email distribution?

You have heard the barracuda networks anti-spam commercials on this radio stations for years now, and finally there is a local phone number that you can call for a company that can come to your business and provide you with a right size system and install it correctly.
Give NetStandard, Barracuda Networks, certified trusted partner a call in Kansas at 262-3888, to set an appointment today for a free consultation.

Join NetStandard at their next educational seminar where Barracuda Networks Company is coming to Kansas City to demonstrate their entire line of Barracuda Networks products. Call NetStandard at 913-262-3888 to RSVP for their next scheduled seminar. But you better hurry seats are limited and filling fast.

The next Barracuda Networks Seminar is set for August 21st from 11:30-1:00. please contact Melissa Thoenen at 913-262-3888 ext 253 for more details.

NetStandard Host Citrix 4.5 Lunch and Learn Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Thoenen) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:45:00 +0000

On Thursday, June 26th NetStandard Inc. hosted an educational lunch and learn seminar for their current customers that use Citrix products, at their facility in Kansas City, Kansas. The event was focused on the benefits of upgrading to the 4.5 Citrix Presentation Server (Zen App).

The keynote presenter was Jeff Pohl, Field Sales Manger, Citrix Systems. Scott Lane, Senior Sales Engineer, CCIA, CCEA Citrix Systems and John Leek, Director of Technology for NetStandard also presented at the event.

The event briefed the attendees on how Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 can allow the user to stream desktop applications quickly and efficiently, accelerate graphics performance by 20x, perform server health checks and automate recovery procedure, centrally store isolated software and easily manage updates, and rapidly provision applications with little disruption.

To hear more of the benefits and advantages that Citrix Systems, including Presentation Server 4.5, please visit http://www.netstandard.com/ or call 913.262.3888.

Community Bankers Association Of Kansas

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Thoenen) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:23:00 +0000

The Community Bankers Association (CBA) held its 30th Annual Convention and Trade Show on July 16th – 19th. The event was held at the Sheraton in Overland Park, Kansas.

The theme of the event was, Back to the Future, Community Banking…A Timeless Tradition. The tradeshow was held on Thursday July 17th. With a little over 60 exhibitors and sponsors and over 250 attendees, the tradeshow was a huge success. The event is focused on educating and informing Community Bankers on a variety of products that are focused on improving the profiency and profitability of their businesses.

NetStandard was one of the many exhibitors at the event. NetStandard has many products that are tailored especially for financial institutions such as Microsoft Customer Relationship Management (CRM), as well as Microsoft Software as a Service (SaaS), just to name a few. Other exhibitors included: Tipton Systems, Travelers Insurance, TransFund, The Sign Guy, Automated Systems, Inc., Marathon Processing Systems, Goldleaf Financial Solutions, Radian Guaranty, and many more.

To learn more about the Community Bankers Association of Kansas please visit their website www.cbak.com. Or to learn more about NetStandard or Microsoft CRM for Banks and Microsoft SaaS please visit www.netstandard.com.

NetStandard Offers Help to Businesses Affected by Recent Midwest Flooding

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:36:00 +0000

Kansas City's NetStandard company will provide free online business service to businesses affected by flooding

Kansas City based company, NetStandard, will offer free online hosting of Microsoft's Office, email service, accounting, and contact resource management for businesses that have been displaced by the recent flooding. NetStandard will provide the service to as many customers that it can handle, at no cost, as an effort to provide support for companies during this time of disaster.

Technology company, Aces Iowa, located in Cedar Falls, Iowa has partnered with NetStandard in preparation of the flooding that is encroaching the thresholds of the businesses in the area. Dave Seawel, Operations Manager of Aces Iowa stated "The companies in the area really hope that the water won't get much higher.

It is close and we are working with them to be as prepared as possible so that if it does get to the point where the phone service is shut down or the internet services are down, or worse yet, the business has to move from the facility, they have an alternative site to work from.

It is great that there are businesses like NetStandard that are offering their datacenter facility as a secondary site to get them up and running right away."

Walt Lane, native Iowan and President of NetStandard, pushed the initiative to supply this service at no cost to the companies. "Many of our customers plan for Disaster Recovery by using our facility as a secondary location to house their computer servers and equipment.

