How to get the most out of Microsoft Teams
If you’re like most people, you only use your office chat applications for simple, everyday use — to ask someone a question or to touch base with colleagues. But wouldn’t it be great if you could do more things at once in these apps, such as completing tasks and chatting with colleagues all in a single window? Perhaps you’ve already heard of Microsoft Teams’ robust features to accomplish this, but how do you get the most out of the program? The convenience of chat apps has enabled workers to cut time spent chatting with colleagues and spend more time doing their tasks. What’s more, work-related software is increasingly becoming more mobile- and user-friendly, with apps like Microsoft Teams bringing together several different platforms. Here’s how you can use that to your advantage: Use SharePoint to store and share files You might already be using SharePoint to store files and collaborate with your teammates. But did you know that in every Teams channel, you can click the Files tab to share files from SharePoint with team members? You can also access SharePoint files already shared in the channel and use Office Online or Office Desktop to collaborate on those files. Forward emails into a channel You get countless emails every day, many of which might be buried in your inboxes. Fortunately, Microsoft makes it easy to forward any email message from Outlook to a Teams channel so they show up in both platforms. To do this, click the ellipsis (…) next to any channel name and select Get email address. This generates an email address for the channel, which you can copy and use to forward files, documents, and messages. Stick with a few groups While you can create as many groups within your organization as you like, going overboard can result in a cluttered messaging interface that overwhelms team members. Instead, you can create groups based on the number of projects and team members involved ー you can always add more if necessary. Set up audio conferencing Teams lets you host voice meetings with groups or with just one team member. This is particularly useful when communicating with remote workers or clients, in which case you can give them guest access to your Teams channel. Guest access ensures they’re able to communicate with someone but unable to view private information. Test communication strategies Just because some of the features in Teams overlap with other Microsoft platforms, such as Yammer and Skype for Business, doesn’t mean they’re all redundant. Think of it as a chance to test different communication strategies to find out what works best for you. For instance, if most of your clients have a Skype ID, you can use Skype for client calls. Share conversations with new team members Teams makes onboarding new hires easy. Rather than forwarding numerous emails and documents to new employees, use Teams to share past conversations and projects with them. This enables everyone to catch up without having to deal with cumbersome documents. Microsoft Teams and other Office solutions are equipped with plenty of useful features that can take some time to master. But by taking advantage of these tools, you’ll be able to save time and maximize efficiency without having to spend a dime. If you have any questions about Microsoft Office and how it can benefit your business, don’t hesitate to give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Defining web hosting
Every business, regardless of size and industry, needs to have an online presence these days. One of the best ways to do this is to create your own website. To do this, you’ll need a web host. Here’s a quick overview of what a web host is and the two most common types of hosting. What is a web host? A web host sells or leases memory space on its servers so your website can have a virtual location on the internet. Their services include online storage for all of your site’s files and web pages. Many web hosts also offer domain name hosting, which creates a web address that users can type into a web browser to access your website (e.g., google.com, inc.com, etc.). Combine these two hosting services and you have the main foundations for your website. You can also get domain-based email addresses (e.g., robert@acmeenterprise.com) and website databases from web hosts. Essentially, your web host can store everything your website needs. When you sign up with a web host, you will usually pay a monthly fee, which the company uses to maintain and invest in new servers for hosting, increase access speeds, and provide better services. What are the two most common types of web hosting? There are hundreds, if not thousands, of web hosts around the world, but they usually fall into one of two categories: Shared hosting – Multiple, different websites are stored on one physical hosting server. Sites have their own partition (section of storage) that is kept separate from other sites on the same server. Dedicated hosting – One website is hosted per server. This means you have all of the server’s capacity to yourself. Which hosting type is best for my business website? Most websites use shared hosting because it’s more affordable while still offering generally stable access and access speeds. This is the ideal hosting type for most small- and medium-sized businesses with fairly simple websites. If your website is going to be large (e.g., thousands of pages) and you are going to host complex features like advanced eCommerce, streaming, and the like, then it would be best to opt for a dedicated hosting service. Examples of large sites include Google, Amazon, and government sites, among others. With numerous web hosts out there, selecting the right fit can be quite challenging. But with our IT expertise and solutions, we can help you find the web host that will work best for your business needs. Contact us today to get started with your online presence. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Reasons why a CRM is good for your business
