Shane Speer joins as Network Specialist   It is our pleasure to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Shane Speer. Shane comes to us after six years at DePaul Community Services, where he supported facilities that stretched from New York to South Carolina. The main focus of his job there was desktop computer repair, network management and network requirement planning for new sites. In addition, he was the manager and trainer for Digital Video Surveillance and Access Control.   His philosophy (and favorite pun) is “IT’s awesome!”   “I love working on computers,” says Shane. “Especially ones with unique problems—they keep me sharp and on my toes. There is no greater feeling than that first time you figure out the fix on your own with no help, and you never forget it. I love what I do and the people I meet and I enjoy researching the latest and greatest, finding new ways to do a job with ease.”   We are happy to have Shane working with us. He handles desktop and server support for our business customers...

Windows 7 business use is growing   According to Net Applications’ statistics, Windows XP is still the world's dominant operating system, but the two-year-old Windows 7 is showing strong growth—picking up an additional 12.9% since February 2011. Windows XP is heading for history with all support ending in April, 2014. In addition, anything before Service Pack 3 is already out of the support timeframe. Also Internet Explorer 9 only runs on Windows 7 or Vista because of graphics acceleration support and other software, like video editors, are starting to have similar requirements.   As computing needs change, the older system can’t keep up. When businesses hold onto hardware so long it adds no capital value to the business and is too old to sustain an OS upgrade.   Making the Case for Migration It's good for older and lower-powered hardware, but these systems...

"VIPRE doesn't hog system resources and doesn't slow down a PC isn't just marketing hyperbole, but is actually true."—ZDNet   Selecting an antivirus solution for your company is an important decision. Organizations need to protect their systems while ensuring that the solution is cost-effective and easy to maintain. VIPRE Antivirus Business is a high-performance solution we recommend that delivers fast, memory-efficient endpoint security that doesn’t bloat your system. It has also been built from the ground up after years of research and development, so it has a low impact on system resources.   Here are highlights of the features:   Remove incompatible software: Quickly and thoroughly remove your previous AV product to avoid conflicts during installation....

Keep your business safe and stable Firewalls are an integral part of keeping networked computers safe and secure. All computers need the protection of a firewall from servers to desktops to laptops connecting wirelessly.   Firewall solutions for small businesses are available as either software or hardware (that includes software components). Here is a high-level look at firewalls.   Software Firewalls: Must be installed on EACH computer to be effective   Hardware-based Firewalls: Protect all computers on a network Easy to administer   The best firewall solution for small business integrates a hardware firewall with software controls into a comprehensive security solution. It also includes: virtual private network (VPN) support, antivirus,...

There are four basic types of firewall protection today: network level, circuit level, application-level and stateful multilayer. We strongly recommend that companies use a firewall as part of their overall information security program to ensure data and application integrity as well as data confidentiality and authentication.   Network-Level Simply put, firewalls that work at the network level inspect packet headers and filter traffic based on their source and destination. They also take into account IP addresses, ports used and services requested.   Circuit-Level Gateway Circuit-level gateway firewalls determine the legitimacy of a requested session by monitoring the handshake between packets. A circuit level firewall can hide the network from hackers in the outside world and restrict the session rules to known computers....

Strong Integration Is a Plus for Small Businesses   Whether you love Microsoft Outlook or merely “put up with it”, there are many reasons that make it stand out as an email client. Also, the current version is robust, secure and versatile. Let’s look at some of the ways it integrates and works well with other devices and applications.   Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Work Well Together Just by starting up Outlook and entering your e-mail address, Exchange creates a transparent connection. That cuts down on the need for IT involvement in client configuration and allows users to switch computers if they need to do so.   Outlook Collaborates with SharePoint Microsoft's SharePoint is a collaborative platform with tools for building and managing websites, intranets and workspaces. Outlook users can receive notifications...

"VIPRE doesn't hog system resources and doesn't slow down a PC isn't just marketing hyperbole, but is actually true."—ZDNet

 

Selecting an antivirus solution for your company is an important decision. Organizations need to protect their systems while ensuring that the solution is cost-effective and easy to maintain. VIPRE Antivirus Business is a high-performance solution we recommend that delivers fast, memory-efficient endpoint security that doesn’t bloat your system. It has also been built from the ground up after years of research and development, so it has a low impact on system resources.

