Want to Synchronize Outlook, iPhone, and your iPad? We have the answer…

May
02 |
20
11
by Stephen Taylor

With many more of us accessing our email and calendars on multiple devices, its essential to have a system that keeps everything in sync. While you can simply use “vanilla mail” (ie webmail, pop, or imap email); it becomes really tough to keep track of unread emails, sent messages, appointments, and contacts across your devices.  Most importantly is the issue of backup; where is all my email located?  Is it on the web server, is it on my computer?  With any of the above solutions, your email could be scattered across any one or all of them.  Not ideal for keeping your information safe or secure.

You need a system that houses all of your email, calendar, contacts, and tasks and then allows access via a multitude of devices – all of course via the internet.  Say hello to Microsoft Exchange.  Exchange becomes this backbone for all of your communications.  You can access Exchange via the web, you can use Outlook, you can connect a smartphone or iDevice (iPhone, iPod, iPad). Exchange safely and securely houses all of your email, calendar, and contacts and gives you anywhere access.

Over 80% of businesses run Exchange server, so you’re in good hands.  Exchange can be setup on a typical server that you think of in your office as well as via the “cloud” or a service hosted on the internet, which you subscribe to for a monthly fee.  Cloud services have been extremely popular lately especially for micro- to small businesses.

More information on the “cloud” here.

Exchange brings so many more features improving communication in and out of your business.  But first and foremost the ability to sync your ever increasing number of devices and computers.  Talk to us about Exchange and the many benefits for your business today.

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Network Security for HIPAA and HITECH Compliance

Mar
02 |
20
11
by Stephen Taylor

HIPAA compliance can cause challenges and confusion, especially when addressing the technical requirements. One misused fact is that within the HIPAA rules, there are no specific requirements as to the technologies used.  However, there are general rules  and safeguards that must be met.  It’s important to ensure that these requirements are met, with sufficient yet affordable technologies.

Here are the “Technical Safeguards” or requirements enforced by HIPAA:

Access Control—User identification and provisions for
emergency access procedures. Automatic log off and
encryption are listed as addressable implementation
specifications.
Audit Controls — Audit control mechanisms to record
and examine system activity.

Integrity— Corroborate
data has not been altered or destroyed.
Person or Entity Authentication — Verify an entity seeking
access is who they claim to be.
Transmission Security— Electronic data is transmitted in a
manner appropriate for the level of risk.

HIPAA mandates apply to many of the following organizations:

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Doctors offices
  • Dentists
  • Ambulance companies
  • Medical equipment providers
  • Insurance companies
  • Pharmacies

Here are some of the ways our WorkplaceComplete solution addresses these requirements.

Enterprise grade firewalls – block unauthorized users, access, files, and websites.
Anti-virus – protects the network, server, and workstations with multiple layers of security.
DLP (data leak protection) – ensures that sensitive data (social security numbers, etc) do not leave secure areas.
Secure VPN / remote access -
Logging/reporting/auditing -
Encryption -

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 advances the electronic exchange of large amounts of health information and expands the reach of HIPAA’s data privacy and security requirements to ensure the security of ePHI. As of February 17, 2010, all covered entities must ensure compliance with HITECH and that ePHI remains private and secure.

  • While 98 percent of survey respondents have a policy in place to limit the disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI), only 52 percent employ encryption technologies to render data unreadable or unusable in the case of unauthorized access.*
  • Only 40 percent report that there is clear and broad awareness of the new civil and criminal penalties under the ARRA.*
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10 Quick Easy Ways to Get the Top Spot on Google

Feb
11 |
20
11
by Kevin Lucca

An affordable SEO plan that is quick and easy, perfect for your small business.

