508-909-5961 [email protected]

How to reduce IT costs with thin and zero clientsIf you want to save money on your IT system, one way to do so is by getting low-priced computer hardware. But that doesn't mean you should settle for cheap but old or low-end models. Instead, consider investing in thin or zero clients. What are thin and zero clients? Thin clients are stripped-down computers with […]

The post How to reduce IT costs with thin and zero clients appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

How to reduce IT costs with thin and zero clients

If you want to save money on your IT system, one way to do so is by getting low-priced computer hardware. But that doesn't mean you should settle for cheap but old or low-end models. Instead, consider investing in thin or zero clients.

What are thin and zero clients?

Thin clients are stripped-down computers with minimum processing power and memory. They rely on a basic operating system (OS) and a network connection to access a more powerful system where almost all computing processes take place.

Zero clients work the same way. The only difference is that there’s no local storage or OS installed on the device; all the software, storage, and processing power sits on a server until you need it. This setup makes a zero client ideal for cutting costs.

What are the benefits of using thin and zero clients?

Reduced hardware costs
If you want computers with low upfront costs, choose thin and zero clients. Conventional desktops start at $600 per user, while thin clients can go as low as $250 per user. And since they have no hard drive or other moving parts, lean devices tend to be more durable and have a longer life span than their traditional counterparts.

Simplified IT management
Another benefit of thin and zero clients is that they can be managed from a server. Suppose a new software update is released. Instead of manually downloading the patch on each computer, you can simply install the update on your server and roll it out to all thin and zero clients.
Apart from installing updates, you can also make backups, security configurations, and application deployments in the data center. This quickens setup, reduces downtime, and increases employee productivity.

Minimized security risks
Thin and zero clients also help you prevent costly malware attacks and data breach incidents. Your employees and poorly managed endpoints are the biggest vulnerabilities with traditional desktops. Thin and zero clients reduce these problems by limiting direct access to the OS. This prevents employees from copying sensitive data to removable media and installing software, malicious or otherwise.

If your thin or zero client is damaged or corrupted, you don’t have to worry about your data, as it’s originally stored in an impenetrable server.

Decreased energy consumption
Because processing is done locally, traditional desktops generate a lot of heat and require more power, resulting in huge power and cooling bills. In contrast, thin and zero clients consume only 4 to 6.5 watts of power, almost 1/50th of thick client requirements. What’s more, they require little to no cooling, allowing you to enjoy significant cost savings.

Do not overlook thin and zero clients if you’re searching for ways to cut costs without compromising outcomes. The reduced hardware costs, power bills, and security risks are just too good to pass up.

If you’re still unsure about this technology, give us a call. We’ll assess your tech needs and determine whether or not thin or zero clients can help you succeed.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post How to reduce IT costs with thin and zero clients appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Read More

Advantages of call recordingCustomer service representatives are prone to errors; after all, they're only human. However, if your business is using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, human errors can be minimized by using call recording. Discover how this VoIP feature can enhance your employees' productivity. #1. Improve customer service One of the most important reasons why […]

The post Advantages of call recording appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Advantages of call recording

Customer service representatives are prone to errors; after all, they're only human. However, if your business is using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, human errors can be minimized by using call recording. Discover how this VoIP feature can enhance your employees' productivity.

#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, they may end up forgetting some if numerous calls are being made that day. Tiny issues like this can lead to potentially 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.

The post Advantages of call recording appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Read More

Microsoft Office 365 is now Microsoft 365 BusinessChange can be difficult in business, but it can also usher in a new era of productivity and profitability. Microsoft is shooting for better ways to improve productivity and elevate data integrity with its new Microsoft 365 product. Name change Microsoft has time and again shown that they are willing to make drastic changes to […]

The post Microsoft Office 365 is now Microsoft 365 Business appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Microsoft Office 365 is now Microsoft 365 Business

Change can be difficult in business, but it can also usher in a new era of productivity and profitability. Microsoft is shooting for better ways to improve productivity and elevate data integrity with its new Microsoft 365 product.

Name change

Microsoft has time and again shown that they are willing to make drastic changes to their products and services in the name of development. Their Windows 10 operating system (OS), for instance, is a far cry from its predecessor Windows 8. Microsoft made the jump from what they thought would be a revolutionary tile-based design in Windows 8 to a classic, ergonomically designed Windows 10.

The tech giant has once again made drastic changes, this time to their award-winning line of productivity apps Microsoft Office 365. O365, as it was lovingly referred to for nearly a decade, is now the sleeker, more powerful, Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Business is available to small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) on three different subscription plans: Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium.