 

Here are highlights of the features:

Remove incompatible software: Quickly and thoroughly remove your previous AV product to avoid conflicts during installation.

Auto-configure the Windows Firewall:...

Making the move from 2007 to 2010 puts you ahead   Although Microsoft Office 2010 has been on the market for a little while now, not every company has been in a position to migrate. As more time passes, migrating is becoming a necessity. Here is a look at some of the benefits that come with upgrading to Microsoft Office 2010.   Co-authoring—allows multiple people to work on the same document—even at the same time! You can keep tabs on your collaborators who are working on different sections and keep track of the big picture.   Better Communications Tools—One-click communications and document sharing help make meetings (especially those where some members work virtually) unified and time-saving.   Office Web Apps—Allow staffers to use Office almost...

Provide client and project-centric views of information from multiple sources

 

It’s no secret that CPA firms handle large quantities of electronic and paper documents. The need to process them efficiently as well as retrieve them when required is key for firms to stay competitive. There are best-of-breed solutions for niches (tax, audit), but using a niche product can lead to silos of information and prevent a holistic look at data.

 

The biggest goals of the CPA firms we have spoken with are as follows:

Increasing the ability to be in compliance Reducing the amount of labor involved in storing and handling documents Reducing the storage space required for paper documents Allowing employees to collaborate and work remotely  

Many firms find themselves...

An affordable, all-in-one solution

Windows Small Business Server has been designed specifically with small businesses in mind. From allowing users to connect their own computers without the need of an administrator to the Remote Web Access, it has the most current server technology at the service of your business. It is a powerful piece of hardware and features scalability and has easy virtualization capabilities. It monitors the health of your infrastructure automatically, offers improved Outlook Web Access (OWA) and provides a management console where monitoring and managing can take place.

We’re very pleased with not only the ways it works by itself, but also how it allows for secure collaboration online via Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services.

The Key Benefits of Windows Small...

New Features and Simpler Interfaces Are Improvements Both IT and End Users Appreciate   Microsoft's operating system, Windows 7, is good enough to make even XP holdouts want to upgrade! Windows 7 provides a welcome evolution forward for the operating platform, by significantly improving security, convenience and stability.   Here are several reasons to make the upgrade:   1. Lower system requirements Windows Vista required more memory and processing speed to power its graphical user interface, while Windows 7 isn't a system resource drain. Just by upgrading, you’ll make the machines you have now run faster. In fact, even slower, low memory machines can run it making it suitable for installation on low-end and high-end machines.   2. Simpler navigation Windows 7 is easier to navigate and...

Datto is a great BDR option   If you’re one of our blog readers, we can be pretty sure you understand the need for frequent backups of your business data. We advocate both onsite and offsite backup copies so help mitigate potential loss. We recommend Datto as a solution for backing up offsite. It’s a great solution for backing up to an offsite server. The remote backup feature automatically duplicates its data to an online storage server, ensuring a redundant copy is always stored safely out of harm's way. Pretty nifty!   Datto Backup automatically connects to remote servers every 10 minutes to back up new or altered files. To prevent it from having a noticeable effect on your Internet connection, there is a great amount of flexibility in deciding when backups take place and how much bandwidth they can consume. It’s...

SharePoint provides law firms with solutions that allow them have a consistent, connected experience (on the end user side) with a reliable, flexible and secure enterprise offering.   Here are some of the reasons SharePoint is a good fit for law firms: Software Integration: It works well with existing, and familiar, software as well as integrating with value-added software add-ons specific to the field.   Organizing/Aggregating Content: Firms can create portals that are Internet-based so that users can go between internal data sources (document, financial, content management systems) and external sites.   Improved Search: SharePoint offers a richer search function than native search that come with document management systems.   Better Browsing: Using well-designed portal interfaces improve...