The task of search engine optimization (SEO) for your website can seem overwhelming at times. You have enough work to do just running your small business, so it’s easy to put SEO at the bottom of your priority list.
However, without proper search engine optimization, your website is very unlikely to be much of a success. This can mean the money and time that you spent getting your website designed and developed becomes wasted.
There are several ways that you can improve your SEO without spending tons of time or tons of money. Here are 10 of the quickest and most affordable SEO tips out there.
1. Submit to Search Engines
You want to make sure that your website has been submitted to search engines. SEO is all about optimizing your position in various search engines, but this is only relevant if you are actually listed in the search engines. When your website is brand new and it has no incoming links yet, it can be difficult for the spiders to find it, so it’s a good idea to hand submit your site to the search engine.
2. Clean up Your Site
Make sure your website is organized and clear. It is especially important to clean up any dead links. Fix any errors that may appear on your site and double check to make sure your entire site’s html is up to par. There are online services that can help you do this. Since search engines primarily work and rank websites through the use of robots it is important to make sure all of the technical aspects of your website are in good working order. This helps ensure that the robots can quickly and freely crawl through your site and they won’t encounter any errors or roadblocks that force them to abandon your site too soon.
3. Use Good Keyphrases
If you’re trying to optimize your brand new website for a single keyword, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. Try longtail keyword phrases instead (a phrase that is four words or longer) because they are less competitive and easier to get started with. Be sure to research the phrases that your target market is actually searching for, and then do the competitive research to ensure that you actually have a chance of ranking for those phrases.
4. Create Good URLs
Creating readable URLs is especially important if you’re using a content management system or otherwise generating dynamic URLs. While evidence suggests that Google’s new algorithm does not apply much weight to keyword rich URLs, other search engines do. And since it’s such an easy step to create relevant URLs, it’s worth the few seconds of extra time it might take, if only to make it easier on your human site visitors. Make sure that your URLs are indicative of the kind of information that your visitors will encounter on that page.
5. Improve your Title Tags
Title tags are still an important aspect of search engine placement, and since they are so extremely easy to update this is a step that definitely needs to be included in your affordable SEO plan. Make sure that your title tags are keyword rich and appropriate to the subject matter of the particular web page. And make sure you use a unique title tag on each and every page in your site.
6. Check your ALT Tags
Make sure that your alt tags are clear and keyword rich. While Google does not take into account alt tag text for ranking purposes, some other search engines still do. But the key issue to keep in mind with alt tags is that they are meant for usability. They are designed to aid website visitors with visual impairments navigate through your site and understand all of your content. While Google may not take the content of the tag into account, it couldn’t hurt to show Google that you are running a professional website that caters to all users.
7. Get Backlinks
Getting relevant links coming into your website can be tedious and time consuming. So this isn’t exactly considered a “quick tip”. But there are a few things you can do to help speed up your link building program. First, take advantage of industry groups or trade associations that you belong to. They usually have online directories where you can include a link to your website in your membership profile. Join a forum that is related to your niche and include your website address in your profile and signature.
Submit a press release announcing the publication of your new site and include a link to your URL. Keep in mind that none of these are considered “high value” incoming links, but they are all quick and easy ways to get your linking program off the ground.
8. Create and Update Regularly
Keep your website or blog fresh and relevant.  You don’t have to go overboard, but be sure to make small updates regularly.  This ensures that the search engine spiders will return often. Use unique content, avoid private label right articles, and keep information as current as possible.
9. Generate a Site Map
Creating an XML sitemap makes it easier for the search engine bots to crawl through and navigate your website.  This is especially true if your site is rich in script and flash. The structure of your sitemap does matter, so if you’re not sure how to create one, check with your webmaster. Chances are, he or she will have software that will simplify the process.
10. Drive Social Media
Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are quickly becoming the new search engines.  Make sure you are adequately represented on sites like these. Set up a page for your company and post regularly.  Have friends, family, customers and fans sign up for your page and encourage them to advertise to their friends, family, clients, and fans.  This is a great way to build up your reputation and yet another way to quickly multiply reputable backlinks to your page.
Search engine optimization can be intimidating for many small business owners, and it’s true that a full-fledged optimization program will take time. But by following these quick and easy steps, you’ll be able to create an affordable SEO program that gets your new website off the ground in no time.
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Three reasons to go with a monthly tech support agreement

Jan
17 |
20
11
by Stephen Taylor

If you are running a company or a business of your own, you might be asking yourself, “Do I need monthly technology support agreement? Is it really worth it considering all the costs?” With the very competitive nature of today’s market, the costs of a monthly agreement (even against hourly pricing) may be well worth it.

Computer and network problems may be largely minimized or halted even before they occur if you have an technology consultant that monitors your network. With an monthly agreement from your technology consultant, problems are addressed right away – many times even before they disrupt your operations.

But despite this, many companies still tend to shy away from such business relationships. They believe it’s an extra expense that they are better off without, since technology support agreements typically involve monthly or annual fees. What companies don’t realize is that without an agreement, they may be spending more than what they thought they save by not signing up. Here are three reasons why you should choose WorkplaceComplete, our monthly technology support agreement:

No unplanned expenses – Fixing computer problems will cost you, and more often than not, it’s not a measly cost. You’ll be forced to shell out money unexpectedly so that you can address the problem as soon as possible to minimize the effects on your work. With a monthly support plan, you can allocate your budget accordingly.

