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Small- and medium-sized businesses are famous for creating innovative solutions that allow them to compete with much larger, better funded competitors. One of the most useful tools to accomplish this is the immensely popular iPad, which with its widespread developer community, has limitless possibilities for SMBs. If you feel like you could be getting more […]

2016August2_iPad_BSmall- and medium-sized businesses are famous for creating innovative solutions that allow them to compete with much larger, better funded competitors. One of the most useful tools to accomplish this is the immensely popular iPad, which with its widespread developer community, has limitless possibilities for SMBs. If you feel like you could be getting more out of your Apple mobile device’s business potential, we’ve created a list of the five best solutions -- let’s take a look.

Point of sale apps

One of the most popular uses for iPads in SMBs is as a means of ringing up customer purchases. The checkout aisle has slowly been giving way to automation, and with apps like Vend and Revel you can save a great deal of money on expensive point of sale hardware and wasted employee time. From customer relationship management to loyalty programs and gift cards, these apps give your business a polished, professional front end.

Presentation apps

Business presentations are a staple of the white-collar world, and being ill-prepared for one can sabotage your profitability. Although in the past users were generally averse to creating presentations on ‘restrictive’ touchscreens, Apple’s continued dedication to making it possible is evidenced by their Keynote app. Before writing it off, check out the extremely intuitive creation and delivery functions.

Social media management

For better or worse, the number of social media avenues to promote your business are growing every day. Updating and managing each of them individually is tedious, and ultimately a waste of valuable time. Social media managers like HootSuite allow you to manage multiple accounts, schedule posts, and reply to messages -- all from one place. HootSuite even has analytics and campaign plans directed toward small businesses looking to engage new customers.

Remote Access

Mobility is one of the most sought-after traits of any modern business. If you find yourself constantly away from your desk, a remote access app may be your golden ticket to staying productive on the road. Apps like LogMeIn and GoToMyPc give you unfettered access to your designated desktops. This way you can keep working from the cab, home, or airplane, like you never left the office.

Invoicing/Payment tracking

A desktop computer might seem like the ideal place to track invoices, expenses and employee hours, but mobile accounting apps are freeing up business owners to take their company on the road. SMBs with multiple locations or remote workers will love the cloud access afforded to them by the likes of FreshBooks and Outright. CEOs can push data to these apps from their iPad while their accountants review it from the other side of the country.

When it comes to small- and medium-sized businesses and technology, we’re the experts. And whether it’s security or usability that has kept you from utilizing mobile devices in your business processes, we have a solution for you. Don’t risk exposing your business to unnecessary risks. Contact us today to set up a consultation.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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A simple Google search of “ransomware” returns just over 9 million results. So, too, does a search for “Three Mile Island,” the location of the late-70’s Pennsylvania nuclear meltdown. And while we don’t mean to equate the near catastrophe of the latter to having your company’s data hijacked by computer hackers, ransomware can in many […]

2016August1_Security_BA simple Google search of “ransomware” returns just over 9 million results. So, too, does a search for “Three Mile Island,” the location of the late-70’s Pennsylvania nuclear meltdown. And while we don’t mean to equate the near catastrophe of the latter to having your company’s data hijacked by computer hackers, ransomware can in many cases end in disaster for your business.

The way in which these nefarious operators commandeer your information and deny you access usually involves some fairly sophisticated stuff. The ransomware they install on your system is essentially a virus that “locks up” your data, and it can’t be unlocked unless you pay them for the keys.

Some of these data-encrypting viruses are strong, such as the CryptXXX strain. It has been infecting businesses for the past few months, and its latest mutation can’t be quelled by decryption programs found for free on the internet.

Two relatively new types of ransomware aren’t quite as virulent as CryptXXX, but we’d like to bring you up-to-date on them nonetheless. Here’s a look at what they’re called, what they do, and how you can defeat them should your business be impacted.

PowerWare

The first of these recent ransomware varieties is called PowerWare, which also goes by the name PoshCoder. It imitates a more complex ransomware program called Locky, although with less effectiveness.

This spring, PowerWare was discovered attacking healthcare organizations through Windows PowerShell, a scripting application used for systems administration. Fortunately, programmers at hi-tech security firm Palo Alto Researchers were able to quickly create a decryption tool named “powerware_decrypt.py” that unlocks ransomed data with relative ease.

Implementing the fix, however, does call for a bit of technical know-how, so if your IT department is experienced in this area it shouldn’t be a problem. The code that can cure you from PowerWare is published online and is free.

BART

The second new ransomware breed that we should address is called BART. Instead of employing intricate information-encrypting algorithms to take command of your data, BART will stash away your files inside password-protected ZIP folders… and you have to pay for the password.

These infections aren’t hard to identify as the imprisoned files will appear with “.bart.zip” added to their original name (for example, “spreadsheet.xlsx.bart.zip”). Thankfully, not only are they easy to detect, but for antivirus firm AVG, they are easy to decode.

Applying the remedy that AVG has produced requires an unaffected copy of one of the files that’s been locked up. And if you can’t locate one somewhere on your network, a good IT services firm will be able to. The BART decryption tool is also available online at no cost.

