Safety Watch

AKM are proud sponsors of a safety scheme for primary school children in our area.

Safety Watch is a scheme to promote children’s safety in our community; raising awareness in children aged between 5 and 11 years of the dangers that they may face every day, from ‘stranger danger’ to ‘arrive alive’.

As children of this age group respond well to activities and practical learning, an interactive CD packed with stories, games and quizzes is provided to the chosen school so that they can learn whilst having fun.

This scheme is sponsored by local businesses who understand the importance of ensuring our children are safe in our communities. We at AKM feel passionately about this scheme and feel that our sponsorship will help the children at our chosen primary school, Mepal & Witcham, learn about the dangers that they could face and help keep them safe.

If you would like to find out more about this important nationwide scheme, please click the link below.

http://www.safetywatch.org.uk/

Ely Chamber of Commerce

The Ely Chamber had its first evening network event on Wednesday 7 June and boy was it busy!

Thank you for so many of you coming along to find out about the chamber and what it can do for your businesses.

www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk/ely/homepage.asp

Sage Offers

With the launch of both Payroll and Line 50 Version 13 due in August, the offers from Sage this month are a little sparse, in fact there is only one.

If you have Version 8 Line 50 you can still get a 20% discount off the cost of an upgrade until 30/06/06. Remember this version will soon be removed from their valid range of software.

We are offering a 15% discount off any Sage stationery ordered during the month of June 2006.

If you are interested in any of the above offers, please contact Tammy on 0870 0429076.

The Techie Bit - Microsoft License Types

Many of you will have heard of OEM software or retail boxed products and even Open Licence software. Hopefully in the next couple of paragraphs I should dispel some of the myths and explain what these differences are.

The easiest one to start with is the Retail boxed product. This is simply a software program that has been sold off the shelf or via mail order. The product is generally supplied in a glossy box with documentation and a CD or DVD with which to install it. The use of this software is governed by the end user license agreement contained within the packaging. Generally speaking the software is sold at full price and is allowed to be used on one PC. The products usually require activating via the internet which informs Microsoft that the software has been installed.

In most cases (subject to licensing) the software can be transferred to another PC but can only be installed on one PC at a time.

Original Equipment Manufacturer, or OEM, software is supplied with a new PC or piece of hardware. This software is generally sold at highly reduced prices as it does not include documentation or packaging. The software can only be used with the hardware it was supplied with. Installing it onto another PC is illegal and constitutes software piracy which can include substantial fines.

When buying a new PC it is far cheaper to purchase software that will have a usable lifespan similar to that of the PC. This is the benefit that OEM software gives you. By the time the PC is renewed you are able to take the benefit of newer, better software.

Open License agreements are the realm of medium to large businesses where servers are involved. They work on the Tescos principle of pile ‘em high sell ‘em cheap. Licenses are sold giving the right to use “x” many copies of a software package. You do not receive the media or any documentation. You simply receive a license agreement stating the number of instances that can be used.

An Open License agreement requires that you purchase at least 5 licenses of a particular product. Once the agreement has been purchased you are then able to add more licences for different products to that agreement. This comes into it’s own when you have a server that requires client access licenses. In many cases each PC may require 3 licenses, one to access the server, a second for e-mail and a third for your Information management system or database. A network of 10 computers may then require 30 licenses! These do not require any installation media and consist of serial numbers that must be activated via the web to use. Many of these licenses can be transferred between computers, making it cheaper to buy new PCs.

We always try to find the best licensing arrangement for our customers and, as you can now see, there are many factors that affect the outcome. If you require more information on this subject please contact us on 0870 0429076.

Meet the Team... Chris

Chris is AKM’s Technical Director. He joined AKM in December 2002 as an IT Support Engineer, working within a team of 6 people. It became very clear early on in his career with AKM that he was much more than just an IT Engineer.

When one of the founding directors left in 2004, Chris assumed more responsibility within the company. He began to manage more projects as well as designing and building databases (or as they are now known ‘Information Management Systems’) and became more involved with the Sage product portfolio.

In October 2005, Chris and Tammy successfully completed a management buyout and began to review the service offerings of AKM, looking at how they wanted the company to move forward. 8 months later, Chris is still enthusiastic about the business and what value it can offer to both our existing and potential customers.

Chris is not only AKM’s Technical Director, he is also our lead technician. He helps support our customers with their current and future IT needs; designing, building and implementing IMS systems, providing support for Filemaker software and building websites (take a look at ours as one example). He can also provide support and systems integration with the Sage product portfolio. Basically there isn’t much he can't do!

With the support of AKM’s team of technicians, Chris is able to offer you the knowledge, experience and expertise that is needed to guide you through the IT maze, ensuring that you get the best solution for your business within the budgets and objectives you have.

Personal bits!

• Chris is 27 years old
• He has a partner of 4 years (sorry ladies!)
• He has a cracking smile and is as sweet and as gentle as they come
• He is passionate about anything to do with cricket and regularly plays for his local team.
• He is a closet ‘techie’ and loves gadgets of all kinds.
• And he drives a girls car!

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