Posted by
M.C. Irvin on Tue, May 21, 2013 @ 02:19 PM
Cloud-based computing has become a technology that affects everyone's daily lives. We put our personal information on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and a variety of other sources in the cloud. We’re using Smartphones, iPads, and tablets to run applications in the cloud and it just goes on and on. We’re seeing companies spending money now subscribing to cloud-based applications instead of buying them. Microsoft Office 365 is one set of solutions that is increasing in this popularity, yet there are some who have security concerns.
You cannot escape the topic of the cloud and its impact on our daily lives. However, what it means to each of us is different and the security concerns that may exist, in the different aspects of our lives, are many and varied.
For instance, when you want to look up something what do you do? You Google it! And where is your search going? To the cloud, of course. Is your search secure? It might not be not secure, but does that matter when you are simply Googling the side-effects of a prescription drug, or how to build a raised garden? In this case you use the cloud without any regard to security.
In another instance, let’s say you want to check your bank account balance. Whether you open the app on your Smartphone or you go to your bank’s website and log into your account, you're still using the cloud. In this instance, you are probably pretty confident that your information is secure or else you would not take a chance on accessing your private information this way. Banks are motivated to keep your private information as secure as possible.
And how about Microsoft? If it is growing its cloud offerings with more companies signing up for Office 365 solutions, are they concerned about security of the data they are hosting? Of course they are!
Microsoft says on its website:
Cloud security is a key topic of discussion for many considering the cloud. Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing group conducted research in the small and midsize businesses (SMB) sector in the U.S. The study shows that 35 percent of U.S. companies surveyed have experienced noticeably higher levels of security since moving to the cloud. In addition, 32 percent say they spend less time worrying about the threat of cyberattacks. U.S. SMBs using the cloud also spend 32 percent less time each week managing security than companies not using the cloud. They are also five times more likely to have reduced what they spend on managing security as a percentage of overall IT budget.
We can choose to worry about security and not move forward or we can have confidence in all of the efforts being made to keep our information secure.
If you’re a PC user, you likely have an anti-virus program installed on your computer. It could be free or it could be one you subscribe to. Most businesses run a subscription antivirus on PC and servers.
If you’re a Mac or a Linux user, you may not feel anti-virus software is important because fewer viruses and malware are created for those operating systems. But what about if you're using a smartphone or tablet?
A quick internet search reveals a multitude of smartphone and tablet antivirus software, reviews, and other articles addressing whether you need antivirus on your device. At the present time, there have been few reports of viruses or malware infecting smartphones or tablets. However, with the evolution of smartphones and tablets, viruses and malware will start to target those devices.
The more smartphones in use, particularly the more running one particular operating system (Android, iPhone OS, Blackberry, etc.) the greater likelihood that viruses and malware will be developed. When these rogue programs are being developed, the developers want to write them to infect as many users as possible. This is why Microsoft-based operating systems have the greatest chance of contracting a virus. With shift in technology, the virus and malware attacks will begin affecting the other devices as well.
Today more consumers use their smartphones and tablets to bank, make purchases, conduct business, and generally replace their computers. The more information that is stored on their devices, the greater risks a virus or malware could pose.
Of course there is no guarantee that antivirus software currently available will actually be able to protect against malware and viruses which may eventually infect smartphones. Further, smartphone operating systems are built from a security mindset with restrictions in how the information is accessed and how apps and other software installed is allowed to interact with your phone. Apple goes so far as to not only restrict software that could harm your computer, but also content it determines to be questionable.
For at least the time being, the risk of malware or viruses getting on a smartphone or tablet is really user error. We consumers need to be aware of what apps and software we are installing and what permissions we give apps and information they can access. Try to stick to apps with positive reviews from sources you trust and be aware of what information you personally enter.
