About the Editors

About BizTech
BizTech explores technology and business issues that senior IT leaders and business managers face when they’re evaluating and implementing a solution. BizTech presents technology and business best practices, best-of-breed technology products and case studies from the field. BizTech is published by CDW.

About CDW
CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare.

Ranked No. 38 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies, CDW features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to best meet their unique needs.

The company’s technology specialists offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Our offerings range from discrete hardware and software products to complex technology solutions such as virtualization, collaboration, security, mobility, data center optimization and cloud computing.

A just-in-time inventory model and two state-of-the-art distribution centers allow CDW to provide the latest technology with fast and accurate delivery. Approximately 2,000 custom-configured systems are shipped daily. CDW holds ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications.

CDW was founded in 1984 and employs approximately 6,150 co-workers.

 

Ryan Petersen Editor in ChiefRYAN PETERSEN
Editor in Chief - [email]

Ryan has been a magazine and newspaper editor for 13 years, with the last seven covering a variety of bases for BizTech. As Editor in Chief, he works on developing editorial strategy and is always on the lookout for new writing talent and sharing great stories with the business IT world. Before working on CDW’s family of magazines, Ryan worked at the Kane County Chronicle, the Moline Dispatch and the Rock Island Argus newspapers. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, biking and obsessively following Iowa Hawkeye sports. Against his better judgment, Ryan is raising his children as Cubs fans.

 
Brad Sowell Senior EditorBRAD SOWELL
Senior Editor - [email]

Brad is a senior editor for BizTech magazine and works closely with media relations and other professionals to develop articles for the magazine. He’s the best person to contact about story pitches, contributed articles, product review requests or when seeking general information about the magazine. Brad was most recently a public relations specialist at S&S Public Relations. Before that, he handled public affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy. When not following the Cubs and Hawkeyes religiously, Brad is an avid distance runner and has been competing in races across the Midwest for more than 15 years.

 

Desktop Applications & Utilities

Jason Holbert Contributing EditorJASON HOLBERT
Contributing Editor

Jason covers desktop applications and help-desk utilities, including reviews geared toward the IT end-user support function. Jason is a Tier II Desktop Support Technician for Harcros Chemicals, a worldwide leader in chemical manufacturing and distribution. At Harcros, Jason supports more than 350 end users, who reside at a total of 30 branch locations. In his free time, Jason enjoys reading, motorcycling, competitive shooting and remodeling his starter home with his wife of 15 years.

Handhelds & Tech Gadgets

Jeff Sheen Contributing EditorDR. JEFF SHEEN
Contributing Editor

Jeff is tasked with separating the “gee whiz” factor from the truly useful when it comes to the latest tech gadgets, and oh, he holds a Ph.D. in physics. He currently works as the supervisor of enterprise architecture services for Grange Mutual Casualty Group of Columbus, Ohio. His biggest challenge is being an avid Wolverine fan while living in the midst of Buckeye country. 

Microsoft Technology Best Practices

Russell Smith Contributing EditorRUSSELL SMITH
Contributing Editor

Russell is a technology consultant and trainer specializing in management and security of Microsoft server and client technologies. He started his career as a trainer in web authoring software during the dot-com boom and later moved into systems support and administration. A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with more than 10 years of experience, Russell’s projects have included everything from deploying Small Business Server to developing security practices on large-scale United Kingdom government IT projects. Russell is also author of Least Privilege Security for Windows 7, Vista and XP published by Packt. During his spare time, he is studying Russian but in his less serious moments enjoys lounging in coffee houses with friends.

Editor at Large

Ben Bradley Managing DirectorBEN BRADLEY

Ben is managing director of Macon Raine (www.maconraine.com). As an avid indoorsman, he writes about the intersection of technology and business. His primary interests include the role of marketing on internal technology adoption, change management, micro-finance, network and physical security, collaboration, networks and groupware.

