5x Intel Small Business Advantage. Enhanced security. Back up and restore with confidence. Simple, single-interface collaboration

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1 ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY AND SECURITY FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS Integrated collaboration and simple-to-use PC-management tools can help small businesses grow without tech support EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Regardless of their businesses shapes, sizes, or industries, most owners need effective technology to help protect and grow their businesses. For these small business to run efficiently, they need technology to provide their employees with the ability to chat, quickly share files and screens from peer to peer, manage their PCs, monitor key software, and secure their devices. Yet meeting these needs often requires multiple solutions or costly technical help. There are many different products on the market that can help small businesses meet some or all of these needs. For this study, Prowess Consulting compared several of these products to evaluate both functionality and completeness in addressing core small-business needs: ChatWork Lenovo SHAREit Microsoft Skype Microsoft Skype for Intel Small Advantage (Intel SBA) File transfers 5x Intel Small Advantage 6x Faster than Faster than ChatWork Intel Small Advantage Microsoft Skype Enhanced security Back up and restore with confidence Simple, single-interface collaboration We found that Intel SBA provides, from a single, well-integrated user interface, core collaboration and PC-management capabilities that can enhance employee productivity and help protect sensitive data. We also found that Intel SBA often outperforms other products that must be sourced separately. For example, Intel SBA: Transfers medium-sized files nearly five times faster than ChatWork and six times faster than Microsoft Skype. Provides a strong hardware-enhanced security capability not commonly found in other general-management solutions: USB blocking. USB blocking helps prevent security risks from users unintentionally connecting infected peripherals (such as a thumb drive containing a virus).

2 Note: Prowess evaluated both the consumer version of Microsoft Skype and the enterprise-business version, Skype for. Both products are used for collaboration in the small and medium-sized business space. Our test results indicate that by using Intel Small Advantage, small businesses can not only get core management and collaboration functionality in one solution, but they might also realize a performance boost compared to their existing solutions. Introduction To successfully run a modern small business, today s business owners often have several technical needs in common. These include the ability to chat, quickly sharing files and screens from peer to peer, managing PCs, monitoring software, and providing security. But basic PCmanagement tasks that require little technical understanding such as cleaning temporary files out of the browser or defragmenting hard drives can be a chore. It can be an even bigger challenge to find the right applications and tools to do this and other basic tasks. For this study, Prowess chose popular services and applications widely used by small businesses and then examined both the services completeness of functionality and their performance in two important areas: Collaboration and productivity PC management and security For this evaluation, Prowess compared the following products: ChatWork Lenovo SHAREit Microsoft Skype Microsoft Skype for Intel Small Advantage (Intel SBA) For management, Prowess found that Intel SBA provides small businesses with easy-to-setup, easy-to-use capabilities that group core functions in one place. From a single, intuitive interface, small-business owners can schedule routine management tasks, monitor the status of critical software, back up and restore files, and control what peripheral devices can be connected to PCs. These capabilities can help small-business owners be more technically self-sufficient while improving information security. In addition, the single interface also provides core business-collaboration features that help employees stay productive chat, fast file sharing, and screen sharing. With these management and collaboration capabilities, Intel SBA can complement or replace the multiple-application approach that some businesses use to get the same features. Collaboration and Productivity Because most of the solutions that we examined have comparable capabilities, we measured each solution s performance on common tasks. In our testing, Intel Small Advantage was faster at transferring both small and large files than all the other tested solutions other than 2

3 Lenovo SHAREit. (However, SHAREit is a specialized application for transferring files between computers, and it lacks both chat and screen-sharing capabilities.) For 10 MB files, Intel SBA averaged 5 to 10 times faster transfers (see Figure 1). Percentage faster with Intel Small Advantage (10 MB files) Time saved with Intel Small Advantage (10 MB files) 438% faster than ChatWork 17 seconds 545% faster than Microsoft Skype 21 seconds Figure 1. Comparison of average difference in transfer times between Intel Small Advantage and other collaboration products for a 10 MB file 1 The time savings for sharing 10 MB files can add up for employees. If you have five workers who have to wait even 21 additional seconds three times per day, it will end up costing your business more than 22 hours of productivity over the course of a year. 2 The performance advantage of Intel Small Advantage is even more noticeable for larger files. This was especially significant in our comparison to Skype for, which took an average of more than 30 minutes longer than Intel SBA to transfer a 500 MB file. When employees work with large files (such as for employees in design or media roles), that is a lot of time spent unproductively waiting, and that waiting precludes real-time collaboration. SHAREit and ChatWork both also posed additional challenges for file sharing. SHAREit only works between computers on the same network, which precludes using it for collaboration between employees working in different locations. Additionally, detecting devices with which users can share files can also take additional time with SHAREit. ChatWork poses different potential file-sharing challenges. Rather than providing peer-to-peer file transferring, as with Intel Small Advantage, ChatWork shares files by uploading them to third-party-controlled cloud storage, from which peers can download shared files. 3