The fact is, there are some shady, technologically savvy characters out there who are willing to do us harm. Keeping them at bay takes vigilance. So if your business doesn’t have the resources to stay safe and secure from threats like ransomware - or, in the event that you’ve been hit, you’re not sure how to recover your data without paying the ransom - call us today to talk things over.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Looking for an important file or message among endless emails in your inbox is no fun, especially if you need it right before a meeting starts. You’ve tried using the basic search box at the top of Gmail and found out that it didn’t help either. Don’t worry, we’ve rounded up 6 search operators that […]

2016July29_GoogleApps_BLooking for an important file or message among endless emails in your inbox is no fun, especially if you need it right before a meeting starts. You’ve tried using the basic search box at the top of Gmail and found out that it didn’t help either. Don’t worry, we’ve rounded up 6 search operators that will help you sort through your inbox to get what you need in a jiffy.

1. Where did I put that file?

Looking for a file your colleagues sent you ages ago? Don't remember the file’s specific name but you do recall some keywords? That’s a good start. Simply type a keyword after filename: to search for a particular file. For example, you can type filename: minutes to search for a file named meeting minutes. Don’t even remember a part of the name but know what type of file it is? Then you can also use the same search operator to search for a file type. For example, type filename: doc to search for document files.

2. CC or BCC

There are times when you want to narrow down the recipients: whether they are direct, carbon copy (cc), or blind carbon copy (bcc) receivers. The basic “To” search boxes are proven to be useless in this case. What you can do to be more specific is to type cc: or bcc: followed by the recipients’ names or email addresses. For example, instead of typing “anna” in the “To” search box, you can type cc: anna to look for email sent to Anna as a carbon copy (cc) only. Note that you won’t be able to find messages that you received on bcc.

3. Search by time period

You don’t have to remember the exact dates to be able to search for a specific email. With the search operators before: or after:, you can just type the period when the email is sent or received. Don’t forget to use the date format yyyy/mm/dd, otherwise, Gmail wouldn’t get it. By typing after: 2016/07/01 before: 2016/07/15, Gmail will look for emails sent or received between July 1, 2016 and July 15, 2016.

4. Search for read, unread, or starred messages

You can search for messages that are read, unread, or starred by using is:read, is:unread, is:starred. By typing is:read is:starred from:Anna you are searching for messages from Anna that have been read and marked with a star. If you have more than one type of stars (or if you don’t, we suggest you learn how to manage your emails with Gmail’s stars option), you can type has:green-star to search for messages marked with that color.

5. Don’t ignore Spam or Trash

Whether using the simple search box or search operators suggested above, both ignore emails that are in Spam or Trash box. And from time to time, important emails can mistakably be thrown into Trash box for some unknown reasons. Use in:anywhere to look everywhere in your inbox, including those two places, to make sure that no important email has slipped through.

6. Look in the chat box too

We all hate it when our colleagues send important files or message via a chat box. That makes it difficult when searching for them later. But by typing is:chat followed by keywords or name of the person you’re communicating with, you can actually search for messages or files in the chat log. Next time you can tell your colleagues to send vital files or information via proper email instead. But if that still doesn’t work, now you know how to help yourself.

When it comes to managing and sorting through confidential emails in your inbox, no one can do it besides you. Yet there are still the matters of database management and security to take into consideration. Why not outsource those issues to us and enjoy a more carefree communication with your colleagues and customers? Call us today to see what our experts can do for you.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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The new flashy set of PCs your company just bought last year are becoming outdated, and you don’t have enough IT staff to maintain them. The same goes with servers, wireless printers and faxes. If this is your current situation, it might be time to consider changing the way you obtain and manage your hardware. […]

2016July28_Hardware_BThe new flashy set of PCs your company just bought last year are becoming outdated, and you don’t have enough IT staff to maintain them. The same goes with servers, wireless printers and faxes. If this is your current situation, it might be time to consider changing the way you obtain and manage your hardware. Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) is a pay-as-you-go model where you pay your Managed Services Provider a monthly fee while they take care of all your hardware upgrades, maintenance and management. Here are 5 reasons HaaS might be a better answer for your business.

1. Save money

The first reason is simple: money. For SMBs, cash flow is a crucial matter. By shifting to HaaS you can say goodbye to the tedious and costly process of having to buy all the hardware outright. By paying a monthly fee to a Managed Services Providers (MSPs), you can turn a big capital investment into a small, manageable operational expense that leaves you money for other urgent matters.

2. Kiss out-of-date tech goodbye

Given limited financial resource, it’s not easy for SMEs to catch up with the latest technology. In a highly competitive business arena, you cannot win the game with your century old CPU while your competitors benefit from the latest technology. By using HaaS, your MSP has a responsibility to ensure that all of your hardware is capable of handling tasks efficiently, and they will achieve that through hardware upgrades and replacements.

3. Better maintenance

Buying new hardware isn’t the end of everything. Like most things in life, hardware needs to be taken care of. And most of the time, SMEs lack the proper expertise, knowledge, or even time to maintain it. HaaS solves this problem by letting your MSP do all the hardware management for you.

4. Better scalability for your business

As time progresses, your organization grows and changes, which means the needs for IT equipment changes too. HaaS solutions allow you to scale up or down as your business needs change so you don’t have to stick with unnecessary tools you no longer use.

5. Improve security

When it comes to security, software isn't the only thing that needs to be up to date -- your hardware does too. HaaS makes it easy to update to newer hardware, which is crucial to ensure adequate security. For instance, if you need a more powerful backup and recovery solution, your MSP will help you obtain new equipment as needed.

Thinking about switching to Haas but not sure where to start? Why not contact us today? We provide a variety of HaaS solutions tailored to suit any business’s needs. Tell us your IT requirements and let’s see what we can do.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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