What does this boil down to? While you may not really need antivirus on your smartphone or tablet yet, it is not a bad idea to have it. Research and caution are your best tools to keep your device free of malware and viruses. Use apps, search the web, enjoy your device, but be smart about it. You can find many free and subscription-based tablet and smartphone antivirus/antimalware on CNET.com.
image credit: Forbes.com
As you begin to explore the options for a communications upgrade, you will definitely want to at least explore today’s cloud-based offerings. There are many offerings that can be modeled to fit your business needs. If you want to avoid a capital purchase and simply pay-as-you-go, a cloud offering for your communications’ needs may be for you.
There are a number of benefits to moving to the cloud. However, before doing so, make sure you know and understand the services you are receiving and the costs associated with those services. Most importantly, know that you will never own the equipment- you are paying for a service. With that being said, small and midsize companies are being drawn to CaaS offerings for more than just cost savings. Customers say they like the easy provisioning of lines, the on-demand availability of features and upgrades, the freedom of not having to worry about on-premise equipment, and the service and support.
Keep in mind, that these cloud offerings often carry costs that aren’t always shown to you on the surface. There are a number of monthly or one-time fees that you may incur during your initial deployment or as your business expands and contracts. Make sure you completely understand that connectivity to the cloud is going to cost you a premium each month if you want to have voice quality that is satisfactory. Don’t take shortcuts on quality of bandwidth to the cloud. Without it, you are not going to have a good experience and your business will suffer as a result.
Understand the costs, and don’t take shortcuts when planning a move to the cloud and your communication as a service can result in a benefit for your business. This understanding will allow you to seize the advantages, flexibility, and cost savings associated with the cloud. Not doing your homework will result in excessive downtime and unmet expectations. So, do your homework, take your time, and explore what Caas can do for you.
NEC's UNIVERGE SV8100 Appointment Reminder provides companies and organizations with a simple, cost-effective way to communicate messages. Whether you are using the Appointment Reminder to reach patients for a confirmation or power-dialing to reach a list of perspective customers, this solution can do it all. In addition, the Appointment Reminder works seamlessly with SV8100 using SIP ports to connect the systems together. This simplifies the process of connecting a client from the Appointment Reminder to a live person working on the SV8100.
NEC’s UNIVERGE SV8100 Appointment Reminder enables companies to create customized messages, and then distribute them to customers via automated-voice response. The solution can also prompt customers to take further action, with customizable options like cancel/confirm an appointment, make a payment, or speak to live person.
With UNIVERGE SV8100 Appointment Reminder, companies can:
- Reduce missed appointments and last-minute cancellations
- Automate the reminder process, enabling staff to focus on other mission-critical duties
- Empower customers to be proactive by equipping them with options to take immediate action
- Customize messages for diverse business and customer needs
- Market/promote new products and services to existing and prospective customers
- Update, edit, and schedule messages quickly via an easy-to-use graphical user interface
NEC’s UNIVERGE SV8100 Appointment Reminder helps companies increase revenue and decrease costs by simplifying the power-dialing interaction process, reducing appointment no shows and enabling more efficient communication with customers.
To learn more about this product or to speak with one of our Technology Advisors, please contact us and we'd be happy to answer any questions you have.
image credit: necam.com
A new buzzword to Microsoft users is SkyDrive. SkyDrive comes in two flavors: SkyDrive Pro and SkyDrive.
What is SkyDrive and SkyDrive Pro?
SkyDrive is available for free and will be available seamlessly as part of Office 365. SkyDrive syncs personal files across all devices and to the cloud.
SkyDrive Pro is a feature in SharePoint 2013 that allows organizations to provision and manage personal cloud storage for their employees. It will be available as a service with Office 365 Small Business, Office 365 Enterprise (click links for a free trial) and on-premises with the new version of SharePoint. SkyDrive Pro is for people to sync their work files across devices and to their enterprise cloud (SharePoint). People can easily see personal and work files from both places together in Windows Explorer and utilizing Office apps.
You could also see it in the Office 2013, in the ‘Save As’ option > ‘Add a Place’. This option for Office 365 SharePoint, provided the option, with the same icon.