The benefits of sharing information assets   Microsoft SharePoint empowers end-users so they can organize and structure information within a common shared repository. Previously, information could only be shared when you knew who had it and where it was located. There might accidentally be multiple versions of a document and project management wasn’t necessarily centralized.   By using SharePoint as an information repository, a document becomes a “living” piece of information instead of a static one. Managing your documents, calendars and more allows users to easily share, archive, organize, version, and collaborate. It also tracks authoring and backups, protects confidential documents and maintains an approval...

Add free web functionality   Businesses always try to figure out when is the optimum time to upgrade their Office suite, so we thought it might be helpful to look at a few of the changes between Office 2007 and 2010.   Multimedia Editing Is Improved Image editing overall is boosted and there is also in-video editing within PowerPoint. Screen captures, video cutting and background removal are all easy to do. It’s no Photoshop, but it speeds the work of creating and editing presentations.   Security Settings Are Stronger Author settings and restricted editing have been revamped; and a “protected mode” has been added. This stops you from accidentally editing a file you have downloaded until you take the step to enable it. With restricted editing, you can pick who can collaborate.   Cleaner Menu System The...

Seamless connection is helpful to IT and staffers alike   One of Windows 7 new features is a way for remote staffers to securely connect to the corporate network from any location (without any type of traditional VPN). It does this by providing an encrypted, bidirectional connection between your enterprise domain and the client device that is established prior to the user logging onto the system.   This allows IT to manage any machine remotely via Group Policy—as if it were physically connected to the network. The connection is always on, so users don't have to remember to manually connect. Also, their applications—such as Microsoft Outlook and instant messaging—are always in communication with the corporate network.   IT can also make sure virus definitions and Windows updates are in place, and users can...

From installs to help, it’s a great way to tackle issues when IT isn’t physically in the office   We know what it’s like to be happily working along on your computer, when suddenly something goes wrong. It could be a slowdown in performance or an error message that you don’t understand. Now you find yourself faced with a larger problem. You’re not an IT person (those error messages are meaningless to you) and you need to get back to work as quickly as possible. If your company utilized remote access, IT support can go right into your computer and “see” it from afar. Around 80% of computer issues can be solved quickly and remotely. So why spend hours fumbling around, when you can just place a quick call and get a technician looking over your computer immediately?   Many of our customers have this option set up, that way they don’t have to wait for us to schedule...

Keep an eye on what’s working and where the trouble spots are   If your employees are complaining of a slow network the issue could be anywhere from a bad cable to an inadvertently downloaded computer virus. By putting a network management system in place, your IT staff can quickly look onscreen to determine if there really is trouble on the network–or if the issue lies elsewhere. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) network management model breaks network management into five areas. They are:   Fault Management—Detect, isolate, notify, and correct faults encountered in the network. Configuration Management—Configuration aspects of network devices such as configuration file management, inventory management, and software management. Performance Management—Monitor and measure...

Moving from old servers to new server technologies protects data and produces operating efficiencies   Today’s servers can do 16 times the work (with almost half the power requirements) as older servers. In addition, newer servers have lower maintenance and labor costs due to technology improvements.   Reasons to migrate to new servers include: Leveraging improved application throughput—Such as increased processing power, multicore microprocessors, greater memory and I/O capacity, and more hardware support for efficient virtualization. Improved hardware cost/performance—As performance has increased, competition in the marketplace has lowered prices. Smaller datacenters—New servers require less physical space, as denser computing takes place on each server. Improved energy efficiency—Organizations...

A Sampling of Uses from Our Own Clients

Many businesses are familiar with SharePoint, but not everyone knows the ways it can help your company. We thought we would highlight some of the ways our clients are using it today.

 

Non-Profit

The goal: To improve communications throughout the organization

HR puts all its documents online, segmenting whom has access to what information by user and department. This includes forms and information that needs to be shared. Online forms allow the non-profit to move toward being truly paperless Employees can seek information when they need it, instead of being part of mass mailings or emails Calendars are shared, allowing both internal and external people to schedule Work orders can be placed to schedule...