Business success comes down to whether profitability can be sustained, which is why building and maintaining relationships with your customers is crucial. To help with this, business owners are implementing customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Imagine buying a product, and it breaks the first time you use it. You contact customer support and describe the issue, only to be told to wait for another representative to call you back. You wait for hours, and still nobody calls. After sending an email to customer support, you finally get a call from a customer service representative, but it’s from someone unfamiliar with your problem. You awkwardly explain your problem for the third or fourth time, during which you wonder if the value of your time has exceeded the value of the broken item. We’ve all been there before, but this scenario can be avoided by having an effective CRM system. Here’s what you need to know about CRM systems and how they can mitigate frustration among customers and keep them delighted. What is a CRM system? CRM is a system that allows businesses to manage, record, and evaluate their customer interactions to provide better services and boost sales. You can use CRM to store customers’ contact details, accounts, leads, and sales opportunities all in one place. What are the features of a CRM system? Data management – When customer data is recorded, the CRM system centralizes the data into one file called a master file. Everyone within the company then has access to this data source, preventing confusion from inaccurate or duplicate data. Collaboration – Nowadays, clients demand quick and efficient customer service, so all involved departments must work together to quickly resolve client concerns. CRM systems enable collaboration by facilitating the sharing of customer information among departments. This way, everyone is on the same page about clients’ circumstances and requirements. Customer segmentation – A CRM system arranges your customers into groups based on criteria such as age, gender, location, and even their likes and dislikes. This allows you to target marketing messages to your customers more accurately, potentially increasing engagement and conversion. Task tracking – CRM systems have task tracking features that help your employees stay on top of important tasks, such as contacting customers via email or phone and following up on leads. CRM systems also send reminders to employees about their assigned tasks so that nothing falls through the cracks. In-depth reporting – CRM systems provide a thorough analysis of your customer base. CRM reports give details including an overview of product sales numbers, marketing strategy performance, most successful products or services to date, and even a prediction of whether your sales target will be met at the end of the month. If you’re looking to improve customer service and increase sales conversion using a CRM system, contact us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Why managed IT services is best for cybersecurity
Today’s companies need technology to function. Without it, businesses cannot compete and succeed. But with technology comes the ever-constant threat of hackers and cybercriminals. That’s why small- and mid-sized businesses need to protect themselves with robust cybersecurity solutions managed by IT professionals. The numbers According to the Ponemon Institute’s 2019 State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs) survey, cyberattacks have increased dramatically. Here in the United States, 76% of companies were attacked in 2019, a significant leap from 55% in 2016. Sixty-nine percent of US businesses reported data breaches in 2019, up from 50% in 2016. The financial consequences have also increased considerably. The average cost spent by companies because of damage to or theft of IT assets and infrastructure increased from $1.03 million in 2017 to $1.2 million in 2019. Costs due to disruption to normal operations increased from an average of $1.21 million in 2017 to an average of $1.9 million in 2019. The attacks Globally, the most common forms of attack on SMBs are those that rely on deception: phishing (57%), stolen or compromised devices (33%), and credential theft (30%). Worse, cybercriminals are targeting SMBs more, with reported attacks having increased from 60% in 2017 to 69% in 2019. Why managed services? Partnering with MSPs is the most effective way to prevent attacks and protect your business from malicious threats. MSPs offer a full range of proactive IT support that focuses on advanced security, such as around-the-clock