IT administrators tend to be a fickle bunch, and with good reason. When you're supporting a vital service that can determine whether or not your entire business can operate properly, you tend to be very cautious when it comes to changing out a key component. A key component like a Web browser, for example -- say, Internet Explorer 6, which is still a force to be reckoned with in the enterprise.

Google has been doing its best to get Chrome in the front door, of course. First there was Chrome Frame, which seamlessly integrates into Internet Explorer to provide a hybridized, modern Frankenbrowser. Next came Chrome's remoting feature -- which is still not ready for prime time but is positioning itself as an alternative to Terminal Services setups.

Two more recent additions -- the arrival of an MSI installer and added support for Windows policies -- have added even more enterprise cred to the browser. Chrome now offers an enticing package to the IT admin. It's secure, it's fast, and -- most importantly -- it's now easy to manage and deploy across an entire Windows network.

Over at the official Chrome Blog, Google took a moment to trumpet these features and they're no doubt hoping administrators take notice. "We're excited by the features built so far, and we're working hard on polishing the next set of policies that will make Google Chrome even more customizable and useful to users in the future," concludes the post. Successful test deployments with Proctor and Gamble, Boise State University, and Vanguard are also mentioned.

2010 has certainly been a phenomenal year for Chrome in the consumer market. Will Google see similar enterprise gains in 2011? We'll revisit this one next December.

Filed under: Business

Okay, so my earlier story about how Amazon is messing with International Kindle users made a bit of a splash. Quite a few things came up in my investigations before and after the story, but the basic fact remains: Amazon will add a fixed $2.00 surcharge to most items (which may or may not be a "roaming charge") if you're an international customer, even if you're using a WiFi-only device.

But I've now discovered something interesting enough to warrant a follow-up: It turns out that if you go to Amazon's Manage My Kindle page, you can simply set your country.

I think you must specify a valid address in your destination country (I supplied a valid one in Canada), but Amazon then simply takes your word for it.

Excerpt:  Sex and profit are the two things that never last long enough..

I’ve subscribed to a couple of mailing lists were i watch the tech satire very closely.    A couple of days ago i noticed that i had automatically been subscribed to @Jason’s mailing list, and in one of his mails he goes on to mention the the “Ferengi Rules of Acquistion.”

If you’re not a Trekkie (and neither am I) it turns out Ferengi are a species from StarTrek that was particularly highlighted in Deep Space 9. Their religion is commerce and their society is determined by profit.

Here’s a little background i found over on Memory Alpha:

If you don’t know IMG (the world’s premier and most diversified sports, entertainment and media company), then meet the man who founded the company with one handshake with legendary golfer Arnold Palmer.

Today i was reading through Kevin Kelly’s blog and i ran into a post:  The 100 best business books in the world.  While it referenced some powerful and persuasive books like Purple Cow, How To Win Friends And Influence People, I was surprised not to see Mark McCormack’s insightful and practical book What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School in the list.

We may be bias but this is probably the best interview you will ever read. Okay so maybe not, but thing is certain this is the best interview you ever read that features John O’Nolan. And to find out what animal is to the right, you will just have to read the article!

First may I call you Big John?

Hell yeah you can! In fact that’s what she said! Though other preferred pseudonyms include “John Teh Awesomez” and “Beaver John” – why? I just love Beavers. In fact if you have a picture of a Beaver, this would be a great place to include it! I could talk about Beavers pretty much all day.

Prefect! Well that’s interesting about your love for beavers. So our topic is client acquisition. You seem to be quite good at acquiring clients. What do you attribute your success to?

Well my current strategy for this is to focus all of my time and energy on NOT acquiring clients. Seriously – that’s actually what I do.

Developers looking for work? Agency looking for a developer? Let us help with this simple business card exchange we have setup we will do it all for free! (Not to mention give some free stuff away!)

We are going to be collecting business cards from developers of all kinds from PHP/MYSQL to iPhone App developers and beyond. But we are not only going to collect them we are going to send them to agencies who are looking for developers!

But wait we are going to do you one better! The developer with the most creative business card gets a $25 gift card to their choice of iTunes or Starbucks.

Details/Rules

Online business owners and merchants: now that you have traffic driven to your website and your services are available for all to see, the next obstacle to conquer is to be able to make that sale, over and over again. Attracting customers is relatively easy compared to building a loyal customer base; however, with a little creative marketing and profit flexibility your business can have a repeat consumer clientele by trying these indispensable retention methods.

When it first came by, people saw opportunity. Now, they are dismayed. Competition thrives online and e-commerce isn’t an eBay story for everyone. For every Amazon or eBay, there are scores of commercial websites beating brows to figure out ways to make it to the top or in some cases, make enough to survive. Merchandising online needs to be reinstated and done with a few points to bear in mind – just what needs to be done to heat up the cash registers?

If you’re looking to start a business you probably have wondered, “where do I start?”.  Regardless of what your entrepreneurial ambitions may be, these links will help you get started!

Step 1 – Prepare your Business Plan
Preparing a business plan should always be the first step to starting a successful business. A business plan will help determine if you are dedicated to your proposed business.  Businesses take a fair amount of time and preparation, and a proper business plan will help you map the progression of building and establishing a business. A business plan will also help you see if your business is viable and has the potential to be profitable!

Preparing a Business Plan by Small Business Administration (SBA)

Step 2 – Decide the Structure of your Business