It doesn’t take long to set up a few computers, install programs and interconnect them all into one network. But when the office starts to expand, problems and questions often arise: is there a backup for our data? Is our internet access secure? Are we protected from viruses and worms? What will we do if our system crashes? It’s never too early to start thinking about the topic ‘back-office’, i.e. about servers, gateways, firewalls, cabling, printer connection, data backup and central software for anti-virus and anti-spam protection.

The aim of this article is to help readers understand these components, check existing configurations for loopholes and shortcomings or, at least, enable them to hold a knowledgeable discussion with the administrator. Each individual component or step in the network has to be analysed from the aspects security, availability, administrability and cost and these are weighted differently depending on the size of the office. [...more]

High operating costs, tight time schedules, large data volumes and various data sources characterise the typical working conditions that one finds in the construction industry today. Continuing specialisation and software applications tailored to a defined task area make it more difficult for all project members to work together effectively within the construction and planning process [...more]