HOW SLOW CAN YOU GO?
WHEN IS IT TIME TO BUMP TO A T-1 LINE?

Bandwidth is broken up into 2 specific parts. It is like a divided highway. Traffic uses lanes to travel to or from. The same is true with the internet. You have two "pipes" one coming and one going. The pipe that is coming to your computer is called "Downstream", and the one going away from your computer is called "Upstream."

Downstream -v- Upstream:
Downstream is when data is moving to you. When you are downloading a file from the internet or open a web page.

Internet service providers have limitations on the data traveling up and down stream. An average DSL or Cable connection for example would have 1.5 Mbps downstream and 384Kbps upstream. This is because most home users will put more of a demand on downstream traffic. For the average home user the biggest demand upstream would be sending an e-mail with a big attachment. Other then that only mouse clicks and text are sent upstream.

The rule of thumb for the average business internet user is 80Kbps downstream. If you have 20 users sharing a connection you would need a 1600Kbps or 1.56Mbps. If the users are downloading large reports, Applications, or going to websites with heavy graphics or video you will want to go higher. Taking into account that all the users will not be using the connection at the same time 80Kbps per user is a good starting point.

Unless you are hosting a website or have several remote users connecting to your network from the internet 384Kbps is a good starting point for upstream traffic. If you are hosting a website or have remote users the amount of bandwidth you need upstream would depend on how many concurrent connections you have on average to the site. The rule of thumb should be 30Kbps for each connection. For example you have on average 20 users connected to your website or working remotely you would want to have 600Kbps of upstream bandwidth.

There are many options for Internet connectivity. They range for Dial-up at 56kbps up/down, Cable and DSL 384Kbps up/down, business class DSL 6.0Mbps up to 608Kbps down, business class Cable 3Mbps up to 1.5Mbps down, T1 or dedicated line 1.54Mbps up/down. To increase speed even more you can combine multiple T1's to achieve almost unlimited bandwidth

Most small businesses that do not have the need for upstream capacity will most likely want to choose business class DSL. It is the most cost efficient way to the internet. The average cost for business class DSL is around $100.00 per month. A business that has the need for more then 608Kbps upstream will need to upgrade to a business class Cable, or a T1. This will dramatically increase the price. T1 lines are generally 1.54Mbps up and down. This is usually slower then a regular Cable or DSL connection for downstream connectivity. A T1 line sells for about $600.00 per month. A T1 line also let's you share this connection with your phones. Thus your monthly phone bill is just for long-distance. The last option would be to have a business class Cable line. This service is also expensive $400.00 per month, but has two times the downstream speed and the same upstream speed as a T1 line.

While there are many considerations in the type of data service you need. The most important thing is how much upstream and downstream bandwidth is needed. This needs to be balanced in order to make the best choice.

WE GO THE EXTRA MILES...

Ron Kroes, Rick Stieghorst and Glenn Hertel attended the Legal Access Ware (LAW) imaging software - annual conference that took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The two-day conference in May, detailed product information updates as well as information from vendors that work with ICE.

Quick Tips: Excel Key Commands

Entering Data
To enter today's date: Control + ;
To enter current time: Control + Shift + ;
To enter dynamic date: Type "=today()" in cell (changes to current date)
To enter dynamic time: Type "=now()" in cell (changes to current time)
To create multi lined cell: Alt + Enter

Jumping:
To edit and jump through cell text contents: one word at a time to right or left Ctrl + left or Ctrl + right arrow
to jump to start: Press Home
to jump to end: Press End

Selecting:
To select entire worksheet: Ctrl A

TECHTERMS

METADATA
(me-ta-'dA-ta, -'da- also -'dä-)
(Greek meta "after" and Latin data "information")
Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction
Tech Definition: Information about a particular data set which may describe, for example, how, when, and by whom it was received, created, accessed, and/or modified and how it is formatted. Some metadata, such as file dates and sizes, can easily be seen by users; other metadata can be hidden or embedded and unavailable to computer users who are not technically adept. Metadata is generally not reproduced in full form when a document is printed. (Typically referred to by the less informative shorthand phrase "data about data," it describes the content, quality, condition, history, and other characteristics of the data.)

CAN YOU SET UP OUR IN-HOUSE IMAGING DEPARTMENT?

Midwest has been contacted several times to help set up in-house imaging departments for law firms and legal departments of corporations. The short answer to this request, is that we do not currently provide this service. However, to provide some insights as to the realistic cost of an in-house system you would need to consider the following investments:

LAW: Legal Access Ware. Provides the scanning software.
Z-Print: Provides the electronic evaluation services.
Scanners: Color & Slides
Printers: High Speed for large blowback jobs.
Servers: Network needed to distribute the workload.
Servers Space: Space fills quickly with large image files.
Servers Speed: Process more documents per hour/day.
Remote Access: Employees & clients can work/consult from their own offices.
CD/DVD Labeler/Burner: Provide professional quality work product

The learning curve for training an eData specialist is about 18 months of hands-on exposure to a variety of assignments. Since productions are not cookie cutter duplicates of one another, it is difficult to provide absolutes to steps or processes. Each production provides its own little challenges based on the nuances of the productions and how people managed (or mismanaged) their documents.