4 VS. Intel Small Advantage vs. ChatWork VS. Intel Small Advantage vs. Microsoft Skype 37% faster than ChatWork 611% faster than Microsoft Skype 100 MB files 100 MB files 54% faster than ChatWork 638% faster than Microsoft Skype 500 MB files 500 MB files Figure 2. Comparison of average difference in transfer times between Intel Small Advantage and other collaboration products for 100 MB and 500 MB files 1 This can open up files and data to cloud-based security breaches. It can also inhibit worker collaboration, even within the same office, if the Internet connection goes down. In our testing, Intel SBA also performed well sharing screens between computers. It established screen-sharing connections nearly twice as fast as Skype for another area where saved time can add up for a highly collaborative workforce. Quick screen sharing also promotes better collaboration: if a screen takes longer to share, everyone in the meeting has to wait. PC Management and Security Intel Small Advantage includes features that provide a convenient front-end for Windows maintenance and backup capabilities, in addition to enhancing hardware security through USB blocking. Table 1. Summary of the interactions of Intel Small Advantage security and management features with Windows PC Health Center Backup and Restore Software Monitor USB Blocker Provides a means of scheduling these routine PC-maintenance tasks: Windows Automatic Maintenance Disk defragmentation Deleting temporary Internet files Deleting cookies Simplifies important data backup and restore capabilities by linking to and automating Windows features. Provides a means of launching a pop-up warning in Windows and sending an when important software like anti-virus scanners or data-backup applications are disabled (for example, Windows Defender or Microsoft Backup and Restore). Almost unique among smallbusiness solutions, Intel SBA enables administrators to establish a whitelist of USB peripheral types for which Windows Update is permitted to download drivers when the peripheral is attached to a PC. 4

5 USB blocking is a powerful security feature not found in many other products. 3 For managing Windows PCs in general, Intel Small Advantage is almost unique in enabling small-business owners to block certain classes of USB peripherals from attaching to their PCs. Particularly with the PC Health Center and Backup and Restore functionality, Intel SBA conveniently brings together built-in Windows capabilities (or actions that users could take in different parts of the Windows operating system) in one place. Additionally, Software Monitor helps you ensure that certain key security or data-protection capabilities are turned on. Collaboration and Management in the Real World Regardless of shape, size, or line of business, most companies share two business computing needs: PC security and management Increased productivity through easy employee collaboration Intel Small Advantage bundles these crucial functions into one package. This section explores how these bundled capabilities could play out in the day-to-day work of typical business users. Security and Management Flower Shop Gemma is the owner of a small flower shop. 4 She only has a couple of computers in her business: one up front for the point-of-sales terminal and one back in the office. Though it s a small network, she takes the security and health of her computers seriously, knowing she couldn t run her business without them. Fortunately, with the right tools, Gemma doesn t have to be a specialist in order to perform her own computer management. Using the PC Health Center in Intel Small Advantage, Gemma can easily run tasks like Windows maintenance, deleting temporary Internet files, and deleting cookies after hours to help maintain privacy and browser performance. Gemma also ensures that critical software like Windows Defender is always running by using Software Monitor in Intel SBA. With Software Monitor, a warning automatically pops up to alert the user in case any of her staff inadvertently remove Windows Defender. Gemma also receives an if anything happens to her critical software. With Intel SBA, Gemma uses Microsoft Backup and Restore to recover lost files. If anything happens to the files on her computers, Gemma can easily restore them. She can also manage the frequency of backups depending on how much storage space she is willing to set aside for backups. Gemma is also wary of her computers becoming infected with malware through USB peripherals. She uses USB Blocker in Intel SBA to determine which types of devices she will permit her staff to plug into the computers. For example, Gemma has a policy that permits her employees to connect audio/video devices (such as headphones and monitors) and 5

