Why it’s costly not to virtualize
You’ve probably heard that virtualization saves money, but how can you take advantage of this? Did you know that choosing not to virtualize can hurt your business? Answer these four questions to discover why virtualization is good for you. Studies have shown that over 70% of IT budgets go to “keeping the lights on.” If that sounds like a lot of money, it is. You could be spending thousands of dollars powering your IT equipment and paying your staff to manage it, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Virtualization can reduce your expenses without keeping you awake at night. If you’re ready to learn how, here are four questions you need to ask: 1. What’s the cost of your data center? We’re talking about the whole kit and caboodle: your servers, backup power supplies, air conditioning, security devices, and the overhead costs for the space to store everything. 2. How much do you spend cooling your servers? Keeping your servers cool is a fact of life. Have you ever considered how much this is costing you? 3. What is your budget for cabling and adapters? Don’t forget these. Aside from purchasing physical cables and adaptors, what’s the cost of maintaining them? 4. How much does your IT staff spend to manage these resources? It takes time for your staff to manage your IT, and time is money. How does virtualization eliminate these costs? With virtualization, you can kiss the data center, servers, cables, and adapters goodbye (hello, new office space). Instead, equipment is stored off-site and delivered via the internet. Your computers and network continue to function normally. The only difference is they’re out of sight. This equals lower maintenance costs, fewer overheads, less equipment, and fewer headaches. And let’s not forget the time it takes to manage all of your IT equipment. Virtualization frees up your IT staff, allowing them to focus on more important things, like your business’s IT strategy and market. You may even have the option to completely eliminate your in-house IT staff. How’s that for cost savings? Ready to make the switch to virtualization? Need more questions answered? Let’s talk. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Advantages of call recording
Even the most attentive customer service representative can make mistakes; after all, he or she is only human. If your business uses VoIP as its telephony solution, errors can be lessened through call recording. Find out how this helpful VoIP feature can benefit your organization. #1. Improve customer service One of the most important reasons why businesses should always record their calls, no matter its significance, is to ensure high-quality customer service. By reviewing calls, managers can understand how their agents have been dealing with customers, find out whether or not they’ve followed company protocol, and pinpoint any aspects that can be improved on. Without call recording, managers would have to listen to each call in real time, which is a time-consuming process. By recording each call, not only will your managers save time, but your employees will also be motivated to perform at their best every time they’re on the phone because they know their calls can always be reviewed. #2. Upgrade employee performance According to Edgar Dale’s Cone of Learning, people only remember 10% of what they’ve read, 50% of what they’ve seen and heard, and 90% of what they’ve done. By providing your agents with actual recordings of good and bad calling examples during training sessions, and have them simulate calls afterwards, they’ll be able to learn better and provide high-quality customer service faster. #3. Retrieve missed details and prevent litigation With hundreds of phone calls daily, it’s understandable if your employees don’t catch every single detail. And for companies that require their agents to manually input information during calls, there’s always a possibility that they’ll forget or miss certain information. Needless to say, this could lead to disgruntled customers. If not properly handled, this can harm your reputation, reduce work opportunities, and if things escalate, proceed to litigation. VoIP’s call recording feature lets you replay saved audio files to make sure you haven’t missed any details, ensuring that all customer demands are met. And if you ever get into a dispute with your clients regarding who said what, you can always retrieve the exact audio file and have both sides listen to it, saving you thousands of dollars in legal fees. #4. Understand customer preferences Have you ever received an inquiry about a product or service that’s not included in your offerings? While your agents usually jot these requests down and pass them on to the relevant personnel, if numerous calls are being made that day, they may end up forgetting some. Tiny issues like this can lead to potential huge losses. With call recording, you can review all your calls at the end of the day. You’ll have a better picture of what certain customers are looking for so you can address them better. VoIP allows businesses to make on-demand calls affordably, and its call recording feature helps companies improve their customer service and prevent litigation. If you think business VoIP is right for you, or if you have any questions, give us a call today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Don’t make these IT mistakes as you grow!
