VMWare Forum 2011

VMware is taking its show on the road between May and July, hitting eight cities (including Anaheim on May 19; city schedule here) and doing one online presentation. The firm’s VMware Forum 2011 is a free, day-long event where you will learn how “accelerated” IT lets you respond quickly to market conditions, competitor moves and customer needs. You will find that virtualization of the desktop, amazing as it is, is just the beginning. VMware vSphere – “the most widely deployed foundation for cloud computing” – can help you reduce capital and operating expenses, tighten up security and even “go green” (CRE supports that strongly).

VMware claims its products can meet your company’s precise business needs, even as you lower costs, with custom-tailored IT service based in “the cloud.” Whether or not it works for your unique situation is something you must look into. With a full range of computer rentals capable of running any OS you need, CRE is ready to support VMware’s goal of a “cohesive, secure and compliant cloud strategy in three core areas: infrastructure, applications and end-user computing.” We can install VMware Fusion on Mac Pro rentals (even Mac laptops) to introduce you to desktop virtualization, but to get the corporate-wide “view from the cloud” you should attend this free event.

No crowd in the cloud

At Forum 2011, you will discover a proven method for providing safe, secure access to applications and data – to and from any device, wherever and whenever users need them. You will see how the power and potential of VMware vSphere can help your company make a swift, secure transition to the cloud.

We know all about virtualization here at CRE, and our expert Account Executives are ready to respond right away to your call or e-mail. Whether you want to test a new virtual server with your customer service reps or set up a new branch office with same-day office equipment rentals, we’re here with the expertise (plus the hardware and software) to help you pull it off. As always, if you know what you need you can skip right to the Quick Rental Quote form. Whatever you need, call CRE Rentals!

One very important benefit of CRE computer rentals, like all our high-tech rentals, is a straightforward financial one: You save money. If you need render farm rentals a few times per month, purchasing the equipment is not a good investment for you. You have to maintain it, repair it and upgrade it – and ultimately you have to replace it. It’s a costly cycle. For monthly training sessions, getting a dozen or 20 iMac rentals is a bargain compared to buying the computers to sit idle most of the time.

The dismal science

Every business has a unique situation with respect to equipment needs, budgets, production demands and so forth. Yet no matter what your needs, CRE has you covered. As just one example of the real-world edge CRE offers, we know that your marketing and trade show dollars need to go farther and do more than ever. CRE convention rentals will bring your exhibit area to life.

You could have your interactive product demos running on touchscreen LCD monitor rentals, or stop passers-by and show them the same thing on the bright, colorful screen of our iPad rentals. Send some of your team members around the conference center, with iPads or even tablet PC rentals, and they can stay in touch with Wi-Fi, capture information from attendees, show product videos or PDF brochures, and check work e-mail. Work efficiently, follow your plan, remain positive – and you will stretch that budget.

Micro and macro

On the micro level – you, your company – it’s easy to see the benefits of CRE for everything from the aforementioned tech gear to office equipment rentals. There’s lower capital investment, reduced production overhead and predictable expenses. On the macro level – everyone else, the rest of the planet – CRE rentals are a nice shade of green. With multiple production companies, studios and animators using potent Mac Pro with Kona Card rentals just when they need them, there is no “inefficient ownership.”

CRE offers efficient rentals to counter the inefficiencies that some businesses experience with costly hardware that needs continuous upgrading. Whether it’s one of our Xserve RAID rentals or a slick way of enhancing your small firm’s presence in a cavernous conference center, we’re ready to equip you for whatever it is that you need to do. Call or e-mail an Account Executive and we’ll show you how efficient and effective CRE service and support can be.

Return of the peacemaker

That war was still raging when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in the late 1990s. Without him, CRE would have no iMac rentals in its inventory, as the iMac was among his first projects. In the early 2000s, the Mac’s PowerPC chips fell behind in the clock speed race, so in June 2005, Jobs surprised everyone – and outraged Mac True Believers – by announcing that PowerPC chips were being replaced with Intel chips. Those first models debuted in January 2006.

Happily, the Mac-PC wars are pretty much over. Both systems are capable and powerful now, and digital workflows can easily incorporate both systems. Start a PowerPoint project on a Mac Pro rental, save it to a USB thumb drive or the cloud, then take it home and finish it on your PC – or the other way around. Most of today’s major software packages – from MS Office to the Adobe Creative Suite – are available in both Mac and PC versions, as are a variety of specialized applications.

