A single spyware infection on a work computer can impact the productivity of the typical small business employee for two-and-a-half days, according to research commissioned by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
A survey of employees at businesses with 10 to 200 computer users found that more than one in four computer users reported having their productivity impacted by a spyware infection during the past six months. Of these, more than one-third reported multiple spyware inflections.
Even more alarming, users of spyware-infected computers reported "living with" the problem for 18 work hours – more than two full workdays – before getting it repaired.
They did so even though they realized that their work productivity was reduced due to the problems associated with spyware. Users estimated their productivity was reduced by 21 percent when the spyware problem was first noticed; and was reduced by 32 percent when the problem was at its peak.
On top of the delay in reporting a spyware infection is the time it takes to fix the problem. A survey of PC-support professionals servicing small businesses and who had fixed at least one spyware incident during the past year reported spending an average of 2.8 labor hours per infected PC. That’s more than 20 hours of reduced worker productivity for each spyware incident at a small business.
CompTIA commissioned Kotler Marketing Group of Washington, D.C. (http://www.kotlermarketing.com/), a consulting firm specializing in value-based selling, to conduct the survey to better understand the frequency and cost of problems such as spyware, viruses and network and server downtime among small businesses.
Two separate online surveys were conducted in late 2007. One questioned 537 end users who work in non-IT roles at small and mid-sized businesses in the financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services industries. The other survey queried 200 IT professionals who support small and mid-sized businesses. Respondents were based in North America, with approximately 80 percent in the United States and 20 percent in Canada. For more information on the study, visit http://www.comptia.org/sections/research/.
Showing posts with label annoy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label annoy. Show all posts
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
iPhone 3G and the Hidden Math
Not mentioned in Monday's you-can't-get-away-from-it iPhone 3G announcement: AT&T's service plan jumps $10 a month. What's this? Did Apple finally figure out what the rest of the retail world did: That when you give away the razor you can charge through the nose for the blades?
Let's look at the math.
Old iPhone: $399 (for 8GB of storage), plus $60 per month for 450 voice minutes and unlimited data. Two-year total (since you'll be signing a two-year deal for either handset): $1,839.
New iPhone: $199 (for 8GB of storage), plus $70 per month for a basic voice plan (presumably the same 450 minutes) and unlimited data. Two-year total: $1,879.
That's $40 more over the course of your contract, which is really not that bad in the grand scheme of things. Had AT&T and Apple raised monthly fees just another $5 per month, the total cost of service would have hit almost $2,000 over two years (not including taxes and fees).
"Business users" get the shaft, big-time, with a minimum of $85 a month for service. That's $15 a month extra just so you can get email via Exchange. Other annoyances: iPhone 3G will have to be activated in stores instead of at home, like before, and the phone won't be available to purchase online at launch.
Still, this isn't too bad. Putting aside the business user issue, $40 extra over two years doesn't sound like much, considering all the extra features and services the new iPhone packs in.
In fact, on paper the iPhone 3G has addressed almost all of the biggest complaints, regarding the original model from a year ago. But then again, don't forget those accessories (a charging base, for example, is no longer included).
UPDATE: For those who've written regarding the time value of money, I did the math based on the present value of the iPhone to Apple at a 3% annual interest rate. The numbers: Original iPhone nets Apple/AT&T (and costs you) $1,795; new iPhone gets them $1,828. So the new phone still costs you $33 in the end if you invest that $200 you would have otherwise spent on the hardware.
UPDATE 2: Several readers write to mention that text messages are no longer included in the iPhone package, so add another $5 a month for 200 SMS messages. Upgrade to the 16GB iPhone and you're hitting $2,100!
Let's look at the math.
Old iPhone: $399 (for 8GB of storage), plus $60 per month for 450 voice minutes and unlimited data. Two-year total (since you'll be signing a two-year deal for either handset): $1,839.
New iPhone: $199 (for 8GB of storage), plus $70 per month for a basic voice plan (presumably the same 450 minutes) and unlimited data. Two-year total: $1,879.
That's $40 more over the course of your contract, which is really not that bad in the grand scheme of things. Had AT&T and Apple raised monthly fees just another $5 per month, the total cost of service would have hit almost $2,000 over two years (not including taxes and fees).
"Business users" get the shaft, big-time, with a minimum of $85 a month for service. That's $15 a month extra just so you can get email via Exchange. Other annoyances: iPhone 3G will have to be activated in stores instead of at home, like before, and the phone won't be available to purchase online at launch.
