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Have you ever wondered how sales teams spend their time each week? According to Salesforce, on any given weekday an average sales representative spends more than 70 percent of their time managing emails. Since they are spending more than half of their working lives in their inbox, wouldn’t it be ideal if their customer relationship […]

22 Jul, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Office category

Have you ever wondered how sales teams spend their time each week? According to Salesforce, on any given weekday an average sales representative spends more than 70 percent of their time managing emails. Since they are spending more than half of their working lives in their inbox, wouldn’t it be ideal if their customer relationship management software can be integrated into it? A newly released add-on called Lightning for Outlook may just be the answer.

Salesforce and Microsoft have been working together for more than two years, and it has definitely been a win-win situation for everyone. In the latest development between these two tech giants, they've released a brand new product that promises to make the lives of sales representatives much easier. Lightning for Outlook, a flashy new add-on allows your sales team to access customer relationship management (CRM) software right from their Microsoft Outlook inbox without switching back and forth between the two applications.

The add-on accomplishes new levels of integration with Lightning Components, which allows for dragging and dropping of fields and elements from Salesforce directly into Outlook. For example, sales reps will be able to update a price quote with Salesforce’s SteelBrick -- a Quote-to-Cash software -- from within Outlook. This has been termed 'snapping'. Just 'snap' the code you want to migrate into the appropriate Outlook account.

One of the most exciting new features, called Lightning Sync, enables users to automatically sync contacts and calendars across Salesforce and Outlook. "When you update a contact in Outlook, it's reflected in Salesforce and on your mobile device," said Greg Gsell, Salesforce's director of Sales Cloud. "All devices and teams are immediately kept up to date."

Both Lightning for Outlook and Lightning Sync are available now; the former is free for all Salesforce Cloud users, and the latter is free for users of Salesforce Cloud Lightning Enterprise Edition or higher. Lightning Components Framework -- a UI framework for developing dynamic web apps, which gets integrated into Outlook, will be released later this year with pricing to be announced at a later date.

However, this doesn’t mean Lightning for Outlook will solve everything. This plugin simply makes it easier for the two programs to work together. Still, there is a maze of security, database and account management issues to navigate through to make this new feature work properly. At Complete Technology Resources, Inc., our experts are well-versed in email and CRM systems, so why not give us a call today and work smarter, not harder.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Virtualization is as complicated as it is beneficial to SMBs. The concept alone can take time to fully grasp and making it a reality at your company is even more difficult. However, Amazon Web Services needs to make the service as easy as possible if they expect to retain customers and increase their bottom line. […]

21 Jul, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in category

2016July21_Virtualization_BVirtualization is as complicated as it is beneficial to SMBs. The concept alone can take time to fully grasp and making it a reality at your company is even more difficult. However, Amazon Web Services needs to make the service as easy as possible if they expect to retain customers and increase their bottom line. In an effort to make database migrations straightforward and economical, they’ve released a new tool to take care of all the headaches associated with moving your network to a virtualized environment.

As a quick review, virtualization is best imagined by visualizing your server as a house. When a user draws computing power from your server, it’s a lot like opening the front door and just telling anyone to come in and grab whatever they need. The house gets crowded and messy quickly. Virtualization allows you to create doorways into partitioned rooms, with specifications and permissions unique to the user or application that needs them.

Much like the house in our analogy, the hardware and upkeep of servers can become quite expensive. By taking virtualization one step further, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has created the equivalent of a gigantic apartment building, online. When renting these internet-based apartments, your SMB is presented with virtualized versions of your server and desktops. You realize huge cost savings by eliminating upfront capital expenditures on hardware, and the rooms and their contents can be modified and adapted with little more than a simple request to AWS.

So you’re ready to migrate your server and clients to a virtualized environment, but after hiring experts you’re informed they will need days -- possibly weeks -- of server downtime to move your data from on-site storage to AWS. This service interruption has long been a massive speed bump in cloud migration projects. With Amazon’s Data Migration Service (DMS), that server downtime can be reduced to as little as 10-15 minutes.

This significantly reduced downtime is achieved by keeping your database live during the migration process. The final product can be stored in one of AWS’s several regional datacenters, or even copied back to your on-site server for concerns about redundancy and continuity.

Another speed bump along the road to your new virtualized home is moving from one database schema to another. Imagine the front door of your original, one-bedroom house is shaped like a triangle. But your destination, the AWS home, has a front door in the shape of a circle -- how will you get your data into its new home? Amazon’s DMS has added a new tool to take care of all of that for you. This means it doesn’t matter if you have an Oracle or MySQL on-site server; Amazon can almost effortlessly convert it to a new schema.

With such a valuable tool, AWS must be charging a fortune to utilize it, right? Wrong. Amazon promises DMS migrations will cost as little as three dollars per terabyte. Even if your business is hosting above average amounts of data on-site, that’s still a price tag any cash-strapped SMB can afford.