6 Collaboration without Intel Small Advantage Some small businesses rely on multiple applications to complete the same tasks that Pat completed with just one solution. Without Intel SBA, Pat might have to: Open an instant-messaging app or call his associate Store sensitive client documents in the cloud Switch to a separate screensharing app or go through several versions to ensure that changes are made correctly external storage devices to the computers without requiring permission. But the USB Blocker prevents Windows Update from installing the drivers for non-permitted devices like joysticks or printers without someone with administrator privileges explicitly granting permission. Small steps like these help Gemma rest assured that her computers are more secure. Best of all, because these management policies are easy to set and maintain, Gemma avoids the overhead of engaging a specialist to do these tasks for her. Collaboration Law Firm Pat, a partner at a small law firm, is at the airport waiting for a flight, and he wants to work through some details for a complex contract with one of his associates at the firm. 4 Pat starts an instant-messaging (IM) conversation from his laptop by using the chat feature in Intel Small Advantage. As he discusses the details of the contract with his associate, it soon becomes apparent that Pat needs to look at the contract itself. The associate then quickly sends the contract file to Pat by using the peer-to-peer file-transfer feature in Intel SBA. Pat s flight is preparing to board, and it will be faster for the associate to make the changes Pat wants in real time. The associate shares his screen with Pat by using Intel SBA, which means that Pat can ensure that the changes get made properly. With the work done, Pat can board the flight without worrying about slowing down the contract s development and with the peace of mind of knowing that sensitive client information was shared point-to-point, and not exposed on the cloud. Why Security and Management Are Simpler with Intel Small Advantage Some small business rely heavily on the Windows OS to trigger security and maintenance alerts. If Gemma depends on the operating system, she might have to: Be 100 percent on top of installing OS updates, in addition to always being physically present to press a button Re-learn every time how to delete temporary Internet files and cookies Remember where and how to backup and restore her files and systems Hire IT pros or buy third-party security software because she doesn t have the capability to secure her USB ports 6

7 Conclusion Intel Small Advantage provides a suite of fundamental collaboration and PC-management features that most small businesses need, such as chat, screen-sharing, and peer-to-peer filesharing. In many cases, Intel Small Advantage is faster than specialized collaboration solutions in these areas, which saves time for workers and translates to higher productivity. Intel SBA is also unique in offering both core collaboration and management features in a single product (as shown in Table 2). This means that Intel SBA can either serve as a single solution for small businesses or as a complement to other, specialized products for example, to take advantage of the audio and video conferencing capabilities of solutions like Microsoft Skype. Table 2. Comparison of features across widely used collaboration solutions Basic PC Management Software Monitoring Backup and Restore USB Blocking ChatWork Lenovo Microsoft SHAREit Skype Skype for Intel Small Advantage Chat Audio Conferencing Video Conferencing The security and management features of Intel Small Advantage enable small businesses to handle essential PC-management tasks without having to rely on technical outsourcing. When small-business owners can easily schedule routine management tasks, handle file backup and restore, monitor essential software, and protect PCs against malware infections through USB peripherals, they can help employees remain productive, and can increase their own peace of mind. Intel Small Advantage brings together collaboration and management features that normally span several different products, providing one simple-to-use application that meets essential small-business IT needs while helping to enhance employee productivity and information security. Intel Small Advantage provides, from a single interface, core collaboration and PC-management capabilities that can enhance employee productivity and information security. 7

8 Appendices Appendix A: Hardware and Test Environment Devices Maker Lenovo Lenovo Lenovo Model Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 Lenovo ThinkPad E560 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Processor Intel Core i5-6200u processor, up to 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7-6500u processor, up to 3.1 GHz Cache 3 MB 4 MB 6 MB RAM 8 GB 8 GB 4 GB Intel Core i5-6600t processor, up to 3.5 GHz OS Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Software Intel SBA ChatWork Online Online Online Lenovo SHAREit Microsoft Skype Skype for Intel Small Extended Access Network Speed Unless otherwise indicated, our tests were performed while devices were connected to an n wireless network. Network throughput fluctuates continually. We recorded network speeds at several points during the testing, and averaged the results. Averages are shown here. Upload Speed Download Speed Ping Mbps Mbps 10 ms 8

