What's New at Bravo

MM/DD/YY All dates are in United States format.
03/01/12 7-Zip now PSL1
06/23/08 Bravo FlexiLAB: a formal debut with administrative moniker, of an on-going service offering.
05/31/08 Our primary datacenter, The Planet, in Houston, TX had an explosion & fire, resulted in major damage and 42-hour outage. Our sites and nameservers were re-routed to our redundant server in Lenexa, KS in order to sustain operations. Contingency plans activated.
05/25/08 Product research database refresh: Video surveillance software & entry-level cameras. Feasibility study & mock sys.
05/12/08 Complete in-house slipstream Vista SP1. Simultaneous release of VB3-LT2 and VB6-LT2.
05/10/08 Multi-Monitor research. XP and Vista.
05/05/08 Fiber optic trench project tutorial. Shoebox termination housing design formalized and validated.
05/04/08 Sam's notebook PC #6 added, w/ 17" screen + Num Keypad. #5 which served for 5+ years will now be used at bench.
05/02/08 Product research database refresh: Mobile CAD Workstation market segment. nVidia CAD GL-2 products.
04/29/08 Bravo adopts XP SP3 for official in-house & client production deployment. Slipstream discs created. Simultaneous release of XPL-LT4C and related series. This is a major milestone release incorporating latest Intel ICH8, ICH9 drivers + various giga ethernet NIC drivers. Corresponding PMS and VPC series to follow.
03/01/08 Acronis Disk Director Server 10.0 now BSSO, supplementing PM8.
02/28/08 In addition to address allocation within a subnet, we now officially publish and adopt a global subnet allocation scheme. That is, all client sites are centrally coordinated and registered, in a systematic, non-overlapping manner, for the purpose of establishing conflict-free fully/partly-meshed gateway-gateway VPNs. See memo.
02/16/08 In-house use of Blackberry. PSL1 support added for device UI, sync process & issues.
02/14/08 Site-to-Site (Gateway-Gateway) VPN based on Linux + FreeSWAN added to BSSO. "Road warrior" client also supported.
02/10/08 http://bravotech.us/world  Formerly private portal page now open to public.
02/01/08 Fiber Optics vs Copper vs Wireless doctrine and database revised, with updated products and cost considerations.
01/08/08 Bravo Mini Almanac expanded: finances, forex, IT industry stocks
01/05/08 Mobile edition of web site launched. http://bravotech.us/mobile
12/22/07 Bravo Studio 3.0 re-launched!
12/06/07 Product research database refresh: ATI FireGL line 3D CAD GL-2. DVI dual link.
11/11/07 Newly revised TCP/IP subnet strategies and guidelines for IT support professionals. Requirements for partners and sub-contractors effective immediately. Schedule briefing/training as needed.
11/10/07 PSL memo expanded w/ 3rd category, listing officially supported services. No-IP.com added to supplement dyndns.org.
11/05/07 Remember, remember... PMS = Poor Man's Server  (at its humble origin 14 years ago anyway, it now officially stands for "Productivity, Manageability, Sensibility.")  Bravo proudly announce PMS 5.2, a major milestone release. Based on the proven XPL-LT3A build of LAMM. Added Morse Code status for full headless operations support! Certified Retrospect compatibility. Availability of universally restorable images, and VPC edition. This release coincides w/ publishing of our Server Roles and Classification Analysis.   (... and yes, that was an allusion to Guy Fawkes)
10/25/07 Formalization of Remote O.S. Installation process, after extensive field tests.
10/11/07 BIRD 5.2 release. Supports all current and past workhorse platforms. Major improvements include: real mode intelligent ATAPI drivers loading, partition/MBR management for modern HD, support 11.x GHO format.
10/05/07 DoPDF added as BSSO. Preferred over CuteWriter for those no requiring font embedding. Smaller footprint, not dependent on GhostScript.
09/30/07 IMGburn now BSSO, superseding Nero 6.6 OEM.
09/28/07 AIM-LT FAQ published.
09/27/07 Symantec Anti-Virus + Symantec Client Security = Symantec End-point Protection (SEP v11). Official release today, immediate BSSO status (following several months of in-house beta).
09/15/07 Ghost Restore Checklist.
09/14/07 SEP 11 beta wrap-up. Official deployment & replacement of SAV 10 scheduled for 9/27/07, date of public release.
09/11/07 Workhorse Platform H6: DQ35JO validation & certification completed (XP, Vista & 2003). Currently no LT images.
09/01/07 Workhorse Platform S5: D945GCNL, validation & certification completed (XP & Vista). LT & MC images correspondingly updated. XP validation & LT img added for Workhorse Platform H. Bravo EOL for D101GGC and DDR.
