No such thing as a free launch

Office 2010, the latest version of Microsoft's ubiquitous package was launched earlier this month with most of the attention focussing on the free online versions of its main applications. But is 'free' ever worth it?

Cash remains tight for most UK businesses, so this might not be the easiest time for Microsoft to be launching the latest version of its Office suite of software.

Perhaps this is why so much of the talk surrounding Office 2010 has been about the new suite of Web-based applications, which are free online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, designed to compete with Google’s Docs, Zoho Office and various other open source Web-based productivity tools.

But just how much do you get for nothing? After all, Microsoft has stated that it created Office Web Apps as companions to, rather than replacements for, their desktop equivalents. Our review describes some of the newest features of Office 2010 and highlights some of the limitations of the free online versions.

Suite-wide changes
New online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote let users create, edit, and share documents online, for free using the company’s SkyDrive website.


Improved customisation features, such as being able to easily assemble the commands you frequently use in user-created Ribbon tabs and groups of your own creation.

The big Office button has gone from the top left corner. Instead the File tab now brings up a new window called 'Backstage View' where you can create, share, save, print and access recent documents.

New Live Preview function for a paste that allows you to see what it will look like before you commit, saving on clicks.

Sophisticated image and video editing tools that could mean that many users no longer have to use third party applications to process media for use in Office documents.

Office documents downloaded from web programmes now open in a ‘protected view’ by default in a bid to tackle increasing Malware problems. This means that editing is disabled until you explicitly authorise it.

Word 2010
Better design tools with new artistic effects easily accessible from Fonts pop-up window.


New navigation pane which makes skipping between sections simpler in long documents

New 'Insert Screenshot' feature which permits you to add and edit a screen grab from any non-minimised window on your desktop instantly without exiting the document.

Word has now become such a powerful editing tool that its online version seems all the more disappointing. In particular, there is no support for Word's 'Revision & Review' toolset which seems illogical given that one of the primary uses of the online version must surely be to enable simpler collaboration between users. Please note that simultaneous editing in both Word and PowerPoint require the full desktop versions.

Excel 2010
Addition of Sparklines, a feature that can create tiny charts in a single cell to illustrate trends in a row of figures.

The ability to save complex spreadsheets to the Web, open and edit them in the Web version of Excel and return then to the desktop without losing the formatting is a great advancement.

As with Word, functionality in the web version of Excel is very restricted with no charting tools whatsoever. Functions may be used and tables can be refreshed from outside data sources however some tests have reported slow performance.

PowerPoint 2010
PowerPoint’s 'Broadcast Slide Show' feature is one of the smartest innovations in Office 2010, making it simple to show presentations remotely to anyone with a Web browser. The presentation just needs to be uploaded to a secure website which gives you a unique URL to pass to your friends or colleagues to create an impromptu presentation from wherever they may be. It's a very convenient way to collaborate, although to start this type of presentation, you'll need to buy Microsoft Office 2010.


Other improvements include advanced video-editing features where you can trim embedded videos and bundle them up so they travel with your presentation. You can now easily import video from the web too.

A new animation painter allows the application of an animation created for objects in one slide to objects in another.


As with other Office 2010 applications, the online version of PowerPoint is a shadow of its desktop self. You may only create slides using text, still images and smart art with no animations or transitions.


Outlook 2010
New layout features and options: i.e. default mail view adds a people pane that shows recent interactions with the sender of whichever message appears in the pane. This People Pane also has an Outlook Social Connector feature, which brings the e-mail and calendaring program into the world of social networking. Allows contact data to be synced with popular social networks, sharing status, pictures, shared documents and more.


The new Quick steps feature provides an easy way of creating rules and applying them to specific messages (as opposed to filters)


OneNote 2010 (now a component of all Office editions)
Microsoft is trying hard to promote the use of this application by including it in all Office editions. OneNote is billed as the ultimate place to store and share information in a single location as the application allows you to capture text, images, video and audio.


OneNote 2010 is perfectly mobile. You can post notes online and access them from virtually anywhere using the Web or a smartphone.

The latest version includes some smart new features such as the ability to record audio while you’re taking notes and then let you use the notes to play back the audio it captured as you were writing them. It can also turn handwritten maths equations into text.


Microsoft's Web Apps
These web-based Office Applications are skeletal shadows of the desktop applications.

Whether you purchase one of the desktop Office 2010 editions or not, you’ll be able to use Office Web apps, free of charge, although you will need a Windows Live account either way.