SkyDrive Pro makes it easy it to work with your documents in SharePoint – save, sync, share, and collaborate are all drop-dead simple. The name conveys the simplicity and increased consistency with our SkyDrive consumer cloud service while reinforcing the “Pro” features of SharePoint like social networking, collaboration, search, metadata, workflow, and compliance. Click “Sync” on a SharePoint library and you will get the documents offline in the Windows Explorer, Office applications, and more. SkyDrive Pro is part of both the SharePoint service in Office 365 and server.
Sign up for your SkyDrive account today.
When it comes to I.T. support in Louisville, Absolute Network Systems provides on-premise I.T. service for businesses. We are here to ensure your systems are back up and running as quickly as possible. Our Request Service Now website form allows you to easily contact us if your system is down, and our after-hours phone service ensures you'll get the help you need no matter the time of day.
A team of on-staff engineers provides a proactive approach to computer support which includes disaster recovery planning, technology planning, and more. With combined knowledge of many experts, we provide methods of recovery based on the best proven industry standards.
We create a plan for your business's ongoing support that utilizes only what you need for your systems without including unnecessary technology. As certified Microsoft partners, our engineering team provides a wealth of I.T. support knowledge tailored to your specific business needs.
When choosing ANS, our on-premise support also features the following:
- proactive solutions
- disaster recovery planning
- break fix services
- budget planning
Contact ANS for a free consultation and find out how we can help support your I.T. services. Our goal is to make technology work for you.
With the evolution of internet technology exploding on a regular basis comes a host of new ideas and services that businesses can capitalize on to expand, revolutionize, and improve day-to-day functioning. The question is, which services can you benefit from the most and what will they mean to your business in the long run?
Cloud computing is by far one of the most beneficial services now available to businesses that have previously spent countless hours, manpower, and financial resources attempting to maintain a more efficient interworking of their I.T. abilities. Cloud support is basically defined as “virtual servers over the internet.” These virtual servers assist I.T. departments and businesses increase capacity, add capabilities on the fly without costly investing in new infrastructure, personnel training or software licensing. What once took a team of experts to install, configure, test, and apply any new upgrade, can now be up and running almost instantly through cloud services.
At ANS, we call this service, “worry free I.T.” We tailor a cloud service for each business which will most fully provide improved productivity, flexibility, and limited downtime. Serving Louisville's evolving I.T. needs since 1996, our goal is to provide you on-demand service for your applications, business processes, and personal collaborations, whenever and wherever you need it.
By choosing cloud support for your business needs, here are some other advantages our team can provide you with:
- Desktop trouble ticket management
- End-user support
- Best in Business Response Times
- Patch Management
- Backup Management
- Workstation optimization
- Asset Inventory Services
- Essential Security Services
- Server Management
- Spam Control Management
- Reporting
Contact ANS if you have questions about our managed cloud services.
Need an important document you left at the office? Want to access a report that's on your laptop at home? What about the time of your next conference call that you stuck on a sticky note on the side of your PC? All of these occurances create dilemmas for people in the business world attempting to do business from many remote locations, only to discover something they really need is not where they can conveniently access it. Microsoft Office 365 has a solution to those common mishaps.
Office 365 is a one subscription software program that offers the latest, fully-featured office applications like Word and Excel for household PCs, Macs, and mobile phones. With cloud connection, access to your personal files and information can occur almost anywhere. Additional features include Skype and additional online storage.
All of your personal settings are saved within the software and can be accessed from almost any device. There are shared calendar-on-the-go features that allow office staff to share whereabouts and meeting times, dates, and important events all in the same app. There is also a website creation feature that allows you to create your own website and promote your business with no hosting fee. You can also file share with team members and customers from any PC or mobile device anywhere.
With additional storage in the cloud, photos, documents, and videos can be shared and edited from virtually anywhere. Automatic backup is one key feature that keeps you from worrying about scheduling backups or losing critical information.