monitoring, data encryption and backup, real-time threat prevention and elimination, network and firewall protection, security awareness training, and more. And because managed services are designed to identify and fix weak spots in your IT infrastructure, you’ll optimize the digital backbone of your business processes. You’ll have faster network performance, a solid business continuity and disaster recovery strategy, and minimal downtime. One of the best things about managed services is that you get a dedicated team of IT professionals ready to assist you for any technology problems you may encounter. This is much more effective and budget-friendly than having in-house personnel handling all your IT issues. Being proactive when it comes to cybersecurity is the only way to protect what you’ve worked hard to build. If you’d like to know more about how managed services can benefit your business, just give us a call — we’re sure to help. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Windows 10 October 2020 Update: Features to watch out for
Microsoft started rolling out the Windows 10 October 2020 Update in recent weeks. While this update is relatively modest in terms of size and features, it boasts of several design and functionality upgrades that will enhance user experience. Here’s what you can expect from the update. Start menu’s new look The Start menu gets a makeover with “theme-aware” tiles, or tiles that take on the dominant color of your theme. Microsoft has removed the accent color behind tiles in the apps list, replacing it with a uniform translucent background in light mode and a solid black background in dark mode. Theme-aware tiles give the Start menu a more modern, streamlined look. However, you still have the option to use accent colors for the Start menu, taskbar, and action center when you enable dark mode. Just go to Settings > Personalization > Colors. From the dropdown menu, choose Dark to enable dark mode, then pick an accent color from the swatches below. To apply your chosen color to the Start menu, taskbar, and action center, tick the box next to the “Start, menu, and action center” option at the bottom of the Colors menu. Alt + Tab changes You can now switch seamlessly between open tabs in your browser with the new and improved Alt + Tab keyboard shortcut. Pressing Alt + Tab opens the task switcher, which will now show you all open tabs in Microsoft Edge, not just the active one. This way, you can go to the browser tab you want straight from the task switcher interface without first opening the browser window. If you’d rather not see all open tabs at once, you can configure the task switcher’s settings by going to Settings > System > Multitasking. Then, choose from the following options: Open windows and all tabs in Edge Open windows and 5 most recent tabs in Edge Open windows and 3 most recent tabs in Edge Open windows only Taskbar tweaks If you’re like a lot of Windows users, you probably have your most visited or favorite websites pinned to the taskbar for ease of access and convenience. Having sites pinned to your taskbar lets you open a website or switch to the most recent app quickly. With the Windows 10 October 2020 Update, you can now see all open tabs in your pinned websites by simply hovering over the website icons on the taskbar. This eliminates the need to search through open tabs and browser windows just to find and switch to the specific tab you need. The taskbar also has a new layout, but this is limited to first logins to a new PC or new account creations. The taskbar will be personalized depending on the user’s preferences. For instance, if the user has an Android device, the Your Phone app will be automatically pinned to the taskbar. Less intrusive notifications Microsoft also made minor tweaks to the notification panel. Now, all notifications have an X icon at the top right corner so you can quickly dismiss them with a click. All notifications will also show the app logo so you can easily tell which app has sent which notification. Additionally, by default, Focus Assist will no longer show you a summary of any notifications you missed while the feature was enabled. To change this setting, go to Settings > System > Focus assist, then tick the box next to “Show me a summary of what I missed while focus assist was on.” Enhanced Edge If you haven’t gotten around to installing the new version of Microsoft Edge, you’ll be glad to know that the Windows 10 October 2020 Update comes with the browser preinstalled. The new version of Microsoft Edge is based on Chromium, the same technology on which Google Chrome runs. As such, it offers a range of features designed to maximize performance and thus improve your browsing experience. What’s more, Edge affords users more control over their data, ensuring that their privacy online will always be protected. Microsoft is constantly developing new features designed to keep Windows 10 devices running smoothly and securely. Drop us a line today to learn more about the latest Windows 10 features and how they can benefit your business. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Disabling Android location settings