Don’t make these IT mistakes as you grow! During the course of IT consultancy, we come across a lot of clients who are not happy with the way their IT shaped up over the years. They feel their IT investments never really yielded the kind of returns they expected and come to us looking to change the trend. When analyzing the reasons for the failure of their IT investment, here’s what we come across most often. Not prioritizing IT This is the #1 mistake SMBs make. When focusing on growing their business, most SMBs think marketing, sales and inventory, but very few consider allocating resources–monetary or otherwise towards IT. IT is seen as a cost-center, rarely prioritized and any investment in IT is made begrudgingly. Going for the fastest, latest or even the ‘best’ technology–which may not be the best for you This is in contrast to the issue discussed above. Many SMBs realize the key role that IT plays in their business success. But they tend to get carried away and invest in the latest IT trends without considering whether it fits their business needs well, or if they really need it. Sometimes it is just a case of keeping up with the Joneses. But, why spend on the fastest computers or largest hard drives when you get only incremental productivity benefits? Your team is not with you When you bring in new technology or even new IT policies, it is your team that needs to work on it on a daily basis. If your staff is not on the same page with you, your IT investment is unlikely to succeed. So, before you make that transition from local desktops to the cloud, or from Windows to iOs or roll out that new BYOD policy, make sure you have your staff on your side. You are not sure how to put it to good use The lure of new technology is like a shiny, new toy. Investing in something popular and then not using it to its maximum is commonplace. Make sure you make the most of your investment in IT by providing your staff with adequate training on how to use it. IT can seem challenging to navigate when you have to do it all by yourself. It entails steep costs when taken care of in-house. Add to that the complex task of deciding what IT investment you will benefit the most from and then training your team to use it…all of this is pretty daunting when you have to do it all by yourself. A MSP has the experience and expertise needed to be your trusted partner and guide in these challenges, helping you make the most of your IT investment.
Help yourself: use these Office 365 features
Need help getting some work done? Microsoft constantly releases new Office 365 features that can give you an edge over the pile of work on your computer. With some of the new Office 365 features, you can Skype over a document with your coworkers, plot charts into Excel with ease, and even sign for a document electronically with any device. So treat yourself and use these features to increase your productivity in the workplace. Simultaneously edit a document with other people With Office 365, people can work together on any Word, PowerPoint, or Excel document in real time. This means multiple people can edit a document and figure out what changes have been made and who made them. So if your employees are still creating documents by themselves, sending them over to their coworkers by email, and silently waiting for a reply, then this Office 365 feature can help cut down on unnecessary email waiting time. Skype over a document with your coworkers In addition to being able to work together on a single document, you can also verbally discuss the edits over Skype. This application lets you talk to everyone who is working on the document with a simple click of a button. You can also keep talking to your coworkers even after you’ve left the Office document session. Link to files, don’t attach them Is the file you’re sending too big? With the business editor of Office 365, you won’t have to worry about compressing your documents before sending them over email. You can simply copy a link to the cloud file in your email and people with access to the link can immediately begin editing. Let Bing find presentation images for you Sometimes you just need that second opinion when you’re picking images for your presentation. That’s where Office Sway comes in. Basically, the application employs Bing image search to locate possible images that you can use for your presentation based on the words in the document. Laser pointer mouse icon Forgot your laser pointer on the day of your presentation? Simply go into presentation mode and hold Ctrl and the left mouse button to replace your cursor with a laser pointer. Change your electronic scribbles into text This OneNote feature allows you to convert your electronic scribbles into text in just a few steps. Simply choose the Lasso Select tool, circle the area you want edited, and click the Ink to Text option. Electronic signatures Printing out a document to sign it and then scanning it back to digital format is a bit outdated. With the Docusign app, you can set up your own electronic signature and sign documents easily from any device. Create Excel charts with ease Office 365 has built in new features that will allow Excel to better present and format your data. Simply select the cells that you would want in a graph or table, open the Quick Analysis tool, and pick how you would like to visually represent your information. Voila! Instant chart. Turn data from Excel into a map Provided that your data takes note of geographic locations, the Power Map feature can immediately distribute your recorded facts and figures over a 3D map. Create and convert PDF Files You have a variety of choices when it comes to creating PDF files from Word documents. Exporting your Word documents into PDF files can be done by going to File > Export > Create PDF/XPS. You also have the option of saving just a portion of a file by indicating the pages you want to be converted into a PDF. On the other hand, if you would like to edit a PDF, just open the file as a Word document. From there, you can copy and edit any content, images, or diagrams. Consider utilizing some or all of these features to make the most out of Office 365 and make your life a bit easier. If you’d like to know more about other features that Office 365 has to offer, give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Speed up your Windows 10 updates