Call around the world with 60 free Skype world minutes per month to communicate with friends and family on their PC, mobile, or land line. Video conferencing is also made easy with a feature that allows online meetings, video hosting, HD video, real-time note taking, and screen sharing.
Consider this “office on the go” and never worry again about that document that didn't make it out of the printer tray. No more worries about missing conference calls or forgetting one document that is primary to a presentation. With Office 365 your office goes with you to almost any location and your accessibility to everything you need is unlimited. Contact ANS today to talk to an Office 365 expert, or click here to sign up for a free trial and start using Office 365 today.
Imagine if you never had to wonder how to locate an employee, where the next appointment was located, or why an email response took days to receive. Lack of proper communication leads to loss of business and employees who can't effectively perform the job you've hired them to do. Timely communication, immediate response, and ability to remedy solutions instantly is what will keep your business competitive. Are you looking for better ways to collaborate with your employees to keep your competitive edge? Absolute Networking Systems has the solution.
We are committed to providing your business with reliable and feature-rich communication and data technology that keeps your business on the cutting edge of performance. We provide unified communications which will magnify productivity within your voice mail, email, and fax systems from any device.
When upgrading or enhancing your communication technology, we serve as business advisors for clients to help them decide which communication tools best fit their needs. We are able to not only sell you the best communication system, but to also evaluate and advise you on the best communication system for your business. We work with your budgetary goals and seek to deliver the best technology, support, warranty, and financing options available to your particular business.
As a full-service business systems expert, we assist you in the areas of:
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VoIP
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mobility
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unified messaging
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contact center needs
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desktop faxing
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chat
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IM
ANS is committed to providing all customers with the following services:
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Long-term relationship
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Dedication to customer service
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Certified engineers to assist with your technical needs
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personal technology advisors
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custom-made business plan based on individual business needs
Contact ANS for a complimentary evaluation of your communication systems and find out how we can keep you connected and competitive among business peers.
The traditional 9-5 work day in the office is steadily becoming a thing of the past. Time Magazine recently reported that 45% of the U.S. workforce now has a job that is suitable for full-time or part-time telecommuting.
Long time managers of multiple employees who have become accustomed to face-to-face communication and a more personalized style of collaborating with employees often struggle to make the leap to technologies such as Microsoft Lync or other type technologies over the traditional predictability of overseen office hours. At the same time, the trend shows us that more businesses are beginning to embrace remote workers and abandon traditional methods of managing their employees.
Here are some strategies to help you get the most positive results from your remote employees:
Focus on the Bottom Line
Offsite employees often report being more productive in the off-hours and value the flexibility of time shifting. Managers may struggle with being unable to physically check and see what their employees are working on, but just because they are out of site, doesn't mean they are less productive. A combination of trust and appropriate management style is critical here. Focus first on the outcome the employee achieves instead of the time they spend in the office. Results should always trump office time.
Work to Keep Employees in the Loop
Make it a point to reach out to remote employees. If you are a manager, attempt to reach your remote employees by scheduling a Lync appointment to communicate. Make sure to communicate with your employee that your expectation for them is to be available during specific times to interact and discuss business.
Make Yourself Available
Many remote employees feel out of touch with their employers and managers. Communication with remote employees is not easy. Be sure to make yourself available and engaged during conversation with your remote employees. Devote your full attention to remote employees so that they feel they have your full attention and support.
Email
With the absence of face-to-face interaction, basic pleasantries are often forgotten. When speaking to employees on the phone or email, try to open communication lines with a friendly greeting and inquire about their personal well being. It is important for your employee to be able to connect with you on any issue that they feel is important. Try not to make email your primary source of communication, but focus on maintaining human interaction as often as possible.
Provide proper space, tools, and technology
When employees need to be in the office, be sure that they have a shared workspace that allows them to settle in and feel comfortable and productive. Provide personal space for them that has the proper technology for remote employees to feel like a valuable team player. Remember to keep in touch with each remote employee on a daily basis.
Absolute Networking provides a variety of tools to help manage your remote workers. Contact us online if you would like to learn more.