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Boost your Mac’s speed with these 5 tipsEven Macs are not immune to slowing down, but this problem is usually something you can resolve with a tweak or two. In this post, we prepared five tips to keep your Mac as speedy and efficient as you need it to be. Clean up your Login Items The Login Items list (also known as […]

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Boost your Mac’s speed with these 5 tips

Even Macs are not immune to slowing down, but this problem is usually something you can resolve with a tweak or two. In this post, we prepared five tips to keep your Mac as speedy and efficient as you need it to be.

Clean up your Login Items

The Login Items list (also known as the Startup List) contains all the apps and programs that automatically start when you log in. Having too many Login Items forces your computer to work harder at startup, slowing it down.

You can remedy this by going to System Preferences and selecting Users & Groups. Click on Login Items to see the list of the apps that open on startup. Highlight the apps you want to prevent from launching automatically and click the minus button underneath the list.

Start up in Safe Mode

Your Mac’s Safe Mode can be used to troubleshoot system-wide issues, including problems with particular apps. Booting up in Safe Mode also deletes system caches.

Cache files are temporary data stored on a hard drive to speed up various processes, such as loading websites or certain apps. Unfortunately, some of these files can become corrupted, which results in your computer slowing down. To bring back your Mac’s speed, you will need to clear the cache and delete temporary files.

Starting up in Safe Mode is easy. Just press the Power button and immediately after the computer starts, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. Release the key once you see the gray Apple logo and the progress indicator.

If you want to leave Safe Mode, just restart your computer. Make sure not to press any key once the machine starts up.

Upgrade to solid state drive (SSD) storage

An SSD is a disk storage system that uses interconnected flash-memory chips to store your data. It’s faster and more reliable than a hard disk drive (HDD), which stores data in a spinning magnetic disk. HDD has been around for years, but many new computers continue to use it. If your Mac uses HDD storage, upgrading to SSD will amplify its processing speed.

But before you proceed, know that SSD storage costs more than HDD. If you want the same storage capacity offered by your machine’s HDD on your SSD, be prepared to shell out some extra money. Alternatively, you can settle for a much smaller memory capacity and just upgrade to a bigger one once your budget allows it.

Free up storage space

Having too many files can reduce your Mac’s speed. To free up space, just click on the Apple logo located on the top left corner of the screen. Select About This Mac and go to the <Storage tab. Here, you will see how much free space your computer has.

If your Mac’s storage is nearing full capacity, clicking the Manage button will give you four options:

  • Store in iCloud – This offloads various content, including your files and text messages, to the cloud.
  • Optimize Storage – This optimizes the TV app storage by deleting videos you’ve already watched.
  • Empty Trash Automatically – With this option, all items that have been in Trash for 30 days will be automatically removed.
  • Reduce Clutter – This lets you see the large files stored in your computer, and allows you to delete them manually to save space.

Update to the latest macOS version

macOS updates benefit your computer’s speed in several ways. First, they contain performance enhancements that help your computer run as smoothly as possible. Second, they augment your Mac’s protection against cyberthreats, which can slow down your machine. Updates are free, so you should install them once they become available.

You can also configure your computer to install updates automatically. In System Preferences, select Software Update. Go to Automatically keep my Mac up to date and check the box.

If you’ve tried one or several of these tips and are still experiencing sluggishness, it may be time to consider other options, such as trading in your old Mac for a new one. But before you do that, let us help you explore other ways to improve the performance of your trusty machine. Get in touch with us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Are you sufficiently cooling your servers?Today, many businesses rely on servers for their day-to-day operations. If your servers are hosted locally, you should be aware that proper temperature control plays a vital role in keeping them running smoothly. Knowing how to properly cool your servers can help minimize the risk of crashes, which can cause downtime. How does temperature affect […]

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Are you sufficiently cooling your servers?

Today, many businesses rely on servers for their day-to-day operations. If your servers are hosted locally, you should be aware that proper temperature control plays a vital role in keeping them running smoothly. Knowing how to properly cool your servers can help minimize the risk of crashes, which can cause downtime.

How does temperature affect servers?

High server temperatures can cause it to crash, resulting in costly data loss and service interruptions. If a server's temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the server's reliability decreases. In fact, an increase of 15 degrees leads to a 50-percent decrease in server reliability. When servers reach these temperatures, they will start to perform poorly, and computers connected to the server will start to struggle as well. Keeping your servers cool is vital to maintain optimal performance and longevity.

Effective methods to keep servers cool

    1. Use low-heat lighting

Incandescent lights produce too much heat that can raise the temperature of your server room. Go for low-heat options such as LED arrays and fluorescent tubes. Not only do they produce less heat, but they also provide better illumination compared to incandescent bulbs.

    1. Ensure your server room is well ventilated

Server rooms are usually small and contain other hardware aside from servers. Without proper air circulation, all that hardware can raise the temperature of the room and your servers. Make sure the server room you choose has good air circulation. If you have no choice but to place your server in a small room, install a ventilation system that will let hot air escape from the room.

    1. Use cooling fans

Cooling fans work well with a ventilation system to move hot air away from your servers. They are also a more affordable option to air conditioners. Placing a small and powerful fan next to your server’s heat vent will keep it from overheating.

    1. Air conditioning system

Installing an air conditioner in your server room is probably the best way to keep servers cool. Make sure that the air conditioner you choose is perfect for your server room. If you have a big server room, a small air conditioner won’t do much to cool it. Also, don’t be tempted to use residential air conditioners, as they are not designed to run 24/7/365. Go for industrial air conditioners instead. They can be a bit costly and require semi-annual maintenance checks, but industrial air conditioners will ensure your servers are constantly operating in cool temperatures.