Available plans

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Basic comes with many standard features, including web and mobile app access, full email and calendaring tools, secure file storage, collaboration tools, and support. Rest easy knowing that you have a powerful enterprise-grade software for a fraction of the cost such as:

  • Web and mobile app versions of Office apps
  • Real-time coauthoring
  • Email hosting with 50 GB capacity
  • 1 TB of OneDrive storage
  • Automatic syncs regardless of work platform choice (between OneDrive and SharePoint).
  • Teleconferencing and unified communications via Microsoft Teams for up to 250 users
  • Automatic threat defense via Exchange Online Protection
  • A complete array of cybersecurity tools and protocols, such as automated password policy tools

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

With the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan, you’ll get everything Business Basic offers plus:

  • Desktop versions of Office apps for up to five PCs or Macs per user
  • Easy and smart appointments management with Microsoft Bookings
  • Real-time mileage tracking and reporting with MileIQ

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the brand’s flagship plan, a great tool for businesses ready to take their operations to the next level. It comes with everything Business Standard offers plus:

  • Advanced security tools to protect from zero-day threats and ransomware, via Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection
  • Remote wiping tools for stolen or lost devices, via Selective Wipe from Intune
  • Restricted copying or saving options for unauthorized apps and locations
  • Complete control of company data, via Information Rights Management
  • Pre-breach threat resistance policy options, via Windows Defender Exploit Guard
  • Malware protection, via Windows Defender
  • Unlimited cloud archiving of emails, via Exchange Online Archiving
  • Setup wizards for Windows 10, iOS, and Android
  • Total security policy deployment — even for mobile apps — via Mobile Device Management from Intune

Microsoft 365 Business will change the way your staff powers your business. Contact us today to discuss how you can avail of a subscription.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Microsoft Office 365 is now Microsoft 365 Business appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Read More

What HTTPS means for cybersecurityAs people’s reliance on the internet deepened through the years, cybercriminals also began to move more stealthily. Online shoppers, for instance, can be led to a payment page that has no HTTPS in its URL. If they enter their personal details on this page, they will be a prime target for identity theft without them […]

The post What HTTPS means for cybersecurity appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

What HTTPS means for cybersecurity

As people’s reliance on the internet deepened through the years, cybercriminals also began to move more stealthily. Online shoppers, for instance, can be led to a payment page that has no HTTPS in its URL. If they enter their personal details on this page, they will be a prime target for identity theft without them knowing. Here’s why you should make sure that the websites you visit have a little padlock icon before their URL, and an “S” after the “HTTP” prefix.

HTTPS encryption

The “s” in HTTPS stands for “secured”. It was introduced in 1995, so older websites that have been left on its own without regular maintenance usually don’t have it. But even to this day, unsecure websites exist, and fraudsters can easily take advantage of them.

When you visit a site with an HTTP connection, everything you type or click on that website is sent without encryption. This means that anyone who intercepts the data transferred between the website and your computer can readily view them. Cybercriminals can exploit this fact to gain access to your personal data, Social Security number, credit card information, and the like. This puts you at risk of identity theft and other fraudulent activities.

HTTPS certificates

When you visit a website, your computer uses an online directory to translate its alphanumeric name into a numerical address. It then saves that information on your computer, so that it doesn't have to check the online directory every time you visit the same website.

In the event that your computer gets compromised, it could be tricked into directing a perfectly safe web address like www.google.com to a malicious website. Most of the time, users are sent to sites that look exactly like the legitimate site, but are actually fake copies designed to trick them into divulging their credentials.

To prevent such things from happening, the online directories mentioned earlier issue an ecosystem of certificates that turn HTTP into HTTPS, making it impossible for anyone to be redirected to a fraudulent website.

How does this affect our daily browsing habits?

We often visit a multitude of websites in a short period of time without checking each one for padlocks and certificates. Unfortunately, we can’t ignore the importance of HTTPS, so here are a few things to consider the next time you browse the internet:

  • If your browser marks a website as “unsafe,” think twice about clicking “Proceed anyway.” Only click the prompt if you are absolutely certain nothing will be transmitted.
  • Add web browser extensions such as HTTPS Everywhere that create encrypted connections to unencrypted websites. These extensions encrypt your communication with websites, and are compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers.
  • Always be vigilant. Some sites may have HTTPS but it doesn’t mean they’re safe. For example, goog1e.com (with the “l” replaced with a one) could have a certificate, but the misspelling indicates it to be an untrustworthy site. Cybercriminals use similar spellings of authentic websites to fool people into thinking that they’re in a secure site. This is called typosquatting or URL hijacking.
  • And perhaps, just follow the easiest step of all: avoid sites that don’t use the HTTPS protocol.

If you want to learn more about safer browsing habits and endpoint security, give our office a call.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post What HTTPS means for cybersecurity appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Read More