Added features lower costs, increase productivity and help manage risk   Here are 10 good reasons to migrate forward if you are on an older version:   Exchange enables continuous replication of your data: This helps minimize disruptions from data loss. In fact, through this feature alone, Microsoft estimates an average company will pay back the costs of migrating within 6 months.   Virtualization is supported: Through server virtualization, costs are reduced and equipment is consolidated. It also improves business continuity; if a virtual machine is down, computers can run on another virtual machine without facing downtime.   Save money on storage: Microsoft recommends using direct attached storage instead of SAN storage. This is far less expensive.   Larger mailboxes for users: By utilizing larger (and slower) SATA or SAS disks coupled with an underlying mailbox database architecture means that mailbox sizes will greatly increase in size.   Voicemail transcription: Unified messaging makes email and...

How can small businesses benefit?

 

Simply put, virtualization enables one server or computer to act as several. This way your important programs can be kept together so if one application or server fails, the others aren’t affected. Virtualization software lets you run many applications on the same server. This allows you to have, for example, one server that acts like it is many servers. The software allows the server to be split up into different partitions

 

One server could perform the functions of file server, email server and Web server. Each virtual server acts independently from the others so if one crashes, the others are still safe. The result is that you have to buy only one server and pay for its power consumption. You gain the...

Streamlines remote access and deployment

Microsoft’s latest is an affordable bundle of Exchange, SharePoint, easy remote access, and integrated management designed specifically for small business. It comes in both a Standard and Essentials version.

 

Small Business Server 2011 Standard An all-in-one network solution—designed and priced for small businesses with up to 75 users. It delivers enterprise-class server technology in an affordable, all-in-one solution. The server helps protect your business information from loss by performing automatic daily backups. Additionally, it allows users to be more productive with features such as e-mail, Internet connectivity, internal websites, remote access, and file and printer sharing.

 

Small Business Server 2011 Essentials Ideal as a first server for small businesses...

Collaborative Workflows Save Time and Money

Microsoft InfoPath is a hidden treasure for small and mid-sized businesses. It is a forms-creation and data-gathering tool that helps organizations streamline business processes; yet few businesses take advantage of its power.  

Forms Creation

Without writing any code, business users can use InfoPath to design sophisticated electronic forms that quickly and cost-effectively gather information. They can be used to gather data from both internal staff as well as customers.

 

You can create custom form templates that include a variety of layouts and form controls. By using control formatting, field properties, and data validation you ensure the accuracy of form data as well as having the ability to integrate with Access or SharePoint.

One of our customers uses it to run a company-wide...

You’ll see the greatest value when you consider the project from several angles   By creating an implementation plan for using SharePoint in your business, you will achieve the greatest value and effectiveness. It has an ease-of-use reputation, but to make it truly useful for your organization you will want to have a good governance plan, defining implementation and policies to support and manage the SharePoint infrastructure.   Although it may sound obvious, you will want to be sure to include all stakeholders in the process. Planning ahead and creating buy-in helps involve everyone; and gives a vested interest in seeing it rollout well.   Here are keys to keep in mind when developing and implementing a governance plan: Determine who needs access and how they are going to get it. How will you ensure compliance (both industry and company-wide)? How...

Allow access to corporate resources in a secure manner

DirectAccess is a new remote access technology enabling users to connect to the corporate network by providing one point of inbound access. It doesn’t require as many backend IT maneuverings and users connect to corporate information resources in the same way as computers directly connected over a wired or wireless connection. In fact, the experience for remote DirectAccess users is the same as for users who are directly connected. They can access file servers, database servers, mail servers, collaboration servers, and more. Because all inbound data to your network goes through UAG first, it greatly enhances security.

 

Microsoft Forefront Unified Access Gateway, which we use...

Considerations for allowing mobile devices   Recent research by Gartner Inc. shows that 90 percent of organizations will be supporting corporate applications on personal devices by 2014! The change is coming fast—from salespeople with their smart phones to CEOs with iPads, the time to develop a plan is here. These new devices are changing the ways people find, share, use and even see information—but what about network access security?     There are not only security concerns, but also wireless bandwidth issues, and privacy and compliance-related matters to consider. Today, many users either work around policies in order to have their own devices connected, or IT is forced to create security holes.   In cases where there are dozens of personal mobile devices trying to access to a network, IT needs to be able to link a...