The foundation of collaboration

Not only do the hardware and software components of a mixed Mac-and-PC operation work together, a range of text, audio, video and image formats are accessible to both systems, too. Whether you’re working on a Mac, a touchscreen Sony VAIO L or a potent HP 8600, you can use the same files. For text, there are txt, rtf and rtfd files; the universal audio formats are wav, ogg and mp3; video formats include avi, wmv and mpg/mpeg; and cross-platform image formats include gif, jpg/jpeg, tif/tiff, eps and png.

There are more, but you get the idea – whatever you need to do, you can do it on a Mac or a PC, accessing the same “raw materials” with either system. If you work in a mixed computer environment and need computers, monitors or printers, simply call or e-mail an Account Executive. If you know what you need, use our handy Quick Rental Quote form. We know the technology across platforms -  and inside out, too.

We don’t just support media professionals, though. If you’re not a pro, but want to edit some clips or produce a video presentation, you can do it. And CRE Rentals can help. In fact, many simple video projects can can be done quickly, and well, even on a basic laptop rentals. For everyone from marketing professionals to administrative coordinators uploading interviews to YouTube, there are hardware and software solutions for all levels of expertise.

Software for basic editing

It doesn’t matter whether you work on a PC or a Macintosh, as many leading software programs support both. One advantage with Apple is the iLife software suite that comes pre-installed on every Mac. It includes iMovie, a great entry-level editing program. On entry- or intermediate-level systems – PCs running Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 or iMac rentals running iMovie – you can get decent results right away with templates and sample workflows, and near-professional results if you actually read the manual.

View your video

For a clear view with accurate color, CRE Rentals has state-of-the-art LCD monitor rentals to fill the bill. You may also need a larger display, perhaps a 30″ Apple Cinema Display rental if you want to preview finished work to management or show it in a conference setting. You can’t get your video projects done wisely and cost-effectively without comprehensive advice, which you get from CRE Rentals – along with the right tools, at the right price.

An Account Executive will help you get just what you need to get that video  project started. Make a call, send an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll get you what you need to succeed. Indeed!

You may be better off thinking of computer technology the same way you think about renting equipment for conventions. How so? Unless your company is a  Fortune 500 company, you’ll probably rent what you need for that upcoming trade show. Why pay for equipment that won’t be used most of the time? This is analogous to the tech question you need to ponder, “Why pay for computer power that won’t be used most of the time?” Why, indeed?

Overselling as an art form

PC and peripherals manufacturers suggest that you need the latest, greatest, most powerful hardware (and software) at every employee’s desk. Not so. Basic, entry-level computers can handle all the normal “office productivity” tasks you need done – word processing, spreadsheets and charts, even presentations – so you do not need leading-edge tech for the bulk of your employees’ work. You really need to match the equipment to the job at hand, ensuring that each employee has enough power for their work. Having too much power means you are spending too much money.

Once you look at what you really need to run your business, you may find that you can save a good deal of money on hardware. Crunch the numbers and you may discover that half a dozen iMac rentals makes more sense than continuing to buy them on a regular basis. Likewise, if you have production bottlenecks a few times each year (pilot season, FY end, etc.), your bottom line may respond better to some short-term render farm rentals than to purchase orders for the same equipment.

Customize technology…consider rentals

Any plan to save money on technology implementation requires a good deal of study. Customer service reps typically don’t need $6,000 gaming PCs, just as iPad rentals are most cost-effective for your field personnel than rubberized laptops. Many employees will do just fine with entry-level devices. You may even find that certain models in CRE’s wide range of computer rentals are more cost-effective (and more powerful) than the plain vanilla solutions that you will have to replace down the line. Still, your situation is unique – so YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

Our expert Account Executives can help you figure it all out if you give them a call or send an e-mail. Know what you need? Then fill out the Quick Rental Quote form and we’ll take care of everything. We are always ready to help. It’s what we do!

1. Think “safety first” – The Macintosh and Windows Operating Systems (OS) both update components automatically, with your approval, of course. This keeps your security patches and other OS components current, and many of your installed productivity applications have the same feature. Use Software Update under the Apple menu in the Mac OS, and the Windows Update application in Vista and Windows 7. CRE computer rentals, of course, are always updated and good to go.

2. Check the basics – Whether you need MacBook Pro rentals or A/V equipment, CRE will supply flawless working devices with perfect, flexible, unkinked cords and cables. The fact is, power cords, USB/FireWire cables, printer connections and other cables do go bad, especially when bent 90 degrees behind furniture or crushed under heavy peripherals on desks.