Lower staffing costs – Filling-in tech staff positions is often expensive, not to mention more tedious, when compared with Managed Services – and remember training costs as well. Managed Services provide you with trained personnel who specialize in managing your network for a much lower cost.

Increased operations efficiency – With no network problems occurring, your business runs more efficiently. You can accomplish and do more. Clients are happy and employees are free from frustration. All of this of course leads to higher profits.

So give a monthly support agreement another look — you’ll be glad you did.

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How to Assess Your Backup Solution

Jan
12 |
20
11
by Mark Peloquin

Most backup solutions available these days certainly do a good job of backing up your data. However, all backup solutions are not the same, and careful assessment is needed to ensure your backup solution is suitable for your requirements.

It’s impossible to have a disaster recovery plan without first having an efficient backup solution. So, the question is: Is your backup solution truly efficient – or just good enough?

Traditionally, backup processes use a tape storage method. But unfortunately, tape has many limitations.

Tape-based backup systems involve high costs. This is especially true with large capacity backups. Additional problems include complicated upgrades, degradation over time, and sluggish backup and restoration.

Traditional backup procedures only capture a single snapshot of your information each day. This means that if your backup is setup to start at 12 midnight, you jeopardize losing the entire next day’s work if disaster strikes.

Backing up traditionally requires rigorous manual labor. Someone has to make sure that the proper media is in the drive. Someone has to evaluate the backup results to ensure completeness, as well as periodically execute data restorations. Once the backup is complete, someone has to take it offsite for security purposes.

Although some companies are equipped to perform all of these backup-related tasks, most aren’t—and many are unsure whether their backups will be available when needed.

However, during the last three to five years, the standard backup method has shifted to digital solutions that provide greater capacity and quicker backup and restoration.

Here are some ways that you can improve your backup system:

* Ensure that every bit of your data is backed up several times per day.
* Remove the human factor from the backup equation. (This reduces the possibility of error as well as operating costs.)
* Choose a restoration process that is fast yet flexible, so you can easily re-instate your entire data set or any part of it if needed.
* Ensure that your system has very little impact on your business operations. It should be transparent to you and your employees that the backups are even taking place (that is, until you need them, of course!).

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more details. We can help you put together and manage an efficient backup solution that’s ideal for your specific requirements.

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Disaster Recovery Plan: Why Your Business Won’t Survive Without One

Jan
10 |
20
11
by Stephen Taylor

When a disaster strikes, man-made or otherwise, it’s impossible to continue business operation normally without implementing a disaster recovery plan. That’s why it’s very important to determine your crisis recovery strategies to prevent data loss, production interruption, and business failure.

Simply put, organizations that suffer data losses generally fail as a consequence.

In fact, that statement is based on study by the Department of Trade and Industry, which discovered that 70% of small businesses that experience a major data loss eventually go out of business within 18 months.

This statistics shows that a majority of small businesses have failed to protect themselves against a number of problems. According to Ontrack, data loss is due to the following:

* Human error – 44% of the time
* System or hardware breakdown – 32% of the time
* Software malfunction – 14% of the time
* Computer virus – 7% of the time
* Site disaster – 3% of the time

Data loss is very catastrophic—because your data is critical to your business. To illustrate this, just imagine the outcome if you lost access to your computer systems, including:

* Client databases
* Supplier information
* Financial reports and documents—from invoices to tax records
* Product catalogs
* Marketing materials
* Emails and correspondences
* Document templates
* Employee records

Like insurance to your business assets, the same idea is applicable to your data. Regardless of its location, your data needs to be constantly protected from every potential danger.

The good news is that with a strong disaster recovery plan and an efficient backup solution, you can easily resume business in just minutes or a few hours in most instances.

With these crucial things in mind, it’s best to protect your data to secure your business. Ask us how today.

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Are You Still Not Backing up Your Data?

Jan
04 |
20
11
by Mark Peloquin

You should know this by now: Computers can and do fail. And nasty viruses can take down your system by creeping through your antivirus software and firewall.

The problem is that you usually get no warning before it’s too late. Poooff! Your data is gone.

This has happened to more than a few businesspeople. In extreme cases, it has put companies out of business. And the worst part is this: It’s completely avoidable. By backing up your data, you can retrieve all or most of what you lose.