Many others run their entire company through our datacenter with our Software-as-a-Service product. You can use Microsoft's business software which includes Outlook email and calendar collaboration, CRM, Dynamics GP accounting, and Microsoft Sharepoint.

Your files are securely stored and backed up at our location. Bottom line is, the companies no longer need to purchase and maintain computer servers at their business. You can access your business applications completely from home or a remote location with a laptop and use your cell phones as your phone-voice communication."

Both Aces and NetStandard are working together to do their best to help.

An Aces Iowa representative can be reached at 319-266-9800 to get a technician onsite for help, and NetStandard can be reached at 888-636-HOST [4678].

Walt Lane from NetStandard urges companies in crisis "Please give us a call, we will do whatever we can to help you, we are a 24/7/365 operation.

Our thoughts and prayers are to all those in these areas of flooding and severe weather activity and we hope only the best for them during this crisis."

Have you outgrown your QuickBooks software?

noreply@blogger.com (Carl H) — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:41:00 +0000

How can you tell if you've outgrown your QuickBooks accounting software? Here are a few signs to look for:

Your reporting capabilities do not give you the visibility you need to run your business
Multiple departments or lines of business are preventing you from centralizing and integrating your data
You are unable to confidently comply with regulations for monitoring and securing your financial data

Learn how you can overcome these challenges with NetStandard Inc. and Microsoft Dynamics GP. With fixed scope implementations, flexible financing options from Microsoft and QuickBooks data migration services, making the move is easier and more affordable than you think.With robust reporting options and a familiar work environment, you and your people will have direct access to all the information needed to make confident business decisions and streamline your business processes. Join one of these Web Seminars, by clicking the date below, to learn more

June 18, 2008

June 26, 2008

Kansas City, Kansas Small Business of the Year nomination from the KCK Chamber of Commerce

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Thoenen) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Kansas City, KS, April 25, 2008 NetStandard Inc., a Kansas City based technology implementing and managing firm, announces their nomination of The Top Five Small Business of the Year, from the Kansas City, Kansas Chamber of Commerce.

The KCK Chamber of Commerce is a well known and respected organization of the Kansas City area. This is a great honor and NetStandard is a proud recipient of the nomination. As an active member in the chamber, NetStandard is proud to represent the small business community in the KCK area. With the thriving success and growth Wyandotte County is making, NetStandard feels KCK is the perfect place to house a thriving, successful and growing small business.

With the vast improvements of the west side of KCK is it is inevitable that the success will soon filter through downtown and the east side. As the progress has already begun, it is the hope of NetStandard, that its employees and clients will find comfort and convenience in its strategically located facility on the east side of KCK. Soon many of the NetStandard’s employees will be able to take pleasure in working, living, shopping, dining and playing safely and enthusiastically in all areas of KCK.

NetStandard is proud to do its part to improve the community that has proudly supported it for the past ten years. Through a variety of donations and contributions to numerous local charitable organizations, programs and events aimed at improving the area, NetStandard supports the KCK area in as many ways as possible. To become involved in the community in an assortment of ways allows NetStandard to give back!

NetStandard would like to thank the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce for recognizing its hard work and contributions to the community. The reputation that the KCK chamber has earned in the community is obviously a significant and highly respected one, and to be associated with such an esteemed entity makes NetStandard proud.

Congratulations to our fellow nominees: Associates Solutions, Kansas City Business Monthly, Ron Mears Appreciated Advertising and Sound Products Inc. Good luck to you all!

NetStandard is anxiously awaiting the May 14th luncheon at Youthfront for the finalist panel and announcement of the winner. Thank you to all of the judges in the process to determine the most deserved small business of the year for Kansas City, Kansas.

Kansas City, MO Police Athletic League - Speed and Agility Clinic

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Thoenen) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:46:00 +0000

The Police Athletic League of Kansas City (PAL) is a program that the KC Police Department started in hopes to make a positive connection between the local police department and youth in the community. It is anticipated that these relationships between the officers and the children will eventually create upstanding and successful members of society.