3. Firewalls and weapons – In addition to a constantly updated OS, a comprehensive security strategy includes a good firewall and several powerful anti-malware and anti-virus utilities. No single approach catches everything, so get a few well-reviewed products. Since e-mail brings most viruses and Trojan horses to your PC, it’s vital that your anti-virus program scan incoming messages and attachments. CRE ensures that all desktops, laptops and tablet PC rentals are 100% trouble-free.

4. Keep cool – High-tech equipment tends to get warm (some kinds more than others), so always maintain enough airflow over, under, around and through the various components to keep them cool – the computer itself along with monitors, external drives, printers and the rest. When layers of dust build up over time on components inside your PC, printer or other device, overheating can result. A quick blast of canned air once a month or so will keep things cool in both tower computers like Mac Pro rentals as well as rack-mount servers, printers and other devices.

5. Back up to go forward – Storage is so cheap that you can make a complete backup (or clone) of system components, work documents, program files and everything else. Your PC’s internal hard drive is likely your primary drive, but if you have external or online storage you need to back up those devices, also. Windows Backup in Windows 7 is a good tool, as is Time Machine in Mac OS X. Both can automate backups in customized ways.

CRE Account Executives are the people to call when you need powerful tools for your digital workflow or expert event production services. Give us a call, send an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, but remember.– whatever your goals for the New Year, we’re here to help you achieve them. That’s our resolution, in 2011 and beyond.

The history of open-source

Linux is based on AT&T’s Unix, created in 1969, and got its name from Linus Torvalds in 1991. The main tools and “user space” libraries came from Richard Stallman’s GNU Project, and the Free Software Foundation still refers to the package as GNU/Linux. In the early ’90s, there was a great deal of confusion involving drivers, those little bits of code that help your computer connect to monitors, peripherals, modems, and networks. Today’s Linux OS computers can be used with everything from CRE’s LCD monitor rentals to standard office equipment like printers, scanners, and external storage devices.

The major packages of this open-source OS are Ubuntu, Red Hat, Slackware, and openSUSE, which differ mostly in the number of custom utilities added to the mix. Historically, installing Linux has been a bit technical, and it hasn’t been a particularly user-friendly OS, unlike the elegant Mac OS X on CRE’s MacBook Pro rentals. A new product named EasyPeasy aims to change all that with a drop-dead simple installation targeted at a specific kind of user, the netbook surfer. To that end, it is easy to install on any netbook, connects to the Internet out of the box, uses Web apps, and is built for the cloud.

Linux done right

Should you dump everything you have and move to a Linux platform? Probably not, and that’s overkill anyway. If you want to run Linux – to take advantage of open-source apps, learn the OS, whatever – you can install it on a PC or a Mac alongside your other OS (or alone). In fact, if you want to supercharge the already potent iMac rentals, you could install all three major systems on them – Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. If you need this kind of broad capability in a dozen top-of-the-line Mac Pro rentals for a TV/film project or training session, you just let us know. CRE Rentals can install the OS you need!

At CRE, we do “everything tech” to support your workflow, convention presence, and presentation needs. Need the right solution for your unique situation? Simply complete a Quick Rental Quote and one of our expert Account Executives will follow-up to make sure you get what you need, when you need it.

New Dell high-tech hybrid

Dell is still trying to drum up some excitement in the tablet/pad market after the so-so reaction to its Streak device. Its new Inspiron Duo is powered by one of the fastest dual-core Atom processors, runs Windows 7 Premium and has a 10-inch touchscreen. What sets it apart is the hidden keyboard that flips out when you “have to do work,” as a Dell marketing executive explained at September’s Intel Developer Forum. Apparently Dell considers Apple’s iPad an entertainment device, which would be news to the many people who take advantage of CRE’s iPad rentals.

Hello – and good buy!

Three big cell phone carriers in the U.S. have banded together to create a new service called ISIS, based on Near Field Communication (bursts of short-range radio data). In addition to being great multitaskers already (as discussed in a blog about the unlocked iPhone), your smart phone can now use your credit and debit card accounts for purchases, and that’s just the beginning. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon plan to make ISIS much more than just another way to spend money by adding rewards, discount coupons, public transit passes and other goodies to the mix. Some 200 million customers in “key geographic markets” (if you have to ask, you’re not in one) will see ISIS unveiled over the next 12-18 months.