08/15/07 Formalized Office 2007 mixed platforms + migration strategies & techniques.
08/09/07 Official System Deployment Status Chart.
08/01/07 Custom programming offered for Apache log analysis & monitoring (PERL, BASH, SED).
07/28/07 Audio turn-by-burn driving directions added.
07/22/07 Go: Unified search replaces our previous site-specific searches. Covers: BTC BON M4 ET Cam BDL BDT
07/13/07 "Remote Workers" reference on Info section.
07/07/07 "Historical" 2nd Open Letter to Clients (and friends)
06/30/07 Dropbox service programming/installation is now flat-fee service.
06/06/07 Bravo Mini Almanac section established at BON.
06/01/07 International Phonetic Alphabet in Info section.
05/25/07 File Formats & Extensions reference published.
05/01/07 BIRD 5.0 along w/ the corresponding BUD 5.0 released. No longer a complimentary product for clients & resellers.
04/29/07 Ghost 11.0.1 is now BSSO/PSL0.
04/25/07 Memo: Analysis on IT Expenditures - Personnel
04/17/07 Backup Exec System Recovery (BESR 7.0) released. BSSO.
04/04/07 Revised XP Services chart. Automated standardized SC script 2.0 released.
04/02/07 Workhorse Platform H5 revised: DG965OT, validation & certification completed (Vista-only). LT pending. No MC.
04/01/07 TrueCrypt 4.3 in-house testing & validation period concluded. Replaces 4.2a as BSSO. Now fully supporting Vista.
03/25/07 Updated releases of VPC images for 98Lite and XPPVLP.
03/21/07 Vista LT and Vista MC configuration defined, validated and published, requiring 2GHz & 1GHz CPU w/ 512M memory.
03/01/07 PSL memo w/ Vista info from draft to final release, after completion of testing of 85 products in BSSO category.
02/27/07 Retrospect backup status monitoring memo.
02/17/07 Acronis is now BSSO/PSL0.
02/15/07 Intel Processor Number chart updated. Intel Processor Families reference updated. AMD processors reference added.
02/01/07 Office 2007 & Vista Firewall are now BSSO/PSL0.
01/29/07 Mach 4 activate "policy-based filter," rejects email from all netblocks not authorized to operate smtp servers.
01/28/07 Final official testing of 85 BSSO programs for Vista compatibility status concluded. PSL updated.
01/10/07 Anti-SPAM Center added to Bravo Security Portal.
01/03/07 Vista memo and portal published.
12/27/06 Email Multi-Generation Forwarding updated.
12/10/06 Symantec recently announced Express program. Band A licensing minimum dropped to 5 seat (previously 10).
12/08/06 New & improved GO. Streamlined organization. Added site search for BTC, ET & Cam.
12/04/06 Dotnet Framework 1.1 officially downgraded to PSL1. Only Dotnet Framework 2.0 SP1 is PSL0 (BSSO).
11/17/06 Memo: Chart of Bravo Online Universe, with interesting statistics.
11/15/06 IE7 Roll-Out memo.
11/15/06 Infrastructure, skills & policy in-place for video streaming. Official announcement slated for 2007.
11/07/06 Streaming, Webcast & Video Conversion. Newly revised costs and Planning memos published.
11/05/06 SPAM Prevention memo (summary document).
11/01/06 Seminar Rates memo (summary document).
10/30/06 Mach 4 implements server-side SPAM filtering.
10/24/06 Cost Effectiveness memo.
10/15/06 Suite of Support-Scenario-specific VPC images developed: GHO, PQM, WinInst, etc.
10/05/06 Summarized & Accelerated Deployment Installer (SADI) announced. Initial pkgs: Nero66z, KLite137, KPF143, SAV10, and PQM8z. (For licensed users only)
10/01/06 Results of actual development efforts for project Eerieka refined and documented as technological offering: Double-Blind Multi-Replication in Delta-Copy via Ambient Traffic, Live Chronicle & Watchdog Timer Notifyer. Incorporated into conceptual/strategic section of IT doctrine.
09/27/06 RMx/BTC-HELP launched. Instant ad-hoc remote support w/ no prior install/coordination, traverse out-bound NAT. Covered niches: non-remote-ready sites, roaming travelers, new clients and initial deployment scenarios.
09/20/06 Email Limits article posted.
09/09/06 Bravo Download (BDL) user-interface & structure revamped.
09/07/06 Mach 4 Network changed domain name to: mach4.bravotech.us
08/31/06 Anti-virus false positive advisory and tutorial published.
08/25/06 Cedant arma togae adopted as another motto.
08/19/06 Open Letter to Vendors: Official Responses/Statements and Over-Lies (updated)
08/11/06 Nov. 21, 1998 Open Letter to Client published on memos site.