At the various events that the PAL program hosts, the children are taught and encouraged to trust, respect and have confidence in themselves and those who are there to protect their community. With the slogan of Cops and Kids, Part of the Solution, it is obvious that the youth of Kansas City are the heart and hope of a successful community in the future; for the Kansas City Police Department.

There are currently four PAL centers that are ran by numerous volunteers and members of the KCPD. Activities that encourage positive physical and mental participation that promote leadership and accountability are held at these centers. Different special events and activities involve golf tournaments, basketball tournaments, a drill team as well as many other fun and positive programs that actively involve the youth of Kansas City.

A specific example of an event PAL has put on is a clinic they held on April 5, 2008. This clinic was focused on speed and agility training for student athletes of all ages and sports. There were many professional athlete guests that were actively involved with the young athletes throughout the day. These guests included J.J. Smith & Kevin Lockett (Kansas City Chiefs), Ian Moses (San Diego Chargers), Logan Tillis (Atlanta Falcons), Major Jan Blackmore (U.S. Army, West Pointe), Damion McIntosh (Kansas City Chiefs) and Jon McGraw (Kansas City Chiefs), and the very special guest speaker Coach Bill Snyder (Head Football Coach of Kansas State University 1989-2005). With the incredible support of these local heroes, the Kansas City Police Department was able to give KCs athletic youth the experience of a lifetime. The clinic was held at the Kansa City, Missouri Police Departments Regional Training Academy. The entire day was based around different drills and maneuvers that tested the strength (mentally and physically) of the children. The intentions of the exercises were to teach the children different forms and techniques that would strengthen their agility and quickness as well as improving their overall fitness levels.

With events such as the Speed and Agility Clinic, PAL is sure to continue their success in furthering the success of the children in Kansas City. PAL is always looking for willing volunteers and donors. If you are interested in learning more about the efforts the Police department are making in order to achieve trust and respect from the young Kansas City community, please visit their website
http://www.kcpal.org/

If you are interested in having NetStandard create a video of a certain event, program or organization in the greater Kansas City area, that you are involved in, please contact
Melissa Thoenen
NetStandard Marketing and Public Relations
913.262.3888 ext 253
Or visit our website at
http://www.netstandard.com/

NetStandard annouces the availability of the "NetStandard Enabled Business"

noreply@blogger.com (Carl H) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:36:00 +0000

The "NetStandard Enabled Business" is made up of an out-of-the-box integrated suite of core applications needed to run your business efficiently and effectively. Applications include the following hosted applications:

Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Microsoft Dynamics GP
Microsoft Exchange/Outlook
Microsoft Office
Microsoft SharePoint Server

Hotdog Ministry - First Christian Church of North Kansas City

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Thoenen) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:45:00 +0000

For North Kansas City High School students, hump day is now known as Hotdog Wednesday; and the First Christian Church of North Kansas City is branded as The Hotdog Church. These notorious nicknames are due to the fact that every Wednesday, for the last 3 years, the church has generously served complimentary hotdogs, chips and soda pops to the North KC High School students.

The program began with the assumption that if the church were to offer free food, the neighboring students would come into the church. The founders of this hot dog program had hopes that the church would eventually become known as a safe place for the young students to visit whenever they needed some where to go.

The program was originally sponsored by an anonymous donor but quickly became so popular that additional funds were needed. The church generously offered to fund the weekly program in hopes to continue to make the local students feel welcome and comfortable with coming into the church at any given time.

Along with the financial funding of the food and materials, this programs success is also due to the tremendous amount of time the church members volunteer to preparing and serving the lunch to the students. Each week over twenty volunteers make this event possible.

The program has recently hit a huge milestone of serving its 100,000th hotdog. With an average of serving about 1,000 hotdogs each week, it is inevitable that the church is earning trust and comfort with the young students it serves.

This ministry has succeeded in its mission to become well known in the North Kansas City area as a warm and friendly place where everyone and anyone are welcome. It seems that with the success of Hotdog Wednesdays the First Christian Church of North Kansas City has earned its stripes as a safe place for the students of North Kansas City High School.

