support@bowkerit.co.uk • 0844 88 00 737
Bowker IT is pleased to announce that it has met the stringent criteria set by VMWare to reach the Professional Solution Provider level. What does this mean for new or existing customers? It means that you get the best advice possible in terms of a solution for your business that aids continuity and allows for server consolidation. If you have any VMWare questions or requirements please contact vmware@bowkerit.co.uk.
Posted on January 13, 2010
Many of our customers have experienced problems with their broadband connections in recent days due to the adverse weather. For customers with an SMTP feed and Microsoft Exchange Server this represents a real problem in getting access to your emails that are queuing up waiting for your Internet connection to come back to life.
At Bowker IT we have a service that collects your SMTP email before it gets to your Exchange Server should your broadband connection go down and this can be accessed from anywhere by a webmail style interface. Please call on 0844 8800 737 should you be interested in this service.
Posted on November 21, 2009

The Anti Spam Van Man
After speaking to many of our satisfied customers I was alarmed to hear from them that the local business community don’t really know we exist or that we do IT!
So I thought I would take the opportunity to say on here that if you are in the Lancaster, Morecambe, Carnforth, Kendal, Blackpool or Preston area and require IT help and advice then please contact us. We specialise in the following:
Computer, Laptop & Server Supply, Installation & Support
Computer, Laptop & Server Repair
Microsoft & Apple Supply, Installation & Support
Specialised Bespoke Sharepoint Solutions
IP CCTV from Axis, Mobotix, Milestone and iCatcher
Interactive Whiteboards by Smart & Promethean
CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6, CAT6a, CAT7 & Fibre Cabling Installation and Repair
VoIP Telephone Systems from NEC & Siemens
Door Access by Paxton
Green IT Virtualisation / Server Consolidation by VMWare
Anti Spam by Barracuda
Anti Virus & Anti Spyware
There are many more services that we offer and our staff are all trained and qualified in the relevant areas to be able to provide our customers with a high quality yet cost effective solution. We pride ourselves on doing a job well for the customer and doing it to a price that is agreed, not an ongoing hourly rate as many local IT people charge.
If you are looking for help and advice with anything computer related, including websites, please contact us on 0844 8800 737. We are here to help.
Also, if you spot the Barracuda Anti Spam Van Man pictured above email in where and when to info@bowkerit.co.uk for a spot prize!
Posted on November 20, 2009
I spent quite some time trying to find how to do this, mainly so I can query remote computers link speeds on a domain using WMI to eliminate network bottlenecks.
The information required is below, which noone seems to have stumbled across from Googling.
All you need to do is add the Domain Admins, or other group with the required user, to both the DCOM policys for the computer. For more information see Technet.
Using Group Policy to Manage Computer-Wide DCOM Access Restrictions
To manage the computer-wide ACLs in an enterprise, you can use the following Group Policy settings in Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options:
- DCOM: Machine Access Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language (SDDL) syntax. You can use this setting to grant access to all the computers to particular users for DCOM application in the enterprise through Group Policy.
- DCOM: Machine Launch Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language (SDDL) syntax. You can use this setting to grant launch or activation permissions to all the computers to particular users for DCOM application in the enterprise through Group Policy.
Posted on October 21, 2009
Alot of customers have been hit recently by some spam claiming to be from the HMRC in the UK.
The subject reads: Notice of Underreported Income
The message content reads:
From: HM Revenue and Customs [mailto:no-reply@hmrc.gov.uk]
Sent: 12 October 2009 12:06
To:
Subject: Notice of Underreported Income
Importance: LowTaxpayer ID: name-00000783574309UK
Tax Type: INCOME TAX
Issue: Unreported/Underreported Income (Fraud Application)
Please review your tax statement on HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) website (click on the link below):
review tax statement for taxpayer id: name-00000783574309UK
HM Revenue and Customs
These types of emails appear to be legitimate because they contain your first name. However they can be generated from a template, much like a mail merge, simply guessing names untill one gets through.
If you are having problem with these types of spam, or spam in general, please get in touch to find out how we can help.
We are able to provide, Sophos Puremessage, Barracuda Spam Firewall, and other spam filtering solutions.
Posted on October 14, 2009
Bowker IT are pleased to announce their recent partnership with Daisy Telecom. This now allows us to supply analogue, ISDN2 or ISDN30 with call tariffs directly to our customers offering significant savings against BT costs. If you are currently using BT or another provider for you line rental or call charges on land lines please get in touch – we can save you money!
Posted on October 14, 2009
Welcome everybody to the Bowker IT blog!
We thought it was as good a time as any to post our first blog in conjunction with the announcement of the Windows 7 release! Windows 7 is now in stock with our suppliers and available to purchase from us. As usual Microsoft have complicated the versions available and in short they are Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. All are available in 64Bit or 32Bit. If you are not sure what version you need or you are considering upgrading then please contact us on 0844 8800 737 or support@bowkerit.co.uk – the team here are only happy to help you decide on what you need and will explain why in a language you can understand.
In our experience if you are using Windows Vista and it is running slowly then you may benefit greatly from upgrading to Windows 7, it is so much quicker!
Posted on October 14, 2009
Welcome to the Bowker IT weblog.
Posted on September 9, 2009