Integration Is the Key

 

Simply put, SharePoint acts as a document management system, a collaboration solution and a web editor all at once. Its functions include: document and records management, team collaboration, intranet development, social networking and web publishing. It features almost everything your company needs to create an effective and collaborative intranet. By integrating local applications, Microsoft Office, internal production processes and external content feeds with an infrastructure that is secure and easy to develop further as needs grow or change.

 

Bringing the Best to Internal Networks

Beginning with SharePoint 2010, the product has been oriented toward internal social networks. By utilizing the best of Web 2.0 ideas, your personal MySite page will remind you of your Facebook profile—except that everyone...

Cost-effective and innovative, outsourcing your CTO may be just what you need!

A company or non-profit can have the technology management expertise of an experienced CTO/CIO without the full-time expense by outsourcing the Chief Technology Officer or Chief Information Officer responsibilities. By taking advantage of an outside source, you gain an impartial opinion about any technology issues within your company, the impact they have on your business, and potential solutions.

 

Most companies don’t require or can’t afford an experienced, full-time Chief Technology Officer (CTO) but they do need the management and expertise that comes with one. An outsourced CTO/CIO understands your business needs, helps you understand what technology can do for your business, and manages any IT staff you might have.

There are also benefits such...

A Microsoft SharePoint Intranet Provides the Internal Communications Tools You Need

 

Intranets are much more than document sharing; they have become the primary drivers of enterprise knowledge and employee productivity. They bring together data, content, documents and processes; as well as delivering this information and data through a collaborative, self service, Web-based series of applications and tools that are easily accessed during your employees’ regular work process.

 

Our experience implementing intranets that seamlessly support Enterprise 2.0 as well as social networking into various organizations allow for custom sites and robust content management. We create solid SharePoint intranet portal site(s) that enhance employee productivity and collaboration. Our customers use SharePoint business applications to enhance collaboration, improve business processes & streamline business approval processes.  The feature-filled intranet dashboards and reporting create a real time picture...

Making the Move Improves Communications and Competitiveness

 

“…SharePoint is a sort of sharing/blogging/wiki-style server that mainly provides a back end to Microsoft Office.”

—Jack Schofield, Technical Writer, The Guardian, UK.

 

Large-sized companies have been increasing their efforts in the areas of both data management and business intelligence for over two decades. The goal is to create efficiencies between departments by improving efficiency, productivity, transparency and decision-making across the organization. As many industries have evolved into more complex structures of all kinds, small and mid-sized businesses have found that they require complex data management and data mining capabilities to be competitive. By leveraging Business Intelligence tools that were previously unavailable, small- and mid-sized businesses...

Zero disruption and no per computer fees

 

Carbonite is a leading provider of online backup solutions which provide customers with “anytime, anywhere access” to their stored files. their product, Carbonite Business, was created specifically for small and medium sized businesses, or SMBs.

 

It addresses the backup requirements, budgets, security and accessibility needs of SMBs, while extending the company’s commitment to simple, automatic, affordable and secure online backup solutions. Their small business solutions are tailored to meet the needs of two distinct small business groups – smaller offices with multiple computers and larger offices that also require server backup.

 

Both solutions include:

Secure, offsite backup for an unlimited number of computers Continual automatic or scheduled backups...

http://pcresults.com/ContactUs/Blog/tabid/120/EntryId/14/Data-Loss-Happens-in-More-than-81-of-US-Firms.aspx

Offering backup solutions for desktops, laptops, and business servers

 

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be taking a look at several different products that can be used to keep your company’s data safe and secure. In case you missed it, you can read our previous articles on the benefits of a protection plan and corporate data loss.

 

MozyPro gives you automated offsite backups that ensures that critical business data is stored in a second, safe location. Small businesses needing to automate backup of critical server and workstation data offsite can rely upon MozyPro to deliver a secure, reliable and inexpensive solution. The reporting tools offer the ability to configure customized email alerts cutting down on maintenance for managing critical data backup operations. Your local data is encrypted using military-grade encryption prior to offsite upload and data transfers occur via 128-bit encrypted SSL connections.

