Windows Defender (formally Microsoft Antispyware) Beta 2 has been released. Downloaded, installed, scanned with it, first impressions are it looks a lot nicer, cleaner simpler interface.

Windows Defender needs Automatic Update service running to get definition updates, and downloads them directly through the network connection for Generic Host Process for Win32 Services. Not sure if I like that. It scans a lot slower, especially when scanning archives. It took forever to get through my Call of Duty 2 and Battlefield 2 program folders. Those game installs are loaded with huge archive folders for maps. Only 8.4 gigs on this drive and it took 23 minutes to scan with a full system scan, spending like 22 and a half minutes on just this drive. It went through my other drive with nothing but 9.5 gigs of mp3 files very quickly. Windows Defender REALLY wants to run all the time now like an anti-virus. Even when I disable Windows Defender real time protection, which it has loads of check points for, and close the window, it leaves no icon in the tasktray, but still has two running process’s, (MSASCui.exe and MsMpEng.exe), one using 15 megs of memory and the other 5.

I, personally, don’t want it running all the time. I don’t need it running all the time. It didn’t find a single thing because I never get any spyware. I just want it to do the occasional full scan when I tell it to.

It took me a couple minutes to figure out how to shut Windows Defender down. It installs a whole new service, Windows Defender Service. Maybe if I just stop the service and set its startup type to Manual, and remove the startup entry it created too, ok rebooting to try it, ok not starting with system. Failing to start service when running it, must manually start the service. Ok I manually started the service, running ok now, must manually stop the service to shut it down again, and then end task on the 1 process it still leaves running (MSASCui.exe, using 5 megs of memory) even after shutting down its service.

I’m gonna have to manually start Windows Defender service everytime I want to use it, and then manually stop its service, and kill the extra process it still leaves, when I’m done. Cause I just don’t need it or want it running all the time if I’m gonna scan with it once a month at most.

It really wants to be integrated and run all the time. I don’t think I’ll mind when its preinstalled into Vista, but this aint Vista, and it should shut down when I want it to. Thats ok I know how to shut it down and how to get it started again when I want to use it.

Pretty impressed with Windows Defender even tho I don’t like how badly it wants to always run. Its Software Explorers thing in its Tools section, and also places a shortcut for in the windows control panel, is pretty impressive. Gives loads of info about everything, every startup item, every running process, every open network connection.

I like Windows Defender, now that I figured out how to tame it. It has no license expiration date anymore in its about box either.

Ken Savage is a Webmaster who writes about what is going on in the Tech industry usually days before it breaks to the rest of the world. He can be found at http://www.kensavage.com He’s also a leading writer within the technology aspects of Diabetes on http://www.battlediabetes.com

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains as new ERP for multinational corporation manufacturing facility in Brazil.

If your company plans to outsource manufacturing in Brazil by purchasing existing facility there, the first step would be to implant new management team and revise business processes and procedures. The way there comes through the new ERP/accounting system implementation from scratch. We’ll show you the way to implement new system on the base of Microsoft Great Plains. You may have two reasons to place Great Plains, first – you company has Great Plains implemented in the headquarters and this is worldwide policy, second – if you have high end ERP at the headquarters, such as SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft – it might be too complex/expensive for Brazilian facility. Looking at the Brazilian ERP software market you will find out that the leader there is local ERP application – Microsiga and it is relatively easy to implement it there, however you will have language barriers, plus differences in reporting and tax rules, when you consolidate the statements to the corporate report. Let’s review Microsoft Great Plains option:

• Licensing. You should consider two options. First, if you host your Brazilian company GP databse in the USA, Europe, Australia, or where your headquarters is located, you do not need to pay additional fee to Microsoft Business Solutions. You may have connection performance issues, but this is separate consideration. Alba Spectrum Technologies owns Great Plains Brazilian version through our office in Sao Paulo – Enterlogix.com.br. Second option and this is applicable if you have high end accounting application in the Headquarters – you can purchase Brazilian version through Enterlogix.com.br and in this case software price would be about half of what you would pay in the USA or Eurozone.

• Localization. Brazil is self-contained large country and people, including executives and accountants speaks Brazilian Portuguese there, not necessarily English. Plus all the local reporting and documentation, including expenses and invoicing should be done in Portuguese. You need localized version and in the case of Great Plains it is available.

• Implementation. Again, consider that Microsiga holds huge percentage of the Brazilian ERP market and the majority of local consulting folks are Microsiga gurus, you probably have to deal with the multinational consulting company with the presence in USA, Europe and Sao Paulo/Rio de Janeiro

• Customization. Microsoft Great Plains stays in the low end of the pricing pyramid and so, instead of long implementation cycle you should expect light or mid-level customization to meet your unique business processes requirements. In this case you need Great Plains Dexterity, Modifier/VBA/Continuum developers, who are working on the Brazilian market.

Final words: Brazil is excellent manufacturing place for beverage production, especially the one, related to fruit juice concentrates, food import to the USA, restaurants suppliers, automakers, especially in the Salvador area.

Good luck with implementation, customization and integration and if you have issues or concerns – we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call São Paulo 55-11-3826-3449! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew is Great Plains specialist in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Microsoft CRM Partner, serving clients in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Manaus, Lisboa, Coimbra, Porto, Cascais and having locations in multiple states and internationally