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Things to consider when virtualizingPowering your IT equipment costs money, but how much will you actually spend? If you have no idea, you’re in for a treat. Here are four questions you need to ask yourself before considering virtualization.  Studies have shown that over 70% of IT budgets go to “keeping the lights on.” If that sounds like a […]

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Things to consider when virtualizing

Powering your IT equipment costs money, but how much will you actually spend? If you have no idea, you’re in for a treat. Here are four questions you need to ask yourself before considering virtualization. 

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.

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Top reasons to record your callsCall recording has been a feature in VoIP applications for a while now, but it is underutilized, especially by organizations that do not prioritize interaction with customers. This feature can strengthen the reputation of your company and boost customer satisfaction, when used properly. #1. Improve customer service One of the most important reasons why businesses […]

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Top reasons to record your calls

Call recording has been a feature in VoIP applications for a while now, but it is underutilized, especially by organizations that do not prioritize interaction with customers. This feature can strengthen the reputation of your company and boost customer satisfaction, when used properly.

#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.

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10 Office 365 features you need for workWhether you need suggestions for your PowerPoint presentation, someone to edit your Word document, or input data into Excel, Office 365 has the features to help you with a variety of tasks. So the next time you need some help getting work done, try using these tricks with Office 365. Simultaneously edit a document with […]

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10 Office 365 features you need for work

Whether you need suggestions for your PowerPoint presentation, someone to edit your Word document, or input data into Excel, Office 365 has the features to help you with a variety of tasks. So the next time you need some help getting work done, try using these tricks with Office 365.

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.

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How can I update Windows 10 faster?Updating your Windows 10 is an essential security measure for protecting your business from threats such as malware or ransomware. It’s free! And you don’t have to do much, all you have to do is wait. However, for some, that’s the downside. Can’t stand waiting? One of these will speed up your Windows 10 update. […]

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How can I update Windows 10 faster?

Updating your Windows 10 is an essential security measure for protecting your business from threats such as malware or ransomware. It’s free! And you don’t have to do much, all you have to do is wait. However, for some, that’s the downside. Can’t stand waiting? One of these will speed up your Windows 10 update.

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.

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