08/09/06 Sam celebrates 25th anniversary.
07/31/06 Project LAMM latest update: 6x refined & validated VPC images published for internal use only. Official Trim edition nomenclature revised. Image naming convention revised. Slipstream + patches process revised, plus new mandates. VPC upgraded from PSL1 to BSSO.
07/22/06 Music purchase/subscription services comparison database revised.
07/20/06 Daemon Tools now BSSO and preferred image mounter. Supports most major image formats in addition to ISO. Previous MS VCDcontrol.sys is now downgraded to PSL1.
07/18/06 SMTP Server Issues article published.
07/12/06 PM8 techniques refined.
07/06/06 Created ICANN Accredited Registrars database, and Bravo Selected IDN Sponsors roster.
06/30/06 Historical tale about How The Term "I.T." Came About.
06/20/06 Knowledge Management formally added to repertoire.
06/15/06 Bravo Diagnostics page expanded & reorganized. Comprehensive, formal & standardized suite of test files created.
06/06/06 Bravo Encryption Strategies & Doctrine draft release, w/ tech brief available in notes. Main addition to previous materials being OTFE. Ad hoc encryption remains unchanged. TrueCrypt now BSSO. BestCrypt PSL1. EFS remains.
05/27/06 Alert sent to tier 1 sites. SecAdv SYM06-010 disclosed 2 days ago. SAV 10.0 MR2 MP2 PP1 released today. Priority deployment of build 10.0.2.2021 immediately scheduled. See memo.
05/21/06 Exchange Server Operating Modes quickref revised. Narrative intro added, polished format from previous raw notes.
05/10/06 Memo: International keyboard & Unicode support. 3 of our systems are now on International Keyboard mode. I can now type accented alphabets, and £ ˆ © directly, without resorting to copy-and-paste, or Alt-Codes. I also looked into various Unicode-related issues. We're now well-poised to advise clients on such international issues.
05/05/06 Display Aspect Ratio, Resolution and Dimension chart.
05/01/06 The Real Story Behind T2P published on ET Musing.
04/23/06 Aesthetics added as 4th category of our host naming schemes.
04/20/06 Checklist: Connecting Network Workstations w/ illustrations.
04/10/06 Checklist: Nero Express Basics published.
04/06/06 Billing Analysis published.
04/05/06 Project Eerieka! commenced.
03/27/06 Multi-Generation Email Forward Exposure published.
03/20/06 Modem speed ratios quick reference.
03/07/06 IT Emergency Kit memo.
03/07/06 Clarifications on Web Hosting memo posted.
03/03/06 Home page: 12-second animated announcement: "Celebrating 25 Years of Visions, Integrity & Perspective." DHTML-based, using VML (Vector Markup Language) rendered with gradient. Superimposed on the page with 50% transparency. Entire page is fully functional and visible during the duration. No need for "skip" button.
03/01/06 Checklist section added to Memos. Disable Firewall and Summon Urgent Support added.
02/25/06 General IT Policies for Client Sites memo major revision.
02/24/06 Security Incident Response (SIR) Case Study #1 posted.
02/20/06 Official Policies on Software Piracy section in "Our Roles" expanded and now in separate page.
02/19/06 Bravo Reference: IT Acronyms & Abbreviations.
02/16/06 3x articles published from notes: Intel motherboard Reference, Intel Process Numbers, CPU References.
02/16/06 Bravo Alphabet Soup memo.
02/15/06 ET: Musings: 3x articles added. Billions. Microorganisms. What floor is it?
02/14/06 Addendum to "Spoofed Email" memo.
02/13/06 Electricity Costs Analysis revised and published on GO. Now with explicit LCD savings figures.
02/12/06 "A Brief Company History" republished in memos, from Bravo Partners Portal.
02/11/06 Bravo Virtual Conference room updated. New room with "pre-flight" tests. New "draggable" objects feature.
02/10/06 Tech Depot for staff and partners now has its own domain. Streamlined 4-level access login. See BPP for details.
02/09/06 Refinement of htaccess and documented policies and techniques.
02/08/06 SmartFTP 2.0 released and adopted. Still PSL0. It's worth clarifying that Filezilla is PSL2 and could become PSL1 once significant deficiencies are ratified. It's nowhere near as comprehensive or refine. It's free and there exists a "portable" edition, so it covers a niche, supplementing SFTP.
02/07/06 3rd major revision of Limited User Account (LUA) admin strategies, techniques and Bravo toolkit (scripts).
02/01/06 Microsoft Operating Systems Timeline quick reference published.
01/31/06 "State of IT Services for Small Businesses" article declassified from BPP and re-published in MEMOS.
01/30/06 Bravo Security Portal 2.0 completely redesigned.