The location tracking feature in Android smartphones makes it easier to use certain apps like Google Maps. With this feature turned on, it’ll be easier to locate, for example, the nearest diner. However, enabling this feature has security implications. Hiding your location may require extra steps when you use certain apps, but at least you and your device would be more secure. If you wish to change your phone’s location settings, read on. Photos and GPS tagging Your Android smartphone’s geolocating or GPS tagging function lets you attach GPS coordinates to the pictures you take. This allows you to arrange pictures in albums by location. Geolocating images in itself isn’t a bad thing, but you can get into trouble when you broadcast sensitive locations to the world. For instance, a picture of your expensive watch with a GPS tag of your house could attract wrongdoers. Here are four ways to control geotagging photos: Go to your camera settings and you’ll find an on/off toggle. Go to Settings > Location and from there, you can decide if you want the location saved along with your images. Download an EXIF editor and manually remove the location information from specific images. You can also turn off location services altogether by going to Settings > Location. Discrete location settings Apart from location settings in photos and GPS tagging, Android has three discrete location settings that allow you to set the level of accuracy of your location reporting. You can find these in Settings > Location. Note that this affects your smartphone’s battery life immensely. High accuracy – This uses the GPS radio in your phone to pinpoint its exact location using data from satellites while making use of nearby Wi-Fi and cellular networks too. Battery saving – This mode only uses Wi-Fi networks and mobile networks to identify locations, and while it might not be as accurate as the high accuracy setting, it will help your battery last longer. Device sensors only – This only uses the GPS radio to find you. It may take a little more time to find your location since it doesn’t use nearby Wi-Fi and mobile networks to get your general location first. This also uses more battery. Turning off your location settings will not only help keep your smartphone’s security intact, but it will also help preserve your battery life. Interested in learning more about Android phones and their functions? We have solutions for you and your business. Call our experts today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
5 Easy ways to boost your Mac’s speed
Has your Mac become sluggish? Is it taking too much time to boot or load websites? Different factors can slow down your computer. In this post, we have prepared various tips on how to resolve this. Clean up your Login Items The Login Items list (also known as the Startup List) contains all the apps and programs that automatically start when you log in. Having too many Login Items forces your computer to work harder at startup, slowing it down. You can remedy this by going to System Preferences and selecting Users & Groups. Click on Login Items to see the list of the apps that open on startup. Highlight the apps you want to prevent from launching automatically and click the minus button underneath the list. Start up in Safe Mode Your Mac’s Safe Mode can be used to troubleshoot system-wide issues, including problems with particular apps. Booting up in Safe Mode also deletes system caches. Cache files are temporary data stored on a hard drive to speed up various processes, such as loading websites or certain apps. Unfortunately, some of these files can become corrupted, which results in your computer slowing down. To bring back your Mac’s speed, you will need to clear the cache and delete temporary files. Starting up in Safe Mode is easy. Just press the Power button and immediately after the computer starts, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. Release the key once you see the gray Apple logo and the progress indicator. If you want to leave Safe Mode, just restart your computer. Make sure not to press any key once the machine starts up. Upgrade to solid state drive (SSD) storage An SSD is a disk storage system that uses interconnected flash-memory chips to store your data. It’s faster and more reliable than a hard disk drive (HDD), which stores data in a spinning magnetic disk. HDD has been around for years, but many new computers continue to use it. If your Mac uses HDD storage, upgrading to SSD will amplify its processing speed. But before you proceed, know that SSD storage costs more than HDD. If you want the same storage capacity offered by your machine’s HDD on your SSD, be prepared to shell out some extra money. Alternatively, you can settle for a much smaller memory capacity and just upgrade to a bigger one once your budget allows it. Free up storage space Having too many files can reduce your Mac’s speed. To free up space, just click on the Apple logo located on the top left corner of the screen. Select About This Mac and go to the <Storage tab. Here, you will see how much free space your computer has. If your Mac’s storage is nearing full capacity, clicking the Manage button will give you four options: Store in iCloud – This offloads various content, including your files and text messages, to the cloud. Optimize Storage – This optimizes the TV app storage by deleting videos you’ve already watched. Empty Trash Automatically – With this option, all