Still, this isn't too bad. Putting aside the business user issue, $40 extra over two years doesn't sound like much, considering all the extra features and services the new iPhone packs in.
In fact, on paper the iPhone 3G has addressed almost all of the biggest complaints, regarding the original model from a year ago. But then again, don't forget those accessories (a charging base, for example, is no longer included).
UPDATE: For those who've written regarding the time value of money, I did the math based on the present value of the iPhone to Apple at a 3% annual interest rate. The numbers: Original iPhone nets Apple/AT&T (and costs you) $1,795; new iPhone gets them $1,828. So the new phone still costs you $33 in the end if you invest that $200 you would have otherwise spent on the hardware.
UPDATE 2: Several readers write to mention that text messages are no longer included in the iPhone package, so add another $5 a month for 200 SMS messages. Upgrade to the 16GB iPhone and you're hitting $2,100!
Monday, June 2, 2008
How to Annoy People at Work - Monday's Suck :)
Monday's Suck. You can have some fun though. Maybe you could drive everyone crazy. Maybe you hate your job, or maybe you're just clueless. Either way, here are some quick and easy tips to help you become the most annoying employee around -- without getting yourself fired.
1 - Assume that you're smarter than everyone around you. In fact, assume that you're smarter than everyone in the company, and possibly everyone in the world. Never question your own brilliance, even momentarily.
2 - Have no respect for others' areas of expertise. For example, if you work in the design department, take every opportunity to tell the IT people or the secretarial staff how to do their jobs.
3 - Cultivate a condescending tone of voice. This is crucial. If you sound too pleasant, people might assume you mean well and actually like you. Speak slowly and loudly, and pronounce your words carefully, especially the big ones. Act as though you're teaching a 3-year-old how to tie her shoes.
4 - Pick something you know is important to a coworker, and make frequent, unfunny jokes about it. For example, if you work with a woman who adores her cat, joke about the cat being a terrible creature who will one day kill her in her sleep. Pretend not to notice that no one ever laughs.
5 - Offer extremely obvious and unsolicited advice. If a coworker's bike has been stolen, ask him, "Did you ever consider locking it up? I find that helps!"
6 - Complain about everything. If there's catered food, complain that it's disgusting. If there's no work to do, complain that you're bored. If there's a lot of work to do, complain that you're too busy. Complain about the temperature in the office and how uncomfortable your chair is.
7 - Never give up! If someone starts to walk away as you're talking, follow them. If your boss tells you to figure something out on your own, continue to ask questions. It takes perseverance to annoy coworkers on a consistent, meaningful level, so don't be afraid to lay it on thick.
Bonus - Don't be rude! It's actually more annoying to be overly friendly and clueless than to be blatantly hostile. Just make sure you come across as totally insincere.
1 - Assume that you're smarter than everyone around you. In fact, assume that you're smarter than everyone in the company, and possibly everyone in the world. Never question your own brilliance, even momentarily.
2 - Have no respect for others' areas of expertise. For example, if you work in the design department, take every opportunity to tell the IT people or the secretarial staff how to do their jobs.
3 - Cultivate a condescending tone of voice. This is crucial. If you sound too pleasant, people might assume you mean well and actually like you. Speak slowly and loudly, and pronounce your words carefully, especially the big ones. Act as though you're teaching a 3-year-old how to tie her shoes.
4 - Pick something you know is important to a coworker, and make frequent, unfunny jokes about it. For example, if you work with a woman who adores her cat, joke about the cat being a terrible creature who will one day kill her in her sleep. Pretend not to notice that no one ever laughs.
5 - Offer extremely obvious and unsolicited advice. If a coworker's bike has been stolen, ask him, "Did you ever consider locking it up? I find that helps!"
6 - Complain about everything. If there's catered food, complain that it's disgusting. If there's no work to do, complain that you're bored. If there's a lot of work to do, complain that you're too busy. Complain about the temperature in the office and how uncomfortable your chair is.
7 - Never give up! If someone starts to walk away as you're talking, follow them. If your boss tells you to figure something out on your own, continue to ask questions. It takes perseverance to annoy coworkers on a consistent, meaningful level, so don't be afraid to lay it on thick.
Bonus - Don't be rude! It's actually more annoying to be overly friendly and clueless than to be blatantly hostile. Just make sure you come across as totally insincere.
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