9 Appendix B: Steps and Timed Test Results Note: Prowess Consulting used the Fsutil utility in Windows to generate 10 MB, 100 MB, and 500 MB files for testing. Collaboration Scenario: Intel SBA 1. On the Intel SBA home page, click Share Files. 2. Select a destination user for the file. 3. Select a 10 MB file to share and drag it to the Share a File window. 4. Click Share Now. 5. On the destination computer, click the file name, and then select a destination for the file to start the transfer. Start the timer. 6. Stop the timer when the transfer is complete. 7. Repeat steps 1 6 for a 100 MB file. 8. Repeat steps 1 6 for a 500 MB file. 1. Click SBA to start. 2. Click Share My Screen. 3. Select the user with whom you wish to share your screen. 4. Click OK. Collaboration Scenario: Intel Small Extended Access Across Networks Note: Intel SBA uses Intel Small Extended Access to extend the collaboration capabilities of Intel Small Advantage outside of the local business network. Prowess tested Intel SBA both with and without Intel Small Extended Access. 1. On the Intel SBA home page, click Share Files. 2. Select a destination user for the file. 3. Select a 10 MB file to share and drag it to the Share a File window. 4. Click Share Now. 5. On the destination computer, click the file name, and then select a destination for the file to start the transfer. Start the timer. 6. Stop the timer when the transfer is complete. 7. Repeat steps 1 5 for a 100 MB file. 8. Repeat steps 1 5 for a 500 MB file. 1. Click SBA to start. 2. Click Share My Screen. 3. Select the user with whom you wish to share your screen. 4. Click OK. Collaboration Scenario: ChatWork 1. Click Upload files (the paper clip icon). 2. Select a 10 MB file to share, and click Open. Start the timer. 3. Stop the timer when the upload is complete. 4. Repeat steps 1 3 for a 100 MB file. 5. Repeat steps 1 3 for a 500 MB file. Note: Testing only evaluated uploading files to ChatWork as this is the closest analog of the process of file transfers in other programs. Time for asynchronous download to destination computer from ChatWork to destination computer not tested. 1. Click Join ChatWork Live (camera icon). 2. If prompted, agree to permit the browser to use the computer s camera. 3. Click Join ChatWork Live on the target computer. 4. Click Video Chat. 5. Click Start Sharing Screen, and then click Share. 6. Click Entire Screen, and then click Share. 9

10 Collaboration Scenario: Lenovo SHAREit 1. Click Send. 2. Select a 10 MB file to transfer. 3. Click Share Now. 4. On the destination computer, click Receive. 5. On the sending computer, wait for the receiving computer to appear in the SHAREit client. Select it when it appears. 6. On the destination computer, accept the file being shared. Start the timer. 7. Stop the timer when the transfer is complete. 8. Repeat steps 1 8 for a 100 MB file. 9. Repeat steps 1 8 for a 500 MB file. Note: SHAREit does not support sharing screens. Collaboration Scenario: Microsoft Skype 1. Click Conversation > Send > File. 2. Select a 10 MB file to share, and then click Open. 3. On the destination computer, click to accept the file. Start the timer. 4. Stop the timer when the transfer is complete. 5. Repeat steps 1 4 for a 100 MB file. 6. Repeat steps 1 4 for a 500 MB file. 1. Select the recipient computer from the contact list and click the camera icon in the upper right corner to start a video call. 2. Click the + button. 3. Click Share Screens. 4. Click Start. 5. If prompted on the destination computer, accept the shared screen. Collaboration Scenario: Microsoft Skype for 1. Select the user with whom you wish to share your screen. 2. Drag a 10 MB file to the conversation window. 3. Press Enter on the keyboard. Start the timer. 4. Stop the timer when the transfer is complete. 5. Repeat steps 1 4 for a 100 MB file. 6. Repeat steps 1 4 for a 500 MB file. 1. Select the user with whom you wish to share your screen. 2. Click Present. 3. Click Present Desktop. 4. Click Present. 5. Click OK. 6. If prompted on the destination computer, accept the shared screen. 10

11 Collaboration Timed Test Results (in Seconds Unless Otherwise Indicated) Intel SBA Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 Intel Small Extended Access (Across Networks) Lenovo SHAREit ChatWork Microsoft Skype Skype for Transfer 10 MB file Transfer 100 MB file Transfer 500 MB file , , Lenovo ThinkPad E560 Transfer 10 MB file Transfer 100 MB file Transfer 500 MB file , , Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Transfer 10 MB file Transfer 100 MB file Transfer 500 MB file , , Collaboration Timed Test Results (in Seconds Unless Otherwise Indicated) Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14 Intel SBA Intel Small Extended Access (Across Networks) ChatWork Microsoft Skype Time to establish screen sharing Lenovo ThinkPad E560 Time to establish screen sharing Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Time to establish screen sharing Skype for 1 Mean times drawn from comparing Intel Small Extended Access running on three different hardware platforms across different networks. See Appendix B for details. 2 Assumes 260 workdays per year. 3 AMD PRO Control Center is one product that also contains this feature. However, it can only be used with certain models of AMD processors. 4 All character names throughout this paper represent fictional characters. The analysis in this document was done by Prowess Consulting and commissioned by Intel. Results have been simulated and are provided for informational purposes only. Any difference in system hardware or software design or configuration may affect actual performance. Prowess, the Prowess logo, and SmartDeploy are trademarks of Prowess Consulting, LLC. Copyright 2016 Prowess Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 11