items that have been in Trash for 30 days will be automatically removed. Reduce Clutter – This lets you see the large files stored in your computer, and allows you to delete them manually to save space. Update to the latest macOS version macOS updates benefit your computer’s speed in several ways. First, they contain performance enhancements that help your computer run as smoothly as possible. Second, they augment your Mac’s protection against cyberthreats, which can slow down your machine. Updates are free, so you should install them once they become available. You can also configure your computer to install updates automatically. In System Preferences, select Software Update. Go to Automatically keep my Mac up to date and check the box. If you’ve tried one or several of these tips and are still experiencing sluggishness, it may be time to consider other options, such as trading in your old Mac for a new one. But before you do that, let us help you explore other ways to improve the performance of your trusty machine. Get in touch with us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Why you need to keep your servers cool
Servers have become an essential tool for many businesses. They manage and keep business data secure, and improve workplace productivity. However, overburdening your servers causes their operating temperatures to rise, which can lead to reduced server reliability and data loss. This is why it’s important to keep your servers constantly cool. How does temperature affect servers? High server temperatures can cause it to crash, resulting in costly data loss and service interruptions. If a server’s temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the server’s reliability decreases. In fact, an increase of 15 degrees leads to a 50-percent decrease in server reliability. When servers reach these temperatures, they will start to perform poorly, and computers connected to the server will start to struggle as well. Keeping your servers cool is vital to maintain optimal performance and longevity. Effective methods to keep servers cool Use low-heat lighting Incandescent lights produce too much heat that can raise the temperature of your server room. Go for low-heat options such as LED arrays and fluorescent tubes. Not only do they produce less heat, but they also provide better illumination compared to incandescent bulbs. Ensure your server room is well ventilated Server rooms are usually small and contain other hardware aside from servers. Without proper air circulation, all that hardware can raise the temperature of the room and your servers. Make sure the server room you choose has good air circulation. If you have no choice but to place your server in a small room, install a ventilation system that will let hot air escape from the room. Use cooling fans Cooling fans work well with a ventilation system to move hot air away from your servers. They are also a more affordable option to air conditioners. Placing a small and powerful fan next to your server’s heat vent will keep it from overheating. Air conditioning system Installing an air conditioner in your server room is probably the best way to keep servers cool. Make sure that the air conditioner you choose is perfect for your server room. If you have a big server room, a small air conditioner won’t do much to cool it. Also, don’t be tempted to use residential air conditioners, as they are not designed to run 24/7/365. Go for industrial air conditioners instead. They can be a bit costly and require semi-annual maintenance checks, but industrial air conditioners will ensure your servers are constantly operating in cool temperatures. Servers work best when kept at a cool temperature constantly. While manufacturers continue to build more resilient servers, proper care and maintenance still play a vital role in ensuring high operating quality and longevity. If you need more information about server management or have any other questions about your server setup, contact us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
How VoIP revolutionizes communications for small and medium businesses
Many businesses fail to realize how ubiquitous and game-changing VoIP is, and as a result, they stay stuck on legacy phone systems. Staying put should no longer be an option, especially if your company is serious about seizing future opportunities. Read on to learn how VoIP can improve your communications. Different phone systems Phones have come a long way from analog landlines. Nowadays, many digital phone systems don’t even have conventional telephony hardware anymore. Modern businesses need a phone system that can service all of their needs, and in most cases, VoIP phones are the answer. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a system of hardware and software that uses the cloud instead of analog circuits to transmit data. VoIP does more than just transmit audio — it can also send a variety of data (videos, documents, etc.) and perform other tasks as well. A VoIP system’s hardware (phone units, cables, CPUs, etc.) and software (one or more applications that run the system) can be either on-premises or hosted. On-premises – The hardware and software are physically located within the premises of the company. Hosted – Some of the hardware, like phone units and other equipment, can be found within the premises. But most, if not all, of the software is hosted online. Service providers look after hosted systems for their clients. Life cycles: On-premises vs. hosted The useful life of hardware remains the same whether it’s on-premises or hosted. Hardware is affected by the wear and tear of daily use. Barring any accidents or physical damage, VoIP hardware should last as long as analog handsets, usually several years. Software, on the other hand, needs constant updating. It’s faster and cheaper to update software that’s hosted in the cloud versus one that’s on-premises. The differences in longevity between the two should be negligible; both can last upwards of 10 years, depending on your IT support. Future-friendly technology Cloud technology has fundamentally changed the way IT solutions are produced. In the past, hardware and software were built to last. Today, they’re built to adapt and change. The effect of this shift on telecommunications technology is dramatic. Most hardware components are very similar, with replacements and upgrades coming every 5–8 years on average. So even new ones aren’t necessarily cutting-edge, and yet they tend to be costly. Cloud software, on the other hand, is faster, more powerful, and costs less to upgrade. Critical updates can be released almost constantly, with complete overhauls taking no longer than 2–3 years. As your business grows, your phone system should be able to adapt to rapid growth, the need for more speed, and integration with the other systems in your business, like email or management software. Be a step ahead Your business cannot afford dropped or missed calls. Imagine what one day of phone downtime would do to your company. The time to replace your phone system is not after it fails. The best time is before that, when you can plan and budget properly. Nowadays, it’s not longevity that’s important; it’s staying ahead of the curve. Call our experts today so you can always be a step ahead. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
New admin capabilities for better Microsoft 365 delivery
In the past few months, the pandemic has driven businesses to utilize every tool available to them to keep operations going. This largely meant deploying cloud-based solutions that can support remote work setups and connect multilocational workers. During these critical times, the job of IT administrators has become more crucial and demanding. So to help make their work just a tad easier, Microsoft has added new features in the Apps admin center that will allow IT administrators to be more efficient and productive. Intelligent insights Intelligent insights include features like Apps Inventory, Add-In Inventory, and Security Currency that allow IT administrators to find and mitigate any issues immediately. With these tools, administrators can gain an in-depth understanding of the organization’s Microsoft 365 environment and be privy to information such as: What devices are running Office apps and which versions they’re running; What Office add-ins are installed or running; and Which servicing channel each device belongs to. Knowing all this information can help administrators identify and manage unsupported Office versions and add-ins to ensure security and compliance. Data is also easily exportable for reports or audits. Servicing automation with controls This feature streamlines and automates Microsoft 365 Apps servicing to eliminate manual deployment and accelerate the rollout of updates and security patches, thus saving effort, time, and costs. With this new feature, admins only need to apply a specific servicing profile to a set of devices to automatically deliver monthly updates for users or groups. What’s more, IT admins are now able to view, pause, and resume updates on a per-device basis. If a user experiences issues during rollout, for instance, administrators can pause that user’s update and restore their software to a previous version while they troubleshoot. Admins can also specify exclusion date periods, or when Office apps updates should not run, such as during holidays or company meetings. They can schedule this to happen only once or on a recurring basis, depending on their organization’s schedule. And for compliance purposes, admins can schedule updates to happen at a certain date and time, or they can let users install Office app updates at their most convenient time. Microsoft 365 Apps health With Microsoft 365 Apps health, IT admins can see how well Microsoft 365 apps are running during and in between deployments. It also calculates an organization’s overall app health based on three criteria: app reliability, app performance, and supported versions. On top of these, Microsoft 365 Apps health gives pertinent information such as Office app session crash rates and who reported such crashes. This allows admins to quickly identify issues and take actions to increase app performance and reliability. With these new features, administrators can better manage Microsoft 365 apps, and users can count on better experiences and fewer downtimes. If you want to learn more about how technology can increase your business’s operational efficiency, don’t hesitate to call us. Our IT experts are always ready to help. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.