So, if you are ever in the neighborhood, on a Wednesday and are looking for a place to have lunch stop in, have a hotdog and enjoy the warm and comfortable atmosphere that First Christian Church provides the North Kansas community!

NetStandard is a proud supporter of Hotdog Wednesdays and is more than happy to hear about other events and/or organizations that are doing their part to better the greater Kansas City area. So, if you have a program that you would like to increase the visibility and recognition of, then please contact me, Melissa Thoenen at NetStandard and we will do our best to get the word out about your efforts to increase the quality of our community. My contact information is:

Melissa Thoenen
NetStandard Inc.
Marketing and Public Relations
2000 Merriam Lane
Kansas City, Kansas 66106
p. 913.262.3888 ext: 253
c. 913.952.1766
f. 913.262.0660

Heartland Therapeutic Riding Tux 'n Boots

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Thoenen) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:32:00 +0000

Heartland Therapeutic Riding Inc. is a farm and stable housed organization that has made it their mission to improve the balance, coordination and muscle strength of disabled children and adults. To build up muscles and increase ones balance and coordination Heartland uses early intervention hippotherapy and/or therapeutic sports riding of horses.

These enhancements of balance, coordination and strengthening of muscles is due to the emphasis the horses backs put on the riders pelvises which stimulates all the muscles in the body during the interaction with the individual and the horse.

Heartland is successfully operated and managed with the help of over 120 volunteers, physical and occupational therapists as well as North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) certified instructors.

NetStandard came across this amazing organization by chance and realized the impact it was having and could potentially have on the local and surrounding Kansas and Missouri areas.

The NetStandard team decided the most effective way of supporting and contributing to Heartland Therapeutic Riding Inc. was by increasing its visibility and awareness in the community.
Once expressing our interest in helping, we were informed that a fundraising event for the program was being held on April 4, 2008.

This event was appropriately titled, Tux n Boots Dinner and Auction. In order to raise money, Heartland hosts this annual fundraiser to persuade current and potential supporters to contribute to the good cause.

Considering the organization was using a video that was created ten years ago to show potential and current contributors, supporters, volunteers and participants what it is that they do; we decided to shoot, edit, produce and create an up-to-date DVD of the program. It is NetStandards hope that through the viewing of this video at (but not limited to) the Tux n Boots event, that many more individuals will be aware of the positive impacts horseback riding therapy can have on an array of disabled children and adults.

Please enjoy the video and if you have any questions, concerns, comments or would like to volunteer for Heartland Therapeutic Riders Inc. please feel free to contact them at:

913-897-3939 (phone)
913-685-7433 (fax)
http://www.heartlandtherapeuticriding.org/index.html (web-site)
P.O. Box 391, Stilwell, KS 66085 (mailing address) 19655 Antioch Road, Bucyrus, KS 66013 (physical address)

If you are interested in having your charity, non-for-profit or other helpful Kansas City area organization or program and/or events video-taped and visually documented to increase your visibility and awareness in the community please contact Melissa Thoenen from NetStandard at:

913-262-3888 ext 253 (phone)
913-262-0660 (fax)
2000 Merriam Lane, Kansas City, KS 66106 (address)
http://www.netstandard.com/ (website)

Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Small Business Celebration 2008

noreply@blogger.com (William Rock) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:41:00 +0000

We are very grateful for all the small business here tonight.

At The Chamber, small business is a big deal. It's the engine that drives the local economy and about 93% of our members are classified as small businesses.

Each year, The Chamber holds what has become the largest celebration of small business in the nation. Nominations for Greater Kansas City's outstanding small businesses open in October, with three months of activities from March through May. The year's Top 10 Small Businesses are named in April; one of those 10 is presented the Mr. K Award as the Small Business of the Year at a May celebration finale. The Mr. K Award is named after famed Kansas City entrepreneur Ewing Kauffman.

