Oops, someone asked, and I realized the holiday distracted me. Here is your July list. 2nd (first week): Make your equipment shopping list now. Between the back to school specials on desktops and laptops, and the inventory purge in preparation for new models, vendors will be offering some deals. Since it’s summer, try buying a small form factor desktop rather than a tower and cut down your computer energy requirements (due to the smaller power supply). The power you save can go to your air conditioner. 9th (second week): Test the restore process for files from local backups and remote backups. This is particularly critical if you still use tapes for backup, because the restore failure rate for old tapes can be alarmingly high. 16th (third week): Check the last three invoices from all regularly billed services, including telephone, Internet access, Web hosting, and service contracts. A small “mistake” in a bill one month adds up to a bundle over a year’s time.
23rd (fourth week): Refresh your Web site’s look and design. It doesn’t have to be a major overhaul, but at least add some new sparkle, get rid of pages that don’t draw visitors, and polish a little. 30th (fifth week, partial): Run a security sweep: make sure departed employees no longer have access to your network and resources, and check your Web surfing logs for inappropriate site visits.
