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AI-powered VoIP: What businesses can expectBusiness automation is quickly becoming a necessity for most organizations. While human input is still essential, automating processes — and powering them with artificial intelligence (AI) — has allowed for more efficient and effective operations. As telecommunications continue to play a big part in running most business operations, AI developers are also introducing advances in […]

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AI-powered VoIP: What businesses can expect

Business automation is quickly becoming a necessity for most organizations. While human input is still essential, automating processes — and powering them with artificial intelligence (AI) — has allowed for more efficient and effective operations. As telecommunications continue to play a big part in running most business operations, AI developers are also introducing advances in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) that will take automation to a whole new level.

Contact center operations
Highly automated VoIP technology enables businesses to manage their call centers easily and reduce the need for human intervention.

For example, AI-integrated VoIP systems can determine a caller’s personality, mood, and queries, so calls are routed to the agent best equipped to handle them. This makes call center operations more seamless and cost-efficient, because this reduces the need for a help desk operator to answer calls just to redirect them.

Interactive voice response (IVR) systems
An IVR system is designed to automatically respond to customer queries, which is extremely helpful for high call volumes.

AI enhances this feature by working in the background as AI assistants gathering all relevant customer data such as personal information and recent transactions to resolve a query. For more nuanced queries, the AI “worker” sends this information to the business representative, who will be much better able to serve the customer.

Conferencing capabilities
Web conferencing has improved over the years with internet speeds and telecom technology constantly developing. AI advances it even further with real-time language translation and speech recognition technology, which greatly benefits businesses with multiple geographic locations and whose stakeholders come from diverse backgrounds.

AI-enabled web conferencing can even provide intelligent prompts and relevant data to guide your conversations and ensure a fruitful meeting.

Chatbot functions
Chatbots are useful programs that receive instructions via textual or auditory means to perform automated tasks.

Like IVR systems, bots are used by businesses to automate customer interactions. AI-powered chatbots go beyond regular bot duties by performing more complex tasks like setting up meetings, inviting attendees, managing schedules, and much more.

With AI-powered systems promising improvements in contact center operations, customers’ IVR experiences, web conferencing, and scheduling, businesses are understandably eager to adopt them. There’s so much more that VoIP systems can do for your business, and we’ve got the expertise to handle all your VoIP-related concerns. Just call us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Great Android office apps to boost your productivityGoogle Play Store offers a wide range of office apps for Android smartphones and tablets. Such apps allow users to work whenever and wherever, with some even allowing them to do work even when they’re offline. Read on to learn about some of the best office apps for Android. Microsoft Office View, edit, share, and […]

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Great Android office apps to boost your productivity

Google Play Store offers a wide range of office apps for Android smartphones and tablets. Such apps allow users to work whenever and wherever, with some even allowing them to do work even when they’re offline. Read on to learn about some of the best office apps for Android.

Microsoft Office

View, edit, share, and collaborate on documents using the Microsoft Office suite of mobile apps. Familiar favorites like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can be downloaded for free, and you can unlock additional features and functions by getting an Office 365 subscription. Any document, presentation, or spreadsheet you create or it will sync edit to OneDrive so you can access your files at any time, from anywhere, on any device.

Google Drive

More than just free cloud storage, Google Drive for Android offers a whole suite of office apps. Get Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Photos for free, and for as low as $1.99 per month, you can get additional storage for all of your documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and images. Another great feature of Drive is that you can still view and edit documents even if you’re not connected to a Wi-Fi or mobile network, making working more convenient.

Office Suite

Office Suite supports all basic Microsoft formats (DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, etc.) as well as other common file formats (PDF, ODT, OOS, ODP, etc.). It also lets users access and sync files in Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon Cloud Drive, Dropbox, Box, and MobiSystems Drive. The free version has all the basic features such as creating and editing documents. Meanwhile, the paid versions — which run from $19.99 to $29.99 — allow PDF scanning, spell-checking, and chat capabilities, among other additional functionalities.

Polaris Office

Polaris Office has a similar interface and features to Office Suite. It is compatible with other office apps for Android and supports different file formats, including PDF. Polaris Office has pointer and pen features that allow users to edit, create, and open files, as well as take down notes with ease. Users can sync all their documents on Polaris Drive, or access files stored in other cloud storage platforms such as Google Drive and Dropbox.