01/29/06 Business Cards and Contact Us page designs make-over completed.
01/25/06 Computer Forensics process refined: http traffic thru transparent proxy server (enforced choke point).
01/20/06 GO: "Email Failed!" article ranked #7 on Google and #3 on MSN Search, only 3 weeks after being published!
  Search words: email failed
This is remarkable because they're generic topical words, not specific terms/phrases, and there has been absolutely no SEO techniques employed.
01/19/06 Product Support Levels (PSL) memo significantly revised.
01/18/06 Minor clarification on minimum billing, on Rates & Fees Schedule page.
01/15/06 Infotech section of Eyeful Tower now in full swing. Lots of insightful, relevant and timely info.
01/11/06 Bravo Recommends: Photo Printing Sites published.
01/10/06 DIFA Memo major addendum published.
01/09/06 CutePDF + Ghostscript combo, and GSview solutions updated and documentation revised.
01/07/06 Partners Overview page revised. More streamlined, structured and polished. Content slightly updated.
01/06/06 Infotech section added to ET. Citing format established. Intro and The Making Of completed.
01/05/06 Bravo Unified Message Center completed end-to-end. Involves site level strategies, Ensim responder customization to prevent looping. All pieces now in-place for offering hosted form mail. Operation Incognito III (final shot) commence. All 21 Bravo-owned sites will be anti-SPAM initiative compliant. This is an IT doctrine level change. Client-owned sites will be advised to follow suit.
01/04/06 Bravotech.us/memo launched, modeled after the success of GO system. Eventually, all previously issued memos that are still currently relevant will be populated there.
01/03/06 Perl CGI development and deploy TS process refined. WinSCP direct edit.
01/01/06 Eyeful Tower newly re-launched after 3 years! Vastly improved, streamlined design and expanded content. This marks the new beginning of official cooperation between Bravo and ET. Watch for additional announcement in the coming weeks.
12/30/05 Mechanism equivalent to Front Page "Publish Site" created, tested documented. Based on PSL1 Syncback. Intelligent recursive delta upload replaces manual sort by date at multiple folders and manual upload, answering overwrite prompts.
12/29/05 DNS poisoning incident response documented. Strategies revised.
12/28/05 "Email Failed" article published on GO. A serious checklist and analysis with a light-hearted opening.
12/26/05 New Bravo logo version 3! Previous versions adopted in 1985 and 1995. The latest design features a triangle, a symbolic reminder of our doctrines and mottos: a series of 3-item sets. ACE, VIP, QSP, SSC, US-UK-HK.
12/23/05 Refresh content on BTC web site. Hand-code clean up. Better control of structure. Produced new graphics.
12/22/05 Customize OWA logon page.
12/20/05 Bravo:GO! system (bravotech.us/go) launched. 1-stop launch pad for all frequently needed sites. "Go code" feature to be added shortly. Many "GO system" content to be added.
12/20/05 Sender Profile Framework (SPF) for Internet email commercial users. Research commenced, recommendations drafted.
12/19/05 Refinement of our Exchange Server recovery procedures for sites without Livestate Recovery Server. New solutions for OST recovery for sites using Outlook 2003.
12/15/05 Dyndns.exe succeeds DirUpd.exe as official dynamic DNS client. Also, related: Major deficiencies of router-based DDNS client documented.
12/12/05 Gateway Router offerings formalized. 4x choices.
12/08/05 "Why Dedicated Server" memo drafted. Covers scenarios for both SBS and PMS.
12/07/05 OSP PhotoDotNet is PSL2. Serves the role of MS Paint replacement.
12/06/05 French software PhotoFiltre gained PSL1 status. Serves the role of "UPI jr."
12/03/05 Formalization of system level reference chart. This is the latest result of the on-going Lite PC & charitable PC research project. Now officially known as Project LAMM.
12/03/05 POP3 Connector on EXG03 is now the preferred mode for small SBS sites not in a position to implement full-fledge smtp. Various techniques and procedures have been acquired and refined over the past 9 months to address associated issues. As clients increasingly come to rely on OWA and other IT services, centralized POP is a must.
12/01/05 Formalization of pros & cons list for various Exchange Server operation modes in very small business environment.
11/23/05 FileZilla now PSL2. Expect to upgrade status to PSL soon, pending upgrade version to resolve inconsistent UNC support. Eventually will replace SmartFTP. Has parallel portable edition for Bravo Toolkit.
11/21/05 May common sense always prevail. May it be more common. The slogan created for Cameralot.com is now formally adopted by Bravo Technology Center, and is prominently featured on our web site and new business cards. On this birthday of mine, I hereby resolve that social advocacy shall not take a backseat to business activities. This does not represent any departure of policies. It is simply an embolden official declaration of a 2-decade long practice!    -SCC
11/20/05 Office 2003 SP2 + hotfixes slipstream successful. OLP version administrative install method validated & documented.