In May 2019, Microsoft will be releasing another Windows 10 major update with security patches, bug fixes, and new features. More than improving user experience, these updates will help your organization secure your IT systems. If you can’t afford to let an update be a long and frustrating process, here are some tips that will speed it up. Why do updates take so long to install? Windows 10 updates take a while to complete because Microsoft is constantly adding larger files and features. What’s more, internet speed can significantly affect installation times, especially if your network is overburdened by multiple people downloading the update at the same time. If multiple downloads aren’t being attempted and you still experience slowness, then either some broken software components are preventing the installation from running smoothly, or apps and drivers that run upon startup are likely to blame. When you experience any of these issues, try the following: Free up storage space and defragment your hard drive Because many Windows 10 updates take up a lot of space on your hard drive, you need to leave enough room for them. First, try deleting files and uninstalling software you no longer need. Then, you’ll also need to defragment your hard drive, a process that organizes data on your hard drive so it can read and write files faster. It’s quite an easy process. Press the Windows button and type “defragment and optimize drives”. Select the hard drive, click Analyze, and if the drive is more than 10% fragmented, select Optimize. Run Windows Update Troubleshooter Software components may also cause installation problems. Run the Windows Update Troubleshooter and it might just be the solution to the issue, and decrease download and install times. Disable startup software Before your update begins, disable third-party applications. They can potentially cause disruptions. To do this, press the Windows button again and type “msconfig”. In the System Configuration Window, go to Services, click Hide all Microsoft services, then click Disable all. Afterwards, access Task Manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Delete) and disable any startup program that might interfere with updates like an Adobe app or printer software. Optimize your network Sometimes a faster connection is all you need. Consider switching to fiber optic cables or purchasing more bandwidth from your internet service provider. It’s also a good idea to use bandwidth management tools to make sure enough network resources are reserved for things like Windows 10 updates, not bandwidth hogs like Skype or YouTube. Schedule updates for low-traffic periods In some cases, however, you may have to accept that certain updates do take a substantial amount of time. So schedule them for after hours when you’re not using your computers. Simply go to the Windows 10 update settings and specify when you prefer updates to be installed. If you need help with any of the tips above, we’re always here to help. Call us today to meet with our Windows specialists! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Warning signs your computer has malware
With the rise of eCommerce and online banking, cybercrime has evolved. Like criminals who pull smash-and-grab jobs, they go where the money is. However, unlike bank robbers, cybercriminals do their best to avoid detection by letting malware do the work for them. Viruses and ransomware sneak into PCs to quietly steal passwords, financial credentials, and other personal information to be sold on the black market for profit. Not all malware is stealthy though. Here are some telltale signs. Slow computer Are your operating systems and programs taking a while to start up? Is your data bandwidth suspiciously slow? If so, your computer may potentially have a virus. However, just because your PC is running slower than usual doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s infected, as there could be other causes to your computer slowing down. First, check if you’re running out of RAM. For Windows, open task manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go to the Performance tab and check how many gigabytes of RAM are used up under the Memory section. For Mac OS users, you can open the Activity Monitor app and, under System Memory, you should be able to find out your RAM usage. Other causes could include lack of space on your hard drive or even damaged hardware. Once you’ve ruled out other possible causes, then malware may have infected your device. Blue screen of death (BSOD) If your PC crashes regularly, it’s usually either a technical problem with your system or a malware infection. You might not have installed the latest drivers for your device or the programs you’re running could possibly be incompatible with your hardware. If none of these problems are apparent in your PC, then a virus could be clashing with other programs and causing your crashes. To check what caused your last BSOD, go to Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer and select Windows Logs. Those marked with “error” are your recorded crashes. For troubleshooting solutions, consult forums or your IT department to figure out what to do next. Lack of storage space There are several types of malware that can manipulate and corrupt the files saved on your computer. Most tend to fill up your hard drive with suspicious files. Ransomware, for example, is a notorious type of malware that denies you access to your data until you pay a so-called ransom. There are more aggressive forms of ransomware, like NotPetya, known for exploiting security holes to infect computers without needing to trick users. If you find any unknown programs that you have never installed before, notify IT personnel in person immediately (do not email them) and have them handle the situation for you. Your device might not be the only one in your network that is infected with suspicious programs. Suspicious modem and hard drive activity Combined with the other warning signs, if your hard disk is working excessively while no programs are currently running or if you notice that your external modem is always lit, then you should scan your computer for viruses. Pop-ups, websites, toolbars, and other unwanted programs Pop-ups come from clicking on suspicious pages, such as those where users are asked to answer survey questions to access a website’s service or install free applications. While they’re inherently harmless, they could be downright annoying. Refrain from clicking pop-up pages and just close them instead. Run malware scans and update your browsers. You might think that downloading free applications is harmless, but the installation process can inject malware into your device. When you’re installing a program from the internet or even app stores, it’s easy to just skim over the terms and conditions page and repeatedly press next. This is where they get you. In the process of skipping over certain installation steps, you might have agreed to accepting a new default browser and opening unwanted websites and other programs filled with viruses. Be cautious when downloading something for free. You’re sending out spam If your friends are telling you that you’ve been sending them suspicious messages and links over social media or email, you might be a victim of spyware. Warn your friends not to open anything that appears to be spam and make sure to reset your passwords across all your devices and enable multifactor authentication. Knowing how malicious software affects your computer can help you take the necessary precautions and steps to rectify the situation as soon as possible. Regardless of whether or not your system has experienced these symptoms, it’s always smart to perform regular malware scans to ensure your business is safe. To find out more about malware and IT security, contact us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