Benefits of Software as a Service

noreply@blogger.com (Carl H) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:58:00 +0000

NetStandard Inc. offers Microsoft technology and applications via the Hosted ASP model or "Software as a Service" model. The Top 5 benefits for choosing hosted applications are:

Lower Cost of Entry
Lower IT Cost
Less risky investment
Cost-effective scalability
Gain immediate access to the latest innovations

The 'NetStandard Enabled Enterprise' a total solution for small to mid-sized businesses includes such applications as:

Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Microsoft Dynamics GP
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

http://www.netstandard.com/

Microsoft Dynamics GP Payroll and Human Resources videos.

noreply@blogger.com (Carl H) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:47:00 +0000

View videos on enhanced functionality for Microsoft Dynamics GP Payroll and Human Resources (HR) modules.

Choosing the Right IT Auditor

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Jenkins) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:42:00 +0000

A bank must perform proper due diligence when choosing an IT auditor. The IT auditor must be someone who can determine whether your IT infrastructure is properly secured, and if customer information is kept safe. However, more than that, the auditor must be willing and able to point you in the right direction if vulnerabilities are found. Simply telling you that a weakness exists is not enough. You need an IT auditor who can provide sound advice on how to correct the weakness.

The need for thorough and periodic IT audits has grown, and conducting these type of audits is essential to fulfilling the requirements of due care. Threats to information assets abound because of the reliance on computer systems and the Internet. A disgruntled employee can sabotage bank systems or send confidential information across the Internet. A high level officer in financial straits can misuse his authority. An external attacker can find an open door and deface a bank’s website. If any of these events occur, shareholders, directors and regulators will ask bank management if the principles of due care were followed. The lack of due care can expose a bank to serious liability. As such, IT audit is absolutely critical.

Exactly what is an IT audit? First of all, an IT audit is just as much about people as it is about technology. A row of firewalls can easily be bypassed if people are not made part of the security solution. An employee might give out information which should be kept confidential. An administrator might fail to remove an unneeded program from a server. Unneeded programs only provide more venues for the external attacker. A web developer might carelessly leave an open door or forget to update an application on the web server. A good IT auditor understands the people aspects of the banking business as well as the technology involved.

A good IT auditor also knows the laws and the regulatory requirements a bank must meet. An IT auditor must analyze your GLBA-related compliance program and provide helpful suggestions.

NetStandard has qualified auditors and the right tools in place to provide your bank with a thorough IT audit. We have an extensive IT Audit Work Program developed by a former federal bank examiner. This Work Program covers the areas emphasized by the examiners. The examination areas are:

1) Audit

2) Management

3) Development and Acquisition

4) Support and Delivery

5) GLBA Compliance

Keep in mind, though, that a good IT audit is far different from a regulatory examination. The examiners read policies, check access levels and interview personnel. They do not dig into your systems. They do not analyze Group Policy Objects and how the network truly functions. They do not perform vulnerability scans.

NetStandard has sophisticated software tools for scanning your computer network for vulnerabilities. These tools contain up-to-date databases of known weaknesses and attacks. We can scan your network from the inside. We can also scan your network externally and perform penetration tests to help determine your vulnerability to attack from the outside.

Moreover, NetStandard takes a team approach to IT audit. The IT auditor who conducts the audit has access to a team of network security specialists, engineers and disaster recovery experts. Our professional team has the knowledge and skill to help make your banking environment more safe and secure.

Robert Jenkins, CISSP
Office (913) 262-3888, ext. 228
Cell (816) 582-5670
Fax (913) 262-0660

Increase agility, lower IT costs and ... go green!

noreply@blogger.com (John Leek) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 01:23:00 +0000

It seems everyone in IT either has a virutalization project or is researching it. Yet some remain unconvinced. If you remain a skeptic, read on.

Sharing case studies helps clear up misconceptions and increase confidence that we are beyond the hype cycle and indeed virtualization is ready for prime time.