11/18/05 Microsoft Streets 2005 unique administrative install procedures validated & documented.
11/10/05 Bravo Class C Subnet Allocation standards revised to accommodate complex scenarios.
10/24/05 Bravo Install/Recovery Disc (B.I.R.D.) 4.1.2 released. Name changed from previous BUD. Vastly updated utilities, streamlined folders, more automated batch files. Smaller download size.
10/21/05 Satellite ISP remote access host obstacles resolved! Added as contingency fee service item.
10/15/05 Template ACLs for PMS4, XP and 2003 published.
09/25/05 LCD projectors. State-of-the-market & -technology study. Client report published.
09/20/05 SSL VPN interim solution: Barracudadrive. HTTPS file manager.
09/09/05 "Why Managed Patches?" memo draft release.
08/10/05 W2KNN research project completed. Final installed version weighs in at 240M hard disk space. CF version tested.
08/15/05 Bravo PMS 4.0 (W2K-based) debut. Previous "rumor" of PMS's demise proves "greatly exaggerated." The use of NT-based O.S. gives this inexpensive pragmatic server solution a new long lease on life.
07/22/05 SIW and CPUz now PSL1. Replaced WCPUID. Still supplemented by Belarc & MSinfo.
07/20/05 "Headless" SBS 2003 Server operations first client deployment. Supplemental tools developed.
07/10/05 First successful remote production deployment of SBS2003 server. Validated process checklist. This is a key component of our comprehensive branch office management doctrine.
07/08/05 Portable Firefox (PFF) now PSL0.
07/05/05 Desktop Search software product evaluation and recommendation drafted.
07/01/05 Archived global re-routable Telephony via VoIP service. Employ QoS end-to-end. Tested VoIP priority at sustained 480MB/s down and 42KB/s up saturation traffic. Vonage. K7. Efax. Global virtual team organization-wide voicemail.
06/25/05 UPI 10 now standard graphics software for web dev, replacing UPI 8.
06/10/05 AIMlite is PSL1.
06/02/05 RAID Strategies & Policies formalized. Systematically tested against current official workhorse motherboard platform s661. Matrix included: (98se, W2K, XP & 2003) vs. (s661 SATA RAID 0,1,0+1 and Promise TX series SATA RAID 5) Also established: Recovery procedures.
05/17/05 Operation Incognito: Mutli-prong SPAM reduction initiative revised. Completely eliminate <mailto:> tags on all Bravo domains. Tracking strategies to monitor source of leaks. WebDev doctrine updated to comply.
05/16/05 PMS development and updates efforts ceased. Latest XP hotfixes causes file/record locking to fail on 98-based servers. MS has no plan to provide that support as 98 is EOL.
05/15/05 Reducing Small Business IT Costs PowerPoint presentation published.
05/05/05 Developed applications scenarios for Creative Labs Zen Media Player Center. Among them: pocket PowerPoint presentations. webcast video seminars.
05/01/05 Revised Traveling Fees schedule. First increase since 1997. All Hourly Rates remain unchanged.
05/01/05 With Veritas now under the Symantec umbrella, we're taking a renewed look at the strategic positioning of Backup Exec among our offerings. As you know, we have "frozen" our support of BE at 8.6 and skipped 9. Looks like 10.0 passes our standard "compelling reasons test" for some of our clients. Their support for optical drives in the last 2 years has improved tremendously. The original reason prompted our shift to Dantz, which is better suited for SMB market.
04/25/05 UltraVNC officially the preferred out-of-band remote control solution, as well as interactive sessions requiring co-control. This takes over the previous roles of PCA, which is still officially supported. RDP remains the best (and preferred) solution for remote admin and user desk roaming. UVNC is vastly improved, overcoming most of the crippling deficiencies when we first evaluated it back in 2000. It still sorely needs refinement on a few items, but overall is superb and even surpasses PCA on a few items.
04/20/05 Firefox now Officially Support Product. PSL1.
04/19/05 Audacity now PSL1.
04/15/05 Bookmarklets adopted at 2 in-house stations.
04/09/05 Bravo accepted as Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) beta site. Initial impression is that its application among our client base will be limited as its geared toward much larger enterprises. It's good news: A complimentary solution to our recent commitment to Symantec LiveState Recovery services. 
04/02/05 Previous DgY bLoG at feli data center is superseded by in-house hosted Bravo Company Web (BCW). The new site is powered by Sharepoint Portal Services. Plans are underway for admittance to partners and selected clients, after initial test run.
03/20/05 Network Address Chart NAC defined.
