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.

 
Ricky Ribeiro — Online Content ManagerRICKY RIBEIRO
Online Content Manager - [email]

Ricky publishes and manages the content on BizTech magazine's web site. He's a writer, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all-around digital guy. You can learn more by following him on Google+ or Twitter: @ricktagious

 

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.

Information and Network Security

Mike ChappleMIKE CHAPPLE
Contributing Editor

Mike Chapple is an IT professional and assistant professor of computer applications at the University of Notre Dame.  He is a frequent contributor to BizTech magazine, SearchSecurity and About.com as well as the author of over a dozen books including the CISSP Study Guide, Information Security Illuminated and SQL Server 2008 for Dummies.

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


James GaskinJAMES 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,
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, Brock Fanning 
Web Designer
Zahir Shad 
Online Content Manager
Ricky Ribeiro 
Partner Advertising
Leo Flynn
847.968.0758 or leoflynn@cdw.com
Small Business Marketing
Lara Sibley 
Subscription Change Requests
Kim Vandenheuvel
847.371.2309 or kimvan@cdw.com     
 
CEO
Thomas E. Richards 
Senior Vice President of Sales
Christina M. Corley 
Vice President of Business Sales
Jill Billhorn 
Publisher
Jim Garlow 

Security

A History of Encryption Thro... |
Passwords and information security have come a long way.
Symantec: Flashback Trojan A... |
The antimalware company digs through the code to find the motives of the Mac OS X...
Hackers Have Their Eye On Sm... |
No organization is too small to go unnoticed by hackers and malware proprietors.

Storage

The Value of Storage Virtual... |
Nondisruptive data migration, improved utilization and fewer points of management are...
GIS Data: A Storage Puzzle |
The exponential growth of big data from geospatial technology is forcing businesses to be...
Big Data Needs Push Firm to... |
With millions of acres of timberland in its care, a unique investment management firm...

Infrastructure Optimization

Why an Uneventful E-Mail Mig... |
A company achieved just what it was looking for when it moved its e-mail to the cloud: no...
Must-Read IT Blogger Q&A... |
Virtualization and cloud technologies have captured the imaginations of this industry-...
Mozilla Moves to New $3 Mill... |
The Internet leader built its new data center with open collaboration and community...

Networking

The Value of In-Person Meeti... |
Putting in face time with coworkers, clients and business partners really makes a...
How to Optimize the WAN for... |
Use these tips to maximize the performance of company WANs.
WAN Optimization: Addressing... |
Using WAN optimization actually bolsters disaster recovery and security efforts for IT...

Mobile & Wireless

The Case for Joining the Wor... |
Telework and a four-day work week make a lot of sense when you look at the numbers.
Smartphones Are Making Every... |
Pew survey finds that smartphones are turning users into real-time problem solvers.
How to Repel Notebook Thieve... |
Theft-prevention technologies not only guard against mobile devices being stolen, but...

Hardware & Software

Why an Uneventful E-Mail Mig... |
A company achieved just what it was looking for when it moved its e-mail to the cloud: no...
How the Tampa Bay Lightning... |
More businesses are using digital displays to increase engagement and bump up the...
Windows XP Maintains Its Hol... |
With official support for Windows XP ending in 2014, organizations should plan to upgrade...