Desktop Deployment and Management

Mitch Tulloch Contributing EditorMITCH TULLOCH
Contributing Editor

Mitch is a widely recognized expert on Windows administration, deployment and virtualization. He has been repeatedly awarded Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status by Microsoft for his outstanding contributions in supporting users who deploy and use Microsoft platforms, products and solutions. Mitch has published more than 300 articles and two dozen books, including the Windows 7 Resource Kit, for which he was lead author, and the free e-book Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions: From the Desktop to the Datacenter (both titles available from Microsoft Press). He currently owns and runs an information technology content development business based in Winnipeg, Canada. Find out more about Mitch at his website, www.mtit.com

Networking Hardware

Connor W. Anderson Contributing EditorCONNOR W. ANDERSON
Contributing Editor

Connor is the vice president of Riverfront Technology in Clinton, Iowa. He has been working with computers since 1985, which he figures confers Grizzled Veteran status. Connor has a number of industry certifications and has served as a team leader on many projects for clients as diverse as Fortune 500 companies, universities, government agencies and the shop on the corner. He lives three blocks from the Mississippi River with his wife and three kids. He enjoys fighting the forces of entropy consuming his 90-year-old house and, in the summer, releasing his inner hooligan attending the matches of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club.

 
James E. Gaskin Opinion ColumnistJAMES E. GASKIN
Opinion Columnist

James writes books, articles and jokes about technology from his Dallas-area home office. He also consults for those who don’t read his books and articles.

 

Art Directors
Gregory Atkins,
Josh Coleman,
Kevin Hambel

Copy Editors
Allison Leopold, Ellen Wu

Project Manager
Brandon Wamsat
Production Artist
Tommy Dingus
Photo Editor
Sara Elder
Circulation
Alice Klimek
Ad Design & Production
Mike Konczyk,
Sarah Woodman
Digital Project Director
Chris Dornfeld 
Senior Web Developers
Gwyneth Morgan, Daniel Crowder 
Web Designer
Zahir Shad 
Online Content Manager
Ricky Ribeiro 
Partner Advertising
Leo Flynn
847.968.0758 or leoflynn@cdw.com
Small Business Marketing
Lauren McCadney 
Subscription Change Requests
Kim Vandenheuvel
847.371.2309 or kimvan@cdw.com     
 
CEO
John Edwardson 
Senior Vice President of Sales
Chris Rother 
Vice President of Business Sales
Jill Billhorn 
Publisher
Jim Garlow 

Security

Review: Symantec Endpoint Pr... |
Sorry hackers: This latest user-friendly version of the antivirus software reinvents the...
Information Security Intelli... |
Knowing is half the battle when it comes to IT security and risk management.
How to Develop a Sound Data... |
Pattern matching and document tagging are often used in parallel to create the most...

Storage

The Power of USB 3.0 Will Be... |
New USB standard can reach speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second.
Disaster Recovery Ready: Up... |
Virtual resources are a key component of data center optimization and business continuity.
Data Deduplication: The Case... |
There are real, distinct performance advantages to post-process deduplication with a grid...

Infrastructure Optimization

5 Next-Level Data Consolidat... |
An IT expert offers five data consolidation tips.
Desktop as a Service: The Ne... |
Could there be a future in which users provision their own virtualized desktops?
How One Company Achieved Dat... |
Source Interlink moved, virtualized, consolidated and optimized an entire data center,...

Networking

Tidy Up with Iogear’s KVM Sy... |
The Iogear KVM console delivers a clean appearance for your data center racks.
Does the Web Need a .data gT... |
Debate continues over custom gTLDs as Stephen Wolfram ponders the utility of .data on the...
Top 5 Gadgets from CES 2012 |
These are the gadgets that tech dreams are made of.

Mobile & Wireless

Mobile-Device Protection: Wo... |
As mobile devices play an ever larger role in daily productivity, the danger of damaging...
Amazon's Kindle Fire: P... |
The device distinguishes itself in affordability and ease of use.
Gorilla Glass 2 Is Thinner b... |
The latest version of Corning’s tough glass trims the fat but retains the durability of...

Hardware & Software

Digital Signage Powers Katy... |
Retailers and advertisers can leverage the interactive capabilities of digital signage to...
Gorilla Glass 2 Is Thinner b... |
The latest version of Corning’s tough glass trims the fat but retains the durability of...
Mac IT Admin Tips: Display U... |
Make users aware and responsible for the IT department’s ground rules before they log in...