Servers work best when kept at a cool temperature constantly. While manufacturers continue to build more resilient servers, proper care and maintenance still play a vital role in ensuring high operating quality and longevity. If you need more information about server management or have any other questions about your server setup, contact us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Staying competitive using VoIP phone systemsVoIP is no longer the mysterious phone tech it was 20 years ago, and yet many businesses still fail to realize its full potential. This in part due to a lack of understanding of what internet phones can do. Read on to learn more about the benefits of VoIP. Different phone systems Phones have come […]

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Staying competitive using VoIP phone systems

VoIP is no longer the mysterious phone tech it was 20 years ago, and yet many businesses still fail to realize its full potential. This in part due to a lack of understanding of what internet phones can do. Read on to learn more about the benefits of VoIP.

Different phone systems

Phones have come a long way from analog landlines. Nowadays, many digital phone systems don’t even have conventional telephony hardware anymore. Modern businesses need a phone system that can service all of their needs, and in most cases, VoIP phones are the answer.

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a system of hardware and software that uses the cloud instead of analog circuits to transmit data. VoIP does more than just transmit audio — it can also send a variety of data (videos, documents, etc.) and perform other tasks as well.

A VoIP system’s hardware (phone units, cables, CPUs, etc.) and software (one or more applications that run the system) can be either on-premises or hosted.

On-premises – The hardware and software are physically located within the premises of the company.
Hosted – Some of the hardware, like phone units and other equipment, can be found within the premises. But most, if not all, of the software is hosted online. Service providers look after hosted systems for their clients.

Life cycles: On-premises vs. hosted

The useful life of hardware remains the same whether it’s on-premises or hosted. Hardware is affected by the wear and tear of daily use. Barring any accidents or physical damage, VoIP hardware should last as long as analog handsets, usually several years.

Software, on the other hand, needs constant updating. It’s faster and cheaper to update software that’s hosted in the cloud versus one that’s on-premises. The differences in longevity between the two should be negligible; both can last upwards of 10 years, depending on your IT support.

Future-friendly technology

Cloud technology has fundamentally changed the way IT solutions are produced. In the past, hardware and software were built to last. Today, they’re built to adapt and change. The effect of this shift on telecommunications technology is dramatic.

Most hardware components are very similar, with replacements and upgrades coming every 5–8 years on average. So even new ones aren’t necessarily cutting-edge, and yet they tend to be costly. Cloud software, on the other hand, is faster, more powerful, and costs less to upgrade. Critical updates can be released almost constantly, with complete overhauls taking no longer than 2–3 years.

As your business grows, your phone system should be able to adapt to rapid growth, the need for more speed, and integration with the other systems in your business, like email or management software.

Be a step ahead

Your business cannot afford dropped or missed calls. Imagine what one day of phone downtime would do to your company. The time to replace your phone system is not after it fails. The best time is before that, when you can plan and budget properly.

Nowadays, it’s not longevity that’s important; it’s staying ahead of the curve. Call our experts today so you can always be a step ahead.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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What’s new in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin centerThe shift to remote work has not been easy, especially for IT administrators. After all, they’re in charge of supervising and securing workflows, devices, and software to ensure optimal user experience and to keep cyberthreats at bay. They are also expected to deploy IT solutions that are within budget so that costs don’t run amuck. […]

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What’s new in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center

The shift to remote work has not been easy, especially for IT administrators. After all, they’re in charge of supervising and securing workflows, devices, and software to ensure optimal user experience and to keep cyberthreats at bay. They are also expected to deploy IT solutions that are within budget so that costs don’t run amuck. Succinctly, they are the backbone of remote working. To help IT administrators do their jobs better and more efficiently, Microsoft has added the following features to its Apps admin center.

Intelligent insights

Intelligent insights include features like Apps Inventory, Add-In Inventory, and Security Currency that allow IT administrators to find and mitigate any issues immediately. With these tools, administrators can gain an in-depth understanding of the organization’s Microsoft 365 environment and be privy to information such as:

  • What devices are running Office apps and which versions they’re running;
  • What Office add-ins are installed or running; and
  • Which servicing channel each device belongs to.

Knowing all this information can help administrators identify and manage unsupported Office versions and add-ins to ensure security and compliance. Data is also easily exportable for reports or audits.

Servicing automation with controls

This feature streamlines and automates Microsoft 365 Apps servicing to eliminate manual deployment and accelerate the rollout of updates and security patches, thus saving effort, time, and costs. With this new feature, admins only need to apply a specific servicing profile to a set of devices to automatically deliver monthly updates for users or groups.

What’s more, IT admins are now able to view, pause, and resume updates on a per-device basis. If a user experiences issues during rollout, for instance, administrators can pause that user’s update and restore their software to a previous version while they troubleshoot.

Admins can also specify exclusion date periods, or when Office apps updates should not run, such as during holidays or company meetings. They can schedule this to happen only once or on a recurring basis, depending on their organization’s schedule. And for compliance purposes, admins can schedule updates to happen at a certain date and time, or they can let users install Office app updates at their most convenient time.

Microsoft 365 Apps health

With Microsoft 365 Apps health, IT admins can see how well Microsoft 365 apps are running during and in between deployments. It also calculates an organization’s overall app health based on three criteria: app reliability, app performance, and supported versions. On top of these, Microsoft 365 Apps health gives pertinent information such as Office app session crash rates and who reported such crashes. This allows admins to quickly identify issues and take actions to increase app performance and reliability.

With these new features, administrators can better manage Microsoft 365 apps, and users can count on better experiences and fewer downtimes. If you want to learn more about how technology can increase your business’s operational efficiency, don’t hesitate to call us. Our IT experts are always ready to help.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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