03/18/05 ClarkConnect Standard Server now a support product. PSL2
03/16/05 Overcame SWX lack of support for PPTP VPN. Install mod to forward GRE packets.
03/15/05 Bravo Accelerated Radio & Text (BART) codes 2.0 published for in-house use on BSP. This release reflects a name change from the previous "BSC."
03/10/05 Bravo Virtual Conference Room debut. Completely in-house developed solution for remote collaboration. Live production use for training, consulting, remote walk-thru laser printer "surgery."
03/03/05 Bravo Partner Portal (BPP) received its third major facelift. 
03/02/05 FoxIt as stand-alone replacement to AcroRead. PSL1.
02/17/05 Revised IT policy on admin/limited accounts: Limited is now default. Bravo SU (superuser) tools 1.0 published. This, along with standard "RunAs" techniques,  will relief some of the often encountered obstacles.
02/15/05 Bravo adopts HFNetChk Pro for in-house patch management. Official position changed: We now recommend sites with 5+ stations to implement automated patch management, audit and deployment. MBSA will be the default tool for sites with 4 or less stations. The previous threshold was set at 10 stations.
01/15/05 Livestate Recovery Server (along with its desktop counterpart) from Symantec adopted as official servers & workstations recovery solution. PSL0 (BSSO)
01/06/05 Monowall project re-visited. With advent of CF drive converter, we now formally adopt and offer Monowall as our preferred Embedded PC Gateway, running FreeBSD.
11/19/04 Remote TCP/IP printing to Lexmark and Xerox successful.
11/17/04 Introducing Bravo ZoomPIX. Another great tech demo on T2P. Some great potential for customer online applications.
10/09/04 Clarifications on Out-Sourced IT Director memo published.
10/02/04 K-lite codec pack now PSL1 replacing Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternative. Also part of lib:_bravo.
09/01/04 Sync Back adopted as officially supported product PSL1.
08/09/04 Taming Apps requiring admin rights. Strategies & procedures researched. Guidelines drafted. Open letter to vendors in-progress.
08/05/04 LCD vs. CRT: Comprehensive and objective report. Beyond the hype and conventional wisdom.
07/01/04 Win XP Pro/Home & W2K Comparisons: From the perspective of IT for small businesses.
06/13/04 In-shop Flat Fee Services schedule published. Covers all 3 major OSs.
05/15/04 Comprehensive gateway routers requirements specs & product review completed. Bravo doctrine updated. Official guidelines established.
05/01/04 System Purchases memo.  Clarifies the process, options, requirements, rationale & strategies.
04/14/04 Bravo is now officially Dantz Preferred Partner.
03/15/04 RegSeeker now PSL1 replacing aging RegCleaner.
02/15/04 ISO image mounting successful using MS vcdcontrol driver. Techniques and procedures documented.
02/14/04 Bravo host naming convention and schemes published.
01/21/04 Shipping Department Zero footprint under-shelf PC.
01/20/04 MS VirtualPC now PSL1.
01/15/04 Official baseline KPF rules with MD5 cleared established.
01/10/04 W2K, 2003 Server and XP admin password reset procedures successful. Formalized solutions offered.
12/15/03 WinSCP is PSL1.
11/10/03 Real Alternative and Quicktime Alternatiove now PSL1.
11/01/03 Following successful in-house trial, Bravo adopted Smoothwall Express as preferred gateway solution for client sites.
10/10/03 Belarc Advisor now PSL1.
09/09/03 Installed Drop-Box for clients & vendors to submit large files. Rental and custom program versions also available.
09/07/03 Bravo Security portal established for "guided-use" by clients. Consolidating information previously available at various places.
09/05/03 SSSH... We're "ON AIR!" Sonic Streaming Service Host formally launched as the webcast branch of Mach 4 Network. Initial clients: WBSU 89.1 FM The Point, and our own Bravo Radio.
09/01/03 Established first in a series of Weblog (BLOG) for internal correspondence, supplementing email, voicemail, SMS, phone and IM. 
08/26/03 Bravo Class C Subnet Allocation standards defined.
08/25/03 Zero-footprint wall-mounted bedroom PC.
08/20/03 Hybrid version Office: Word 2000 + Excel 2000 + Outlook 2003 tested extensively in-house and limited client deployment. Now officially validated as supported platform.
08/15/03 Wide-spread blackout across northeastern USA. Bravo continued operations under emergency power. Data access to server and workstations, Internet connections, voice communications by landlines & GMRS radio operated fully throughout the outage. SMS and mobile phone services ceased approx. 6 hrs into the outage, due to carrier's local transmission tower reserved power depletion. We maintain self-contained reserve power (batteries & fuel) and life-supporting supplies for at least 1 full-week of basic operations. Emergency mode operations can sustain indefinitely if gasoline supplies are obtainable.