WPS Office

WPS (Writer, Presentation, and Spreadsheets) Office is an all-in-one office app that supports all the basic features of Microsoft Office and Google Drive. Use it to create and edit presentations, spreadsheets, word documents, and PDFs, which you can save to and access from the cloud storage platform of your choice. It also has a free PDF reader, converter, and editor, allowing you to view and add annotations as well as your signature to any PDF file.

Docs to Go

Work from anywhere on your Android smartphone or tablet using Docs to Go. This document viewing and editing app allows you to connect to and sync files on your device to the cloud. It also enables you to send and receive supported email attachments using Gmail or other email apps. Docs to Go’s find and replace feature makes editing any document easy. What’s more, paid versions of the app give you the option to open password-protected Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files.

Smart Office

Not only does Smart Office have all the capabilities you’ll need in an office app, but it’s also an invaluable tool for meetings and presentations. Easily format and add graphics to your slides, manage their sequence and transitions, and present them directly on your mobile device or through a projector. Smart Office also has a wireless printing function, enabling you to print from thousands of supported printer models.

Enjoy the freedom of working on the go and on any Android device with these productivity-boosting office apps. Give us a call today if you need help choosing the right app for your needs.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Windows-to-Mac data transfer with Mojave Migration AssistantPurchased a Mac? You’re probably excited to use this new and elegant machine. But your important documents, pictures, and other files are in your well-loved old Windows PC. Thankfully, Apple has made cross-platform transfer of your data simple with the macOS Mojave Migration Assistant. Just follow these steps to gather and move data from your […]

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Windows-to-Mac data transfer with Mojave Migration Assistant

Purchased a Mac? You’re probably excited to use this new and elegant machine. But your important documents, pictures, and other files are in your well-loved old Windows PC. Thankfully, Apple has made cross-platform transfer of your data simple with the macOS Mojave Migration Assistant. Just follow these steps to gather and move data from your PC to your new Mac. Let’s begin!

Preparing to migrate data

Both the PC and the Mac need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network, or if you prefer, you can run an Ethernet cable between the ports on the PC and Mac for a direct connection. Since newer Macs do not have an Ethernet port, you may need to purchase an adapter like the Apple Genuine Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter.

Now you’ll want to make sure that your Windows drive on the PC doesn’t have any issues. To do this:

  1. Choose Start > Run. You can also press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run box.
  2. In the Run window, type ‘cmd’ and press Enter.
  3. In the command window, type ‘chkdsk’ and press Enter.
  4. The chkdsk utility may report that it found problems. In that case, type ‘chkdsk drive: /F’ and press Enter. Note that the “drive:” here is the Windows startup disk, like “c:” or “d:”. At the prompt that appears, press the Y key, then restart your PC. This process might need to be repeated until chkdsk reports no issues. If you can’t clear chkdsk issues, you may need to have your PC serviced before you migrate data to the Mac.

Migrating data from PC to Mac

You’ll need to download and install the Windows Migration Assistant to your PC. It currently has three different versions, each for a different version or versions of macOS/OS X.

Once the Windows Migration Assistant is installed on your PC, it’s time to get started.

1.) Quit any open Windows apps.

2.) Launch Windows Migration Assistant.

3.) Click ‘Continue’ to begin the process. Note that you may be asked to disable automatic updates on your PC for a while; click ‘Continue’ to bypass this.

4.) Now start up your Mac if it’s not already up and running. If it’s a brand new Mac and has never been booted up before, Setup Assistant automatically launches. If you’ve already set it up, go to Applications > Utilities and launch Migration Assistant.

5.) In Migration Assistant on the Mac, go through the onscreen prompts until you reach the prompt asking how you want to transfer your information. Select ‘From a Windows PC’, then click ‘Continue.’ When prompted, enter the administrator name and password.

6.) Click ‘Continue,’ and all other open apps will be closed.

7.) On the migration window on the Mac, a list of available computers will appear. Select your PC from the list, then wait for the PC to show a passcode. That same passcode should show up on the Mac as well. Once it does, you can click ‘Continue’ on both the Mac and PC.

8.) The Mac now scans the drives of the PC and creates a list of information you may wish to migrate. When the scan is complete, select the data you wish to migrate to the Mac, then click ‘Continue.’ If you have a lot of content, the transfer might take several hours to finish.

9). When the migration is complete, quit Windows Migration Assistant on the PC, then log into the new user account on your Mac. You’ll be asked to set a password for your new Mac account.