Web Apps allow you to create new Word, Excel PowerPoint and OneNote documents online, via the Office menu item which appears on your Windows live page. You can visit the file from any browser, in any location, and click the edit button to bring up editing options. The free versions do not include all of the functionality of the desktop versions of Office 2010, but some home users may find them sufficient.

For details on Microsoft Office licencing or to discuss the new features of Office 2010 in more detail, please contact your ramsac Relationship Manager on 0844 225 1600 today.

The politics of business and the business of politics

Since starting my company ramsac in the recession of the early 1990s the impact of the incumbent government of the time, on the success or failure of small businesses cannot be underestimated. Twenty years and three prime ministers later and we find the country coming out of another recession and a new coalition government in place. So what does the future hold for the current and future captains of UK industry? Well, to learn about the future it is a good idea to look at the past.

We conceived our company, ramsac, along with many other entrepreneurial businesses, at the end of the last Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher. However, the business actually started life, in earnest, during the economic downturn in the early 1990s when John Major had taken office and the reality of doing business had altered. In many ways it was not an ideal time to be starting a fledgling company, but whilst the economy was tough, the government was always supportive of British business and the entrepreneurial spirit - which is just as important, if not more so, today.

My first experience of how the government can have a significant and direct affect on small business came in 1997 at the dawn of the new Labour era. Regardless of political persuasion it is evident to all who worked hard to build and grow their businesses during this time that many of the advantages we once took for granted had been eroded, with increased, costly and cumbersome legislation. In fact it is reputed that there was one new piece of legislation for every day of the Labour government’s term, despite a pledge to tackle red tape for small enterprises during the launch of the Labour party’s 2001 election manifesto. The cost to businesses since 1998 was estimated by the British Chamber of Commerce last year to be in the region of £77bn, so fingers crossed the new ‘one in one out’ rule will put a stop to much of required bedtime reading!

So what changes will the new government bring to business? Certainly, with the astronomical levels of government borrowing an increase in widespread taxation is almost inevitable. Yet most employers will be breathing a collective sigh of relief that the planned rise in National Insurance contributions will now not take place. In fact, the good news for those entrepreneurs starting out now is the planned waiver of the employers' National Insurance contribution on the first ten employees they hire in the first year of business.

I hope that the new coalition government with the former economist, Vince Cable as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, embrace the importance of hard working and innovative UK businesses and the entrepreneurs who invigorate and drive them. To this end I hope that the entrepreneurs’ relief that was introduced in 2008 will be fully supported by the new government. Also, I welcome plans to make it easier for SMEs such as my own organisation to win prized government contracts, although only time will tell if businesses have the inclination to submit a tender.

Finally, I would argue that the announcement of a five-year fixed parliament is a positive step in uncertain times. Whether your views are left, right or centre the best government for business is a stable government that gives a strong signal that GB Plc is ripe for investment, something which is good for all businesses of all sizes and the country as a whole.

ISO 27001

We’re working on a couple of ISO 27001 projects at the moment. For those who aren’t aware, ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised standard for information security, much like ISO 9001 is for quality management.



The demand seems to be coming primarily from clients who are bidding for contracts which are now starting to require ISO 27001, along with the usual ISO 9001, IIP etc standards.


Although it seems daunting at first, ISO 27001 is designed to fit the size and complexity of the organisation. So it doesn’t impose complex far-reaching requirements on smaller, simpler organisations.


At the heart of ISO 27001 is the Information Security Management System, or ISMS. This is basically a document containing policies and procedures, which if followed reduce the risk of information being lost or released.


We’ve been working closely on these projects with a specialist ISO 27001 consultant and auditor, so between us we’re able to create the ISMS with the client, and then take them through the initial and compliance audit process.

If you have any needs in this area please do not hesiate to get in touch and talk to us or visit our website at http://www.ramsac.com/

They think it’s all over – but business doesn’t need to suffer

As this year’s long-awaited football World Cup approaches it will undoubtedly polarize the population between those for which it can be best described as ‘The Beautiful Game’ and the remainder who often feel it is an unwelcome distraction from the rest of daily life. For small businesses it can also spell a period where employee interest in the event, which often involves decisive games being played during normal working hours, can become obsessive and lead to distractions and even unwarranted absence.