5 settings every new iPad owner should change
Apple’s iOS has been through countless updates over the years. It’s hard to keep up with all the new features and settings, so we don’t blame you for feeling overwhelmed with how to set up a new iPad. Although every user has different preferences, there are at least five configurations most people can agree on. Touch ID The first thing you must change is iOS’s fingerprint recognition features. When configured properly, this technology does much more than unlock your device. Open the Settings app and then tap Touch ID & Passcode (or Face ID & Passcode if your device supports it) to record several fingerprints and configure what Touch ID can authorize. You can even use it to automatically fill in saved passwords. Notifications How embarrassing would it be if someone sent you a private message and it popped up on your iPad’s lock screen where everyone could see it? You can prevent that from happening by opening the Notifications window from within the Settings app. From there, you can change which apps show notifications, where those notifications are displayed, and whether or not you get reminders about unread notifications. Personalize your Control Center Swiping down from the top right corner of the screen on an iPad opens what Apple calls the Control Center. This window allows users to access frequently used tools, such as the alarm, camera, flashlight, and others. If you’d like to add or remove Control Center apps, or simply rearrange them, open the Settings app, select Control Center, and Customize Controls. Make Siri work for you Apple was the first company to introduce a consumer-grade voice assistant, and they’ve spent years improving it. In addition to pressing and holding the home button to activate your voice assistant, you can also enable the Hey Siri feature. Saying that phrase will activate Siri, regardless of whether or not you press the home button. Update your Today View Did you know that swiping your finger to the right from the left edge of your iPad’s screen opens a window packed with personalized information? It’s called the Today View, and although it’s smart enough to create content specific to you, there are several ways to improve it. Open the Today View, then swipe to the bottom of the list and choose Edit. Similar to Control Center options, this window lets you add, remove, or rearrange what the Today View displays. You can even add page segments generated by non-Apple services and apps. Don’t fall for the misconception that Apple computers and mobile devices are too rigid to be customized. Every day, countless organizations use them to achieve specific and unique business goals. We know because we’ve seen it happen first hand with our clients! Give us a call today if you’d like our help making similar improvements. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Boost your new laptop in 5 steps
Laptops may not be the most powerful computers, but the benefits they provide are undisputable. For one thing, they deliver a similar user experience as your huge desktop PC, but much more conveniently and affordably. But before you reap their many benefits, here are five steps you should take before using them to improve their performance. 1. Update your laptop’s operating system One of the first things you should do before using your laptop is upgrade its operating system (OS). Assuming you did not purchase the laptop when it was first released, your laptop will still be running an older OS. With important patches and fixes released with each new update, it is recommended that you install the latest one to ensure your laptop is free of any vulnerabilities. 2. Remove bloatware When turning on your laptop for the first time, you might notice that there are several preloaded software in the system — some of which you will probably never use. These are known as bloatware. These apps take up a lot of your valuable drive space, so consider getting rid of them. The easiest way to do this is by downloading a bulk uninstaller, which allows you to check all the bloatware apps you don’t want and remove them in one fell swoop. 3. Install protection software It’s no secret that the world we live in is unsafe. And with so much confidential information nowadays becoming digitalized, it is necessary to protect yourself against losing important data from your computer. The solution to this is very simple. By installing antivirus software that can automatically — or manually — scan your computer at a scheduled time, potential attacks can be thwarted before they become more serious. Not only is your laptop’s data vulnerable to cyberattacks, but there is always a chance your laptop can get lost or stolen. While there are preventive steps you can take — such as being mindful while using your laptop in public places — another solution would be to install anti-theft software. Security features such as Find My Device for Windows 10 and Prey for other operating systems can help you locate your device if it’s ever stolen or misplaced. 4. Optimize your power settings One of the most frequent problems that laptop users have is that their batteries run out of juice too fast. However, you can actually extend the battery life by making a few tweaks to your power settings. Reduce your display brightness, but not so much that it causes eye and mental fatigue. Use the Sleep or Hibernate mode for your operating system. 5. Set up a backup plan Imagine spending months working on an important project and suddenly finding it nonexistent the next day just because your laptop crashed. Deadlines will be missed. Profit margins will decrease. Customers will leave unhappy. And if worse comes to worst, you’ll be out of business. Why add stress if you can prevent it from happening in the first place? By setting up an automatic backup system, you can regularly save all your important files; that way, you’d still be able to recover your data should anything happen to the original file. You can also store all your important documents in the cloud, which ensures access whenever you need, even if your laptop crashes or gets stolen. Getting a new laptop can be fun, but the joy might be short-lived if you don’t set up any preventive measures from the start. Call us for information on how we can help you secure your company’s laptops today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