After logging into the Mac, remember to authorize your Mac in iTunes so you can play content downloaded from the iTunes Store. Make sure to log into iCloud as well.

What types of data are transferred?

A surprising amount of the data on a PC can be transferred to your Mac. For many business PC users, it’s important to know that transfers from Outlook are only supported for 32-bit versions of the program, as Migration Assistant doesn’t support the 64-bit versions. Outlook users can also run the app on Mac (as part of Microsoft Office for Mac) and connect to the same servers for access to their contacts, calendar, and so on.

Photos show up in your Mac’s Home folder — that’s the one in the Users folder with your name. A good way to import all of those photos is to launch the Photos app on your Mac, select File > Import, and then choose your Home folder. The Photos app scans that folder for all photo files and presents them for review before being imported.

If you used either Windows Live Mail or Windows Mail on your PC, both your IMAP and POP settings and messages move to the Mac Mail app. For Windows Mail, “People” moves to the Mac Contacts app.

Any bookmark you had saved for Internet Explorer, the old Safari for Windows, and Firefox on the PC is transferred to Safari on your Mac. iTunes content — music, movies, and other files — stored in the Windows version of iTunes is transferred to iTunes on the Mac. Finally, some system settings from the PC — language and location settings, web browser home page, and custom desktop pictures — are also moved to System Preferences.

Changing hardware and operating systems, as well as updating applications, can be a burden, especially if you have hundreds of workstations to manage. These tasks, however, are vital for growing businesses. If done right, scaling hardware and software can be secure, efficient, and cost-effective. Consult with a certified IT support expert today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Simple PC tricks to improve your productivityWorking in front of a computer has its pros and cons. There are many useful work applications that are available on your desktop or laptop. But there are also so many distractions on-screen vying for your attention that it’s easy for you to lose focus on important tasks. Here are a few tricks to avoid […]

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Simple PC tricks to improve your productivity

Working in front of a computer has its pros and cons. There are many useful work applications that are available on your desktop or laptop. But there are also so many distractions on-screen vying for your attention that it’s easy for you to lose focus on important tasks. Here are a few tricks to avoid distractions at work and boost your productivity.

Monitor productivity levels

Start by tracking how much work you complete on an average day. There are many useful apps for this. For example, Google Chrome has an extension called RescueTime, which records your most frequently visited sites and tracks how much time you spend away from your computer. The app will provide you with a productivity rating and a detailed log of how you spend your time at work.

If you discover you’re wasting a huge portion of your time on social networking and other productivity killers, you’re more likely to make conscious adjustments on how you manage your time.

Get rid of clutter

You can also decrease distractions and increase your output by deleting old files, uninstalling unused programs, and organizing documents into appropriately labeled folders. This makes finding files easier and improves your computer’s performance as well.

As for the clutter in your email inbox, Gmail and Outlook both have features that filter out unimportant messages. Simply enable Priority Inbox on Gmail or Clutter on Outlook to get a clean, spam-free inbox.

Block sites that waste your time

Visiting non-work-related websites hinders productivity. A quick five-minute break to check your Facebook feed may not seem like much, but a few of those per day add up to a lot of time.

If you and your employees have trouble staying away from social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, it’s a good idea to block access to them using URL filters.

Alternatively, you can use apps like StayFocusd or Strict Workflow. These allow you to set a limit on how long and how often users can visit non-work-related sites.

Stay on track with to-do lists

To-do lists help you break down large projects into manageable, bite-sized tasks. Crossing things off the list is surprisingly satisfying since it gives you and your employees a sense of accomplishment and total visibility over your progress.

You can choose from a wide variety of digital to-do lists like Google Tasks or Trello. These platforms allow you to set deadlines for small tasks and write clear instructions for each. What’s more, they’re incredibly easy to use and are great for keeping track of your workflow.

Use keyboard shortcuts

Mastering keyboard shortcuts will make it easier and faster to perform simple functions. There are more than a hundred useful shortcuts, but here are the most common shortcuts you should keep in mind:

  • Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + X – to copy, paste, and cut selected items
  • Ctrl + Z – to undo an action
  • Alt + Tab – to switch between open apps
  • Alt + F4 – to close the active app

For more of these, take a look at this updated list of advanced shortcuts for Windows.

In this digital age of short attention spans, focus is key to achieving business success. Drop us a line today if you’d like to know more about how tech can induce focus and improve overall productivity for you and your business staff.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Simple PC tricks to improve your productivity appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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