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| ABN 23 114 975 772 | newsletter@quarkgroup.com.au | www.quarkgroup.com.au | issue 17 | february 2006 |
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Update Zone |
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The Latest Crimeware Information |
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NSW Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 Yes, I know that very few Quark Group clients are painted blue and scuttle away from lights and movement, but this information is relevant to Queenslanders as well - if this is Law in NSW already, then it will likely be implemented in Qld in the foreseeable future, which means that it is better to get your ducks in a line now. Australia has long been a country where support for the underdog has been strong and support for the corporate bully has not been tolerated. Australia is also a country that loves litigation. Aside from the obvious (USA) we're the most litigious country in the world. Australia is a country that does not appreciate spam (we are one of the few countries with an opt-in policy) and we prosecute spammers (occasionally). We are also a country where the company is responsible for its employees lapses in ability to abide by the Law. The objectives of this Act are: (a) to prohibit the surveillance by employers of their employees at work except by surveillance of which employees have been given notice or surveillance carried out under the authority of a covert surveillance authority issued by a Magistrate for the purpose of establishing whether or not an employee is involved in any unlawful activity at work, and (b) to restrict and regulate the blocking by employers of emails and Internet access of employees at work, and (c) to provide for the issue of covert surveillance authorities by Magistrates and to regulate the carrying out of surveillance under a covert surveillance authority and the storage of covert surveillance records, and (d) to restrict the use and disclosure of covert surveillance records. The Bill applies only to camera surveillance, computer surveillance (surveillance of the input, output or other use of a computer by an employee) and tracking surveillance (surveillance of the location or movement of an employee). |
The problem we are now facing is that this responsibility of the company for its employee's actions and the Workplace Surveillance Act as summarized above are in conflict. If you look closely at the Bill there are a number of expressly disallowed methods of surveillance and a number of exceptions to this Bill. A major exception is that blocking of spam, menacing or offensive emails is not prohibited. Another exception is if the employer is acting in accordance with the employer’s email and Internet access policy as notified to the employee (for example, as signed in the acceptance of a job offer) and the employee is notified as soon as practicable that an email has been blocked. What this means, and remember that we are not lawyers - so we recommend that you consult a lawyer if you think that you may be affected by this Act - is that although as an employer you are responsible for the actions of your staff, that you cannot observe these actions covertly. There are a few exceptions, but these require that you have a pre-existing Company Security Policy containing an Email and Internet section that all employees have agreed to. Quark IT is be able to assist you with your data and staff protection needs. We can provide solutions to enhance your Company Security Policy where both information technology and building security is involved. |
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Licensing:
Education & Student Versions |
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Student (and Teacher) Versions We all know the old "get them while they're young and they'll be yours for life" mantra. We've heard it time and again when it comes to various things. Well, software and hardware manufacturers are not likely to go against that any time soon. In particular, both Apple and Microsoft know that if they can get young children used to their environments then they are less likely to change later in life. Apple does this by spattering schools with Apple computers (at an exorbitant price, may I say) and Microsoft does it by offering schools, teachers and students cheap copies of their software. Generally, you will find that Student (and Teacher) Versions of software can be used by students, teachers and their families on their home PCs as long as this software is not used for commercial purposes. That means that you are more than welcome to use this software for homework, school projects, learning and home finances, but the minute that you bring work home from the office and use a Student Version application to continue working on it you are breaking copyright law. Also, to purchase these software packages you generally need to be a full time student or teacher at an accepted education facility. Each and every manufacturer has different conditions they place on the purchase and use of their software, so it is worth consulting someone to ensure that you are able to purchase and use this software legally. |
Education Licensing Many software companies will license their software for use in Education facilities at heavily reduced pricing. You will generally find that this licensing applies to not only primary and high schools, TAFEs and Universities, but some (certainly not all) private educational facilities and also preschools and childcare facilities. If you think that you have a legitimate case, speak to Quark IT and we can follow this up - we may be able to save you a significant amount of money on software licenses for your children's childcare facility. Not For Profit & NGOs A number of Non Profit organizations are able to purchase software at the same or similar pricing to Educational Licensing. Examples include churches, welfare organizations, community centres, nursing homes and employment training centres - but please note that each and every manufacturer has strict rules that apply to NFP/NGOs and these are far from consistent across the board. Quark IT can inform you of a particular organization's eligibility for software they are considering. If you have any concerns about the number or type of Software Licenses that you have purchased, please contact Quark IT and we can assist you to determine if you are correctly and adequately licensed. |
Mobile Workers - Away From The Office |
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Days of yore If we look back only 10 years or so ago to what was considered a mobile worker, they'd be carrying a Motorola luggable bag phone, a luggable brick known as a laptop and quite a few notepads and pens so that they could do work when not near a power outlet. Does anyone remember what damage those laptops actually did to your lap? Oh, so you couldn't even pick one up and get it to your lap?  More recent times Looking back to the more recent past, a mobile worker was someone who had a notebook computer and a mobile phone. The notebook would last a few hours on battery and was easily transported by the average human. Their mobile phone was getting smaller and smaller and battery life was increasing.  |
Now and on the horizon We now have many different options that will enable mobile workers to be more productive. Tools such as Remote Web Workplace (exclusive to Small Business Server 2003), Terminal Server, Windows Mobile PDAs and Smartphones, Blackberry devices, Microsoft Origami (oops, sshhh...), Tablet PCs, IP Telephony, GPS Live, Vodafone Mobile Connect cards, iBurst and wireless networking, Bluetooth, as well as the old standards of notebooks and mobile phones allow us to come up with some interesting customised solutions to the various challenges that working away from the office can present.   Future articles We'll cover some of these technologies in more depth over the coming months. We at the Quark Group use a number of these mobile technology solutions on a daily basis to perform the work that we need, so we have a good grasp on a number of the issues that are likely to be encountered whilst deploying a mobile worker solution for business. If there's anything in particular you'd like to see discussed with regard to mobile workers, accessing your business network from home (or your home network from work), or anything else related to mobile workers please don't hesitate to contact Quark IT. |
Next Month |
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Software Licensing We'll summarise the past few months' Software Licensing articles by showing the pros and cons of the various different Licensing schemes. Depending on your needs, a sizeable amount of money can be saved if you carefully plan your software needs. |
Multi-Room Audio We'll also speak a bit more about the various multi-room audio solutions that are available. We'll discuss the pros and cons and compare some alternate options such as running multiple Windows XP Media Centre Edition machines in multiple rooms. Again, if there is anything you'd like to see covered in future Newsletters, please email us with any suggestions or comments. |
Signing off |
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That has got to be close to a wrap for our February 2006 Quark Group Newsletter. Microsoft Origami - no, they haven't thrown out software and gone back to paper, but there is a new Microsoft technology due to hit the market in early March. We can't tell you anything more right now, but stay tuned next month for an overview of this product and what it could be useful for. Windows Media Centre will be making a serious bid for your home entertainment centre with both the Intel Viiv platform and also on the upcoming version of Windows known as Microsoft Windows Vista. Stay tuned for more information as it comes to hand. Quark AudioVisual can provide Home Theatre systems designed to suit your needs. If you have an unusually shaped room that is hard to get sounding right, if you have the need for low profile or in-wall speakers, or if you just want a system designed by professionals who value the joy that a quality Home Theatre can bring, Quark AudioVisual can help. If you know anyone else who would like to receive this Newsletter, please feel free to forward this edition to them and also ask them to email us asking to subscribe. Please contact us if you would like Quark Group to assist you in ensuring that your home as well as your office computing environment is as functional as it can be. | |