Whilst the recovering economy dictates that small businesses need to keep their eye on the ball (if you pardon the pun), employee satisfaction is an important part of creating and maintaining a well-motivated and committed team – the key to any successful enterprise. Happily we are living in an age where remote or home working is a realistic and often beneficial facet of modern business and this gives a much greater ability to find a solution that can suit everyone.


Effective remote working has been significantly aided in recent years with the evolution of mobile devices, a vastly improved remote communications network and increasingly faster Internet speeds. Many IT systems with remote access can provide the home worker with the same level of systems access that is available in the office environment. However, most office-based server systems can offer staff members some level of remote access, even if it is web-based access to the company email system. For many workers it is access to communications that is the key consideration. 

Unified Communications is another invaluable tool for remote working, but it is also an excellent way to streamline all business telephone calls. Unified Communications makes monitoring all the essential communication tools simple and effective. Everyday business essentials such as your mobile phone/email device, the telephone on your desk, voicemail, the customer database and your digital calendar can all be linked in one information portal. It also means that contact details are easily retrieved from a central database, voicemails immediately alert you of their presence and there is no need to play ‘telephone-tag’ with someone else in the company as your status is always available to show who is available. Incoming calls are swiftly routed to the appropriate device or person, all of which can be seamlessly planned and programmed into your diary to administer reliable and timely contact with clients or suppliers. 

Naturally, for some companies business drivers mean that rigid working hours will need to be maintained, especially for client-facing employees.  In these situations it may be advisable to block football or related websites, either permanently, throughout the tournament or during certain working hours, to discourage employee distractions. This is a straightforward procedure for your in-house or outsourced IT support team to administer and can be revoked later if appropriate. 

If you decide it is appropriate, making sure that employees can function just as well away from the main company premises; means that businesses can now offer levels of flexibility that just weren’t realistic in the past. Whilst remote working won’t stop football-mad employees wanting to check the latest score or watch key games, it does mean that working hours can be juggled where possible and productivity maintained when traditionally it may have suffered – so everyone can be a winner this summer.

ramsac survey highlights the need for better emergency planning

Poor business continuity planning at the beginning of 2010 cost SMEs an average of £13,800


A survey of SMEs conducted by my company ramsac shows that whilst 60% of businesses had at least half their staff absent during the snow in January, only 33% actually had an effective business continuity plan in place. As a result 94% of the organisations polled admitted that whilst staff worked hard to try and maintain service levels, they were often unable to do so whilst working from home.

The widespread adverse weather conditions that hit the UK earlier this year highlighted, for many businesses, that they do not have the appropriate contingency plan in place to keep business as usual when hit by crisis. The estimates of the cost to the UK economy caused by lost working days over the first two weeks of 2010 vary wildly (our survey suggested an average of around £13,800 for each business that responded), but it’s very clear that a huge proportion of businesses in the UK had large numbers of staff unable to get in to their normal place of work. Unfortunately it wasn’t an isolated case. Severe weather in December and also back in February of 2009, demonstrated that it’s not just a one off occurrence.

Despite the recent snow-bound reminders, bad weather isn’t the only thing that can render whole offices (or vital members of staff) out of action. Pandemic illness, child care problems, power failures, floods, fires - the list of possible interruptions to the modus operandi are countless – so it is essential to plan for these potential problems.

The ramsac survey shows that only 22% of respondents have a documented business continuity plan that they feel meets their current needs should a crisis hit. This is juxtaposed by the fact that all the respondents said that they had staff working from home during the recent bad weather and demonstrates a clear need for companies to take a good look at their needs and build a contingency plan to protect their business activities.

Another issue that our survey highlighted was the type of IT access that businesses provide remote working employees when away from the office. While all the respondents said they provide remote access to email and 67% could offer home workers access to CRM/customer databases and other key business applications, none of the businesses offered remote access to the office telephone system. In an emergency the telephone is still the main channel of communication for customers, suppliers and employees, so it needs to be up and running.

At ramsac we use a technology known as Unified Communications, which combines the telephone system with the rest of the IT communications system. It was invaluable to us during the recent bad weather as we were able to maintain a fully functional business telephone system, which extended to all the team members at their home/remote locations and facilitated a seamless service to our clients.

I advise that businesses plan as well as examine the key business opportunities to be won from being prepared for disruption ahead of your competition, rather than simply dwelling on the potential problems. New technologies are making it easier and simpler to provide employees with all the business tools they need, wherever they are, so building these into a continuity plan can help to ensure that business operations will continue whatever challenges you face.

www.ramsac.com