A large financial services company has now virtualized 51% of their 850 servers. Their focus has been on web and application services. This company indicates they have avoided $5 million in expenditures over the last 3 years and improved server provisioning time from 2 weeks to 20 minutes!
A 25 server medical services firm needed to refresh their servers. They consolidated those 25 servers onto 2 physical server in a blade chassis with 2 TB of local storage. The results:
1. A modest purchase savings of $8,000 over alternative standalone proposals,
2. A significant improvement in application performance,
3. A lowered total cost of administration for servers and storage,
4. A projected improvement in system availability,
5. An ability to rapidly provision new servers,
6. An ability to provision servers for testing,
7. Reduced power, ventilation and cooling requirements with projected annual savings of $1200. Less power consumed = smaller carbon footprint.
NetStandard leverages VMWare Enterprise edition to provide servers to multiple customers. These servers deliver a guaranteed 99.99% uptime. NetStandard can provision servers for customers in under an hour and provide a secure isolated environment on shared virtual hosts, using virtual LAN technology, virtual firewalls and connected to virtual storage. NetStandard also leverages this environment to deliver secure hosted applications to clients for a fixed fee per user per month. Customers have the luxury of quickly obtaining capacity without investing capital on a month-to-month basis. Contact NetStandard at 913 262 3888 or Visit Us Online at http://www.netstandard.com/contact-us.php to obtain pricing or to arrange to provision virtual servers for your testing.

Top IT Security Concerns

noreply@blogger.com (Robert Jenkins) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:01:00 +0000

As a bank executive, what are your top IT concerns?

Over spending on information technology and hurting return on assets.
An IT infrastructure that really doesn't meet your bank's needs.
Employees unable to do their work because network applications or workstations aren't responding as they should.
Information security weaknesses which might allow customer information to be stolen and misused.
Poor examination results because the examiners judged your policies and procedures to be less than adequate.
Over dependence on a single bank employee for IT.
Sending confidential backup tapes home with an employee. What if the tapes are lost or stolen?
A disgruntled or careless employee damaging your information systems.
Important systems going down or important information being corrupted. Can you restore operations quickly?
A board of directors unhappy with the situation.

NetStandard is a well-established technology firm which understands the special needs of community banks, information security, and the regulatory environment. Our staff includes network security specialists, Certified Information Systems Security Professionals, a former federal bank examiner, and engineers with a wide array of skill sets.

Please come by our booth at the KBA Technology Showcase, and let's discuss these issues. You will see the NetStandard booth directly in front of you as you enter the exhibition center at the Wichita Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Robert Jenkins, CISSP
Office (913) 262-3888, ext. 228
Cell (816) 582-5670
Fax (913) 262-0660

Data Access and Management for SMB's

noreply@blogger.com (John Leek) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 03:00:00 +0000

Corporate data stores are growing by 40% year every year. At the same time, data storage prices are dropping which means the SMB marketplace is now in a position to reap the benefits of the capabilities of high performance storage arrays. NetStandard is leading the push in the SMB marketplace to provide valued storage solutions.

Previously too expensive, entry level storage arrays are now positioned to deliver improved data access performance to allow the SMB marketplace to leverage the information in their growing data stores. A recent customer leveraged a new IBM DS3400 to reduce the time of producing a critical report from 40 minutes to less than 1 minute.
ExaNet provides highly efficient file services designed to consolidate file servers, reduce server administration and allows searchable and very fast access to data. Exanet, like most NetStandard solutions, allows customers to leverage storage solutions from a variety of storage array vendors to deliver highly efficient and valued network attached storage while retiring their file servers! The solution offers the added advantage of allowing MacIntosh, Windows and Linux users to access data from the same NAS file server.
Addressing performance concerns caused by storage arrays presents challenges not easily remedied. FalconStor allows data to be moved on the fly, without an outage between storage arrays to address these performance issues OR to help in migrating between storage arrays (locally or remotely). All LUN's are presented to the FalconStor SAN management system(s). FalconStor then positions the administrator to either dynamically allocate storage based on rules or manually allocate storage to SAN-connected servers attached via FC, SCSI or SAS. The management capabilities reduce the administrative overhead, improve the availability of underlying systems and improve the managability of data. Data can be moved between storage tiers as needed to maximize the value of storage investments.
DataSafe provides encrypted, deduplicated and compressed data back-up to a secure, SAS70 certified facility all for what many times is less expensive than tape. Reduce the overhead of managing back-ups and restores, meet regulatory compliance requirements and ensure data is safely stored offsite. Resellers can join companies like Time Warner Business Class in selling NSI DataSafe online back-up services.