08/02/03 Bravo SMS Text Web Gateway launched. A showcase of our CGI programming with custom HTML capabilities.
08/01/03 This marks the 1st anniversary of Mach-4 Network upgrade from virtual hosting to dedicated hosting. We had zero incident and zero unscheduled down time, surpassing our promised 99.99% up time guarantee. It's been 32 months since we inaugurated Bravo Web Hosting in January 2001.
07/28/03 Version 4 of Bravo Tech web debut! We opted for a bright theme this time for better legibility.
07/27/03 Internet Traffic & Attack Status monitoring & analysis center updated.
07/20/03 Bravo standardized KPF rule sets introduced.
07/15/03 In-house beta of Windows Server 2003 went live for production use. This also marks the first time we actually operate on Exchange Server in-house. Previously Exchange Server 2000 in-house was only experimental.
07/07/03 Network monitoring services added.
06/16/03 Official billing codes published for programs and topics.
06/15/03 UK site accessible via dynamic DNS. New VoIP system tested and established as standard (PPH)
06/05/03 Bravo Remote Access Gateway (BRAG) went LIVE!
06/01/03 Vicky returned to London.
05/15/03 Hot-Standby Site (HSBS) services offered.
05/07/03 t2p.us debut. Our official webdev testing facility. Trial-to-Production. Tested-to-Perfection. Many demo projects are hosted here.
05/01/03 AVG added to our anti-virus product lines, as a supplement to Symantec SAV for legacy platforms.
05/15/03 New bare-metal Ghost restore methods for W2K & XP tested and documented. Taking advantage of Ghost 2003's application-level support for NTFS.
04/01/03 Bravo THUM site now accessible via automated public Dynamic DNS, in addition to our own (manual) feli DNS.
03/02/03 New mobile phone number and carrier. SMS sending capability and web browsing (WAP) added. eMail gateway for SMS established. Previously only receive text.
03/01/03 Dedicated FAX line phased out after 18 years. End of an era. RIP FAX, you will not be missed. We consolidated from 5 phone numbers down to only 3 numbers.
01/25/03 Bravo Shorthand Codes (BSC) published, after 2 years of research, field test and refinement. Includes linguistic design for radio phraseology, and two modified version for real time text communications.
01/20/03 Initial set of "canned" services for reseller and consultant partners announced
01/15/03 Vicky embarked on Red Hat Linux 8.0 project for feasibility study.
01/03/03 PSL (Product Support Level) notation formalized.
12/07/02 Vicky returned to US base, resuming US client appointments.
11/22/02 Bravo officially a reseller of Xerox color printing products.
11/21/02 Formal announcement of Bravo Partnership program, at long last! Thanks for your patience. 
11/03/02 New domain name for Bravo Technology Center: bravotech.us. The previous .net domain name is now dedicated to our Public Service Portal site: BON, replacing bravotech.net/portal. Separately, BON has been completely redesigned with streamlined layout and added features.
10/15/02 Bravo Weather page upgraded to a 16-page site with a lot of original, custom, or compiled content.
10/02/02 Bravo Internet Traffic & Attack Status Monitoring Center significantly updated and expanded.
10/01/02 Bravo Download Center (BDL) significantly expanded and completely reorganized into subfolders.
09/20/02 Eyeful Tower site debut, as Viewpoint and Perspective feature of Cameralot.
09/12/02 Bravo Domains page updated. Domain Management feature added with live connection backend program for registrar's database. Clients can now update their own contact information, as well as changing name servers.
09/11/02 Cameralot site debut with premiering gallery: 9/11 Memorial.
09/01/02 Intranet Access implemented for internal staff use while on the road and at client sites.
08/15/02 Winbook designated as our preferred notebook computer vendor. We work closely with them and fully support all current models. Their web site is integrated in ours. You may order directly with them, or through us and we pay shipping.
07/27/02 DNS Rx flat fee service now available, for the times when you registered with other registrar and encounter major problem related to propagation or any other DNS related issues.
07/25/02 It's official! Mach-4 Network, the successor to Bravo Web Hosting, is scheduled for roll-out on August 1, 2002!
07/18/02 Our "unofficial spokes model" Melissia Seeger gave birth to a healthy baby girl Hannah Rose. Congratulations to the proud parents Melissia and Matt!
07/10/02 KPF 2.1.5 supersedes old versions. Now PSL0.
07/01/02 Ghost 7.5 is now PSL1. In addition to corp edition, previous 5.0 and 6.0 still supported.
06/28/02 Vicky returned to England for a 6-month project. She's now officially the London branch of our operations. We now rely heavily on VoIP and VPN technology in-house on a daily basis. Replication and backup techniques and procedures are being tested in production environment.