Just because there’s a new tool for the migration, doesn’t mean you should attempt buying a new home for your server and driving it across town alone. Think of us as your virtualization real estate agent and movers, all wrapped into one. For an inexpensive, swift migration to a virtualized environment, we’ve got just the place for you. Contact us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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If an IT consultant told you that backing up data is one of the most important things for your technical team to do well, you’d probably nod in agreement. But what if they suggested that your dirty data requires cleaning prior to utilization? One simple adjective like “dirty” may give you pause, and there’s a […]

20 Jul, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Uncategorized category

2016July20_BusinessContinuity_BIf an IT consultant told you that backing up data is one of the most important things for your technical team to do well, you’d probably nod in agreement. But what if they suggested that your dirty data requires cleaning prior to utilization? One simple adjective like “dirty” may give you pause, and there’s a handful of other terms about “data” that you may not recognize either.

Data is the lifeblood of the information age. It gets observed, collected, organized, and analyzed, and it allows businesses to compete for profit and prosperity. And it takes many forms, each one unique and often vividly-named by the addition of a simple descriptive word.

As such, we thought a short glossary was in order to help keep you current on a handful of new data buzzwords and how they might impact your business.

Small Data

If “big data” is about powerful machines, huge databases, and sophisticated analytics, its little brother “small data” is about people. Small data takes a scaled-down approach to data mining that relies on things like social media to acquire important information. Archiving it is also simpler since a complex central data warehouse isn’t necessary.

Slow Data

The notion of “slow data” may seem a bit counterintuitive since processing ones and zeroes means things are happening fast. Some information, however, is actually acquired more slowly. Take, for example, the polar ice caps, where things literally move at a glacial pace. Since this kind of data doesn’t require frequent analysis it is suitable for back-up in its native format in a secure data lake.

Fast Data

We’re guessing you knew this buzzword was coming next, and it’s probably exactly what you thought it would be. “Fast data” refers to data events that happen fast - as in thousands of times per second - such as financial tickers or electrical sensors. Being able to act on it without delay is critical, so storing it immediately in a stable, easy to access location is a must.

Dark Data

Put simply, “dark data” is nothing more than day-to-day operational data that’s not getting used. It often refers to unanalyzed information in the form of customer call records, competitors’ price fluctuations, or website visitor trends. It can also include data that’s no longer accessible, such as when a storage device becomes obsolete. Your business can bring some of this redundant, out-of-date, or hidden data into the light with software designed to tidy things up.

Dirty Data

And speaking of tidying, here we finally have “dirty data.” While not quite as provocative as, say, dirty dancing or a dirty martini, it does have a tendency to arouse anxiety. But it’s actually not harmful to your data warehouse; it merely refers to a data set prior to its being “cleaned,” such as a leads list that contains duplicates, spelling mistakes, or formatting errors. The key is ensuring it gets spruced up before moving it into production.

If this index of buzzwords has left you wondering about the ways that different types of information affect your specific business, we’ve got answers. Setting up and managing your databases, super-secure backup strategies, and a thorough understanding of information technology are what we provide, so call or message us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Communication is the heart of your small to medium-sized business; you write emails to customers, share documents and discuss projects with your teams over instant messaging apps, all when you’re on the move. But what if you’re trapped in an airport for hours and your colleagues need a document printed right there and then? Don’t […]

19 Jul, 2016 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Uncategorized category

2016July19_AndroidPhone_BCommunication is the heart of your small to medium-sized business; you write emails to customers, share documents and discuss projects with your teams over instant messaging apps, all when you’re on the move. But what if you’re trapped in an airport for hours and your colleagues need a document printed right there and then? Don’t panic. With any Android device you can remotely print the document in no time. Here are four ways to do so.

Google Cloud Print

The wonder that is Google Cloud Print allows you to send documents and files from your device to your printer without you being on the same network. To utilize this, make your printer available to Google Cloud Printing by activating it in the Chrome browser settings of the computer it’s attached to. Then, just by connecting your printer and mobile to the same Google account, you can print any document or photo by tapping the share button on your phone or tablet, and choosing Google Cloud Print.

Prynt

If your SMB has any photography needs, this option might be the way to go. Prynt comes in the form of an instant photo printer that connects to your Android device’s charging port. Simply place your smartphone in the Prynt case, snap a picture, order Print, and that’s it. If you feel the need to spruce up your prints, the printer’s native app includes frames, filters, stickers and the addition of text before printing.

Manufacturer apps

Most popular printer manufacturers have their own apps that make printing from an Android device possible. HP has HP ePrint, Samsung comes with its Samsung Mobile Print, and Epson has Epson iPrint. Make sure to check the Google Play store to see if your printer has an app companion before trying any of the third-party options listed below.

Third party apps

Although it’s not our favorite option, there are third party apps that make it possible to send items from your Android device to your printer. Some apps -- like PrinterShare and PrintHand Mobile Print -- restrict mobile printing to Bluetooth or local wifi networks. Others -- like Cloud Print Plus -- untether local requirements so you can print from anywhere. However, it’s always better to try apps owned by hardware manufacturers and Google first. These third party apps should be considered a last resort when other options aren’t available.

Aside from printing wirelessly, Android devices can do just about anything a desktop computer can. If you’re looking for more tips and in-depth guidance on how Android can improve productivity at your business, get in touch with one of our Android experts today. We’re here to help you achieve your mobile technology business goals.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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