...

Did you know that most data loss isn’t due to hackers, but rather the majority of corporate data loss comes from risky employee actions and failure at the corporate level to implement comprehensive IT security policies? Did you know that for each record lost, it costs an average of $204 to recover it?

 

The causes of a data breech can be very simple: from updating security software and firewalls to properly training employees to unprotected wireless surfing in airports or hotels (see our previous blog post about protecting yourself during travel).

 

There are three main areas to consider when preventing data loss in a company of any size.

Education:

It’s hard to take time out when everyone is busy, but the time you spend training is vital....

Without a Backup and Continuity Plan Your Business Could Be Sunk

 

The statistics regarding major data loss for small-to-midsize businesses should frighten every business owner. For companies in a recent study, 43 percent never reopened—and 51% closed within two years of the loss. It’s a sobering set of numbers.

 

However, by crafting a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) strategy, you will ensure that your data is protected by both robust backup and recovery solutions. Many smaller businesses lack in-house IT resources and ignore these planning, technical and process steps. This leads to the lack of a plan or an approach to data backup that is sporadic or rudimentary. It usually does not take BCP best practices into account either, due to lack of emphasis.

 

Not having a plan in place is risky for many reasons, here are just...

"Internet security shouldn’t take up time – it’s important, but if it just gets on and does its job, and has been designed well, you should be able to forget about it. That has been our experience with AVG over the past 5 years." —Simon Mills, Network Manager, Waingels College

 

We’re strong supporters of AVG’s Anti-Virus Business Edition. It may not have a sexy “.com-boom” name, but it provides top-notch protection for small- and medium-sized businesses. It isn’t a scaled down version of something originally designed to protect thousands and thousands of computers. It was built with small to midsize organizations in mind.

 

AVG’s features fall into three general categories:

Endpoint security for laptops and PCs File Server protection to keep your network malware-free Automated Security Updates  

It also addresses current trends in computing such as cloud computing....

Customers are always looking to us to help them navigate through the oftentimes confusing world of protecting their home computers. We make it part of our jobs to sort out various products, test them and do our best to “poke holes in them.” Only after a product survives our scrutiny will we begin integrating it into solutions for our customers. After all, it’s up to us to provide guidance and support for those of you who would prefer to spend your time doing something—perhaps ANYTHING—besides working on your computer’s upkeep and security.

 

Here’s one example of what the Barracuda Web Filter can do; one of our customers was getting infected with spyware pretty much every other month. We would have to go in and clean it for him, we recommended that we install Barracuda Web Filter software on his PC and Laptop. Now we never hear from him—and the software is saving him time and...

Barracuda Web Filter for Business

The Barracuda Web Filter is an integrated anti-spyware and content filtering solution that is powerful, easy-to-use, and affordable for small- and medium-sized businesses. It easily eliminates spyware and other forms of malware from your organization.

 

It can also enforce Internet usage policies and non-standard applications based on your company or non-profit requirements. It operates on three levels: preventative, reactive, and proactive—as well as tracking web traffic. There is the ability to add customized filtering down to a user-by-user level, allowing you to block abuser’s access without reconfiguring your firewall.

 

An overview of selected features:

Blocks access to Web sites based on domain, URL pattern, or content category Blocks downloads based on file type Blocks applications that access the Internet, including IM, music...

Our clients really like using Ninite.

Simply put, here's why:

Frees up time by managing software installation and updating It’s ultra fast and can be carried from machine to machine on a USB key Saves time and bandwidth by eliminating duplicate downloads Runs without bothering users because they don’t see it Top-of-the-line app management Keeps your office secure and in compliance Freeze switch that bundles all the updates into one executable that can be used in a secure, locked down environment  

Just think about it would mean for your time if you didn’t have to monkey around making sure that all the software on every computer was up-to-date!

 

We are happy to discuss setting up Ninite for your office, just give us a call at 585-466-4662.

...

PC Results provides professional IT consulting and computer help for small businesses in Rochester, NY.