05/23/02 Bravo staff attended Intel Channel Conference. Renewed IPD certification.
05/15/02 Bravo is now Hewlett-Packard Authorized.
05/14/02 Instant Webbie Designs headed by Vicky now has its own domain name: instantwebbie.com
05/05/02 Red Hat Linux 7.2 host installed in-house to mirror soon-to-be-announced FELI at data center in Houston, TX.
05/01/02 Bravo purchased first dedicated host with exciting service offerings to be announced soon. 
04/01/02 Dynamic DNS (DDNS) services offered.
03/01/02 Instant Webbie has first commercial client from UK.
02/14/02 NAV Corporate edition. now available with lower 5-seat threshold. Small businesses rejoice!
02/11/02 Kerio Personal Firewall (KPF 2.1.4) PSL1.
01/10/02 Bravo committed to open source solutions development, adapting SCO UNIX solutions to Linux and OpenBSD.
01/03/02 Intel to ship DDR P4 motherboard soon.
12/05/01 Major (historical) memory price hike. Check new system prices for details.
11/21/01 Successful VPN deployment based on SBS 2000 server and Windows XP client.
10/15/01 Windows XP shipping! Officially adopted in-house after participating in Beta.
08/19/01 Installed dedicated Firewall with IDS based on FreeBSD, a UNIX variant, replacing previous dedicated Win98 gateway running WinRoute.
07/19/01 Sam's Dreambox debut!
07/12/01 System prices & specifications posted in Products section.
07/11/01 Rental Rates & Info posted online.
06/19/01

Introducing Bravo Online Network (BON)--our Public Service Internet Portal catered to YOU! Featuring many useful reference sites, a free POP3 email gate for general public, and news headline live feed. It'll soon be expanded into a full-fledge stand-alone site.

06/04/01 In the near future. FAQs will be added regularly. This site will in fact serve as a repository of basic information. You now have the option of free self-served support with certain tasks. We're currently soliciting inputs for topics you most wanted. Please email us.
06/02/01 Version 3 of our web site is finally up. New slogan: Visions * Integrity * Perspective. Please check out the many new features. Feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated. This is yet another key piece of the the puzzle, which started out 3 years as our vision of the future of Bravo, as unveiled in our open letter to long-time clients.
05/27/01 Our reseller partners area is now password protected. Existing partners may email requests for personalized login and password.
04/30/01 Bravo staff embarked on a 7-day 3-state tour. 2 days in Cleveland, OH attending  Intel Channel Conference. 2 days in East Brunswick, NJ for ASCII Group training conference. 3 days in NYC and NJ area, touring the newly-opened A-Open regional center. Visited various distributor facilities and conducted business meetings with vendor on future developments.
04/02/01 Bravo gained authorization for SMC networking products
03/06/01 Microsoft SBS 2000 tested in-house, officially adopted for client sites effective immediately. Existing SBS 4.0 and 4.5 sites are advised to upgrade when replacing hardware.
03/05/01 Bravo became an Domain Registration Service Provider, thru a partnership with Name-IT Corp.
02/14/01 Windows 2000 adopted in-house, became preferred workstation O.S. for clients
01/20/01 PuTTY official SSH tool. PSL1
01/17/01 Bravo Web Hosting formal program launched. This will both streamline the process and lower your cost. Also available: email-only plans with domain hosting, for those of you who want a corporate e-mail solution but are not ready for a web presence. 
12/01/00 Bravo Studio site received a much needed major face-lift after almost 3 years. Content has been vastly expanded. Now at 25 albums, 540 pages, and 2500+ photos.
06/03/00 DIFA: Designated In-house Facilitator/Administrator. Memo published.
05/09/00 Bravo Reseller site is now regularly update with reseller prices and tech reference info.
03/13/00 Bravotech.net and bravo-studio.com now have their own domain names.
11/23/98 Bravo Studio web site debut. Formal introduction of our graphic designs and photographic production capabilities.
11/22/98 Bravo custom dedicated Internet Gateway based on trimmed Windows 95 and WinRoute from Tiny Software. 72M HD footprint, running on 32M no virtual memory.
11/21/98 "Historical" Open Letter #1 to Client (1998).
11/20/98 First Bravotech web site on commercial hosting, as Netfirm sub-domain. Coinciding with this is the debut of version 2 of our web design.
11/11/98 Ghost 5.0 is PSL1. Strategic tools and solutions offering.
03/05/96 SamRocNY personal site published. "SaMmiE's TrEeHoUSe" site also added.
02/15/96 Our first Bravo "home page" hosted on AOL member space. The "future" is here, and it's got HTML written all over it.

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