IT Red Flags to Watch Out For
IT Red Flags to Watch Out For As someone running a SMB, you probably have a lot on your plate. You are the core decision maker, responsible for growing your business, keeping your clients happy and getting all the working done. Often, when you have so much going on, one area that gets overlooked is IT. When you are so busy looking into other things, the start of IT issues may slip your watchful eyes. In this blog, we discuss the IT red flags that you need to watch out for. Adware ambush This happens generally when your internet browser has been hijacked and an adware has been sneaked into your system. When you try to surf the net using a hijacked browser, you will find online ads popping up everywhere. And by that we don’t mean the few sponsored search results or a couple of ads that show up when you browse a site. We are talking about ads showing up just about everywhere on your browser. Even a simple link click will take you to an unintended page. It is so evident, you just cannot miss identifying an adware ambush! Strange pop-ups Much like the Adware ambush, strange pop-ups show up when you least expect them. For example, you may be trying to open a presentation or a document and a series of pop-up windows will appear before you are allowed access to the file. Watch out for these, as they indicate the presence of a malware in your system. Spam/Fake emails If, all of a sudden, you see a lot of spam emails being sent from your/your staff’s official email IDs, there may be a worm at work. Often email worms enter the IT system through the download of one infected file and then replicate themselves across the network via email. Worms do this by penetrating the victim’s email security and spread itself across all of the victim’s email contact list through automated emails that look as if they were actually sent by the victim. So, is Sam from Accounting sending you a lot of junk emails? Probably time to get his PC checked. A lot of what used to work before is now broken We all have minor software and hardware issues here and there. But, if all of a sudden, a lot of stuff that used to be up and running seems to be broken, it screams “Red alert”! It could mean that the malware is slowly taking over your IT system, one program at a time. Bottomline–Surprises are good, but not so much in IT. If you find anything amiss, anything different, like a machine that suddenly slowed down, or a program that just doesn’t work anymore or a new plug-in added to your browser or a new homepage, it’s better to take a deeper look and arrest the problem before it spreads elsewhere wreaking havoc through your IT network.
Web design trends you should follow today
Many small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) nowadays build and maintain their own website to reach more customers. But because a majority of your competitors also have a website, an underperforming site just won’t do. Follow these web design trends to increase web traffic and boost your bottom line. Scrolling Scrolling is a convenient method to navigate a website. Instead of clicking on confusing menus and drop-down tabs, you can just scroll through a one-page site that has a cleaner look and is usually more intuitive to users. This web design style is definitely more important now that people have grown more accustomed to mobile web browsing. You also have to decide how far visitors will have to scroll to get to know your company. While a long scrolling page gives you more white space and content to work with, a short scrolling page can quickly convey your company’s message and encourages action. Animations One way businesses have been setting themselves apart from others is by adding customized animations to their pages. This doesn’t mean you should overload your site with flashy effects that take forever to load. If you want to use animations on your site, give it a subtle twist. For instance, Slack’s loading animation features their logo. Additionally, animations can be used to increase user interaction and engagement. Hover animations will allow your users to position the mouse over your content and get an immediate response without having to move between pages. Slideshows on your homepage can also showcase what your company is about without throwing too much information at the audience. When deciding to add animation to your page, figure out how a specific effect can enhance the user experience while showcasing your business. Flat design To achieve an optimal viewing experience for users, many companies have adopted a flat design for their websites. The flat design style replaces the elements that give an illusion of depth, like shadows and textures, with minimalist typography and colors. For example, Google employed this style to get content to viewers more effectively. The company added flat-design colors and used a sans-serif font. This allows the logo to load faster and makes it easier to read, as well. Full-screen forms More websites and apps are using full-screen forms to increase user interaction. Rather than being redirected to another page where your visitors decide to register or login to a website, they are welcomed by a full-screen form right on the home page. This is also especially useful for mobile users since they are less likely to misclick sections of the form. Customized photos The next time you want to use photographs to highlight your company, forget about using stock photos. Business websites that exhibit the company’s own photographs on their homepages look more personal and stand out from the competition. While these trends are popular at the moment, don’t blindly adopt them all because it might end up looking messy. Instead, use the trends that are best suited to your company. If you want to learn more about current web design trends, give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.