“Giftech” ideas for the holidays

Technology gadgets typically top the list for gift-giving ideas and this year is no exception. With prices for external Blu-ray recorders falling fast,  Sony has a new external Blu-ray burner and player that is Mac-and-PC-compatible product and at a very competitive price. You can also find deals on a Nintendo DS Lite which doesn’t offer 3D gaming, but the screen is bright, the action sizzles and the Nintendo label is still plenty chic.

We think it’s chic to work smart, frankly. Call or e-mail one of our experienced Account Executives, or use the Quick Rental Quote form, and we can help you figure out the smart way to handle that new project, upcoming conference or in-house training session. Whatever you need to do, CRE has you covered!

On staff or on call?

Companies may be targeted by competitors or even their own employees, who will try to hack into secured networks, spread damaging viruses or install various kinds of spyware. The removal of these “invaders” requires state-of-the-art knowledge of the threat as well as up-to-date software tools. If you do not have a security expert on staff, or a good IT generalist that can get (and stay) up to speed, you can always contract with a good networking tech firm that will possess both the know-how and the right toolkit.

There are also lots of companies offering Software as a Service (SaaS) that can handle any one-time, à la carte jobs such as spyware removal. You should consider, however, what an ongoing relationship with a networking company can offer. Some are leading the way to the world of the virtual office, and the cost savings for your business can be substantial when you entrust the entire network to the care of experts. The firm’s tech pros can keep your network running, handle all day-to-day operations, ensure critical uptime, perform all backups and take all the headaches from you. Essentially, you are hiring a freelance IT department.

Put money into growth

When you don’t have to keep buying new equipment, repairing it, maintaining it and replacing it every year or two, you have additional time, money and energy to do what’s really important. That means growing your business, of course. Along with spyware removal and threat mitigation, an IT pro (independent contractor or company) can secure your data and show you the way to leaner, more focused company operations.

This is the same rationale that makes CRE Rentals a smart move. You can stop “keeping up with the Joneses” (or Jobses) and always have state-of-the-art computing power like the potent Mac Pro rentals at the office, and the interactive kiosk rentals and other things that make your conference booth and/or breakout session(s) a hit. Let us help you stay current on technology, save money on hardware and hit your deadlines — fill out the Quick Rental Quote form today.

Integrating personal and corporate assets

The average corporate PC is almost five years old. However, corporate workers have been buying all kinds of smart phones (with exciting 4G models), e-book readers, wireless doohickeys and potent little laptops for themselves, at constantly falling prices. As we head toward 2011, IT departments will feel increasing pressure from both managers and workers to tie personal tech into corporate workflows. CRE’s iPad rentals show that these devices can be true productivity enhancers, too.

Facebook fatigue

Facebook is going to level off at some point, as users are already reporting that cybertedium is setting in. Twitter takes time to use well, and LinkedIn works to the extent that you leverage the revamped Answers feature and position yourself as an expert. These social sites are in the process of evolving into corporate tools.

Staffing stalls (investment, too)

During times like 2010 (and likely into 2011) when hiring is flat and funds are scarce, managers continue to look for ways to get just as much, often more, from the same size staff and the same set of tools. CRE computer rentals are a proven way to increase productivity without investing precious capital in new equipment, with bang for the buck that continues to grow with ongoing technological advances.

The big loser of 2010

Amazon passes eBay: Amazon.com’s stock is higher than it was even during the dot-com stock bubble of 1999-2001. Because its vendor agreements require greater transparency than eBay’s, Amazon.com is a more secure buying experience. Just like CRE’s reputation for having the latest, greatest iMac rentals whether you need two or 20, Amazon.com’s reputation puts people at ease, too.

Big winners of 2011?

IT pros who live and breathe social networking: Social networking sites grew incredibly fast over the last several years, but individual users may be tiring of them a bit (see “Facebook fatigue” above). Corporate use, however, is on the rise, as witness by first-rank advertisers promoting their Facebook pages instead of their corporate sites in TV and print campaigns. IT workers who can combine their tech expertise with insights into social media marketing will become even more valuable over the next year. If you want to test those waters at your firm, CRE’s Mac Pro rentals pair up nicely with our Xserve rentals to create a workstation with which you can run all those ideas up the virtual flagpole.

No matter what the trends are, we are on top of them and know how to help you leverage them for your greatest benefit. Call or e-mail one of our seasoned Account Executives, or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, and we’ll deliver the solutions you need, fast!