Yes, yes, I hear some of you snickering about the hassle involved. Indeed, there is a hassle involved. But you owe it to yourself — and your business — to take stock of your backup plan (or lack thereof) by reviewing these tips.

Most Important: Back up Your Customer Databases and Payroll Records

What’s the heart and soul of your company? People have different opinions, but certainly your customer or client database has to rank high.

Inside one or two data files are all the nitty-gritty details including what they buy, when they buy, how they pay and so forth. Contact lists also are databases, and you might have yours combined with your customer list.

So, where would you be if you lost your database? How would you feel if you attempted to open your database and it wasn’t there? Not good, I’ll bet. So you should be backing up your database. If you lose your database, you cannot go down to the “Database Store”, and replace it.

Also mission-critical for backups are your employee payroll records. You don’t want to lose the information that you have to report to the Internal Revenue Service. Your employees don’t want problems with the IRS, either. And they certainly don’t want to be paid late.

You don’t need to back up Windows or your applications, such as Microsoft Word. If the worst happens, you can always re-install those programs. But the information you create must be protected.

Store Your Backups Off-Site

To really be safe, the backup medium (external hard drive, CD or DVD, etc.) should be removed from your site. If you are backing up to external hard drive, for instance, and you leave the drive connected to the machine, you’ll be protected if the hard drive fails. But if the equipment is stolen, or the office burns to the ground, the backup will be lost.

The safest procedure is to keep all but the current day’s media off-site — at your home, perhaps.

Forget About Doing Backups With Tapes

Tape has been the medium of choice for a number of years. Tape backups are no longer practical.  Tape drives are prone to failure and damage.

Another Option to Consider: Backing up on an Internal Hard Drive

You could use a second internal hard drive, although that would mean leaving the backup in the office. Massive hard drives can be had for less than $100. Windows automatically accommodates multiple hard drives. You could simply copy your data from the master hard drive to the second one, known as a slave.

If you’re handy, you can install a second hard drive yourself. Having a shop retrofit a computer wouldn’t be especially expensive. Or, if you’re buying a new computer, order it with two hard drives.

If having two hard drives appeals to you, consider a RAID system. RAID means Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. RAID systems can be immensely complicated. But a two-disk system is not; you set it up as a mirror.

When you save something, it automatically saves to both drives. The second drive looks just like the first. So if one fails, you have a perfect copy. And RAID will automatically switch you over to the working drive.

Some motherboards have RAID capability built in. If yours doesn’t, a RAID card can be added to the computer.

However, a RAID system would leave your backup inside the computer. That leaves you vulnerable to fire or theft.

Need More Security? Consider an Online Backup Service

If you’re especially concerned about safety, you might want to consider an Internet backup. There are many firms on the Web that will store your data for you, for a monthly fee. You can run the backup automatically.

We recommend that only businesses with a high-speed Internet connection consider this option.

There are many great options for backing up your data and we recommend utilizing three different methods.  We implement these solutions for our WorkplaceComplete clients and always make sure backups are running correctly.

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Your 2011 Resolution: Improve Your Technology, Improve Your Business

Jan
03 |
20
11
by Stephen Taylor

A new year is a new opportunity to better yourself and better your business.  As you look back on 2010 and the successes and losses, what will you do to make 2011 even better?  I hope that the technology in and around your business gets some spotlight time.  We know that using great technologies can help improve your business as they have ours.  As I try to impress this view upon you, I’d like to share some great client success stories of 2010 with you.

Let’s Save Money Together

First hand we’ve improved our business with technology.  In 2010, we saved almost $8,000 in office space overhead by having completely remote offices.  We are even more accessible with secure email, high quality phone service, and are closer to our clients.

We moved a non-for-profit to a paperless billing and client file system, increasing their billable time and income; while centralizing the information in the organization and improving productivity.  We also saved them over $10,000 in software costs.

For an architectural firm, we were able to improve their productivity and decrease their downtime; while saving them over $5,000 in hardware costs.  We did a similar project for an accounting firm to ensure their servers and network ran smoothly through the upcoming tax season.

We also helped a non-for-profit business save more than $14,000 by trusting us to maintain their servers and network through our all-inclusive support plan.

What Can We Do

Throughout the year, we meet with our clients to discuss Technology Roadmaps.  We look for ways to improve their businesses by utilizing technology.  Some of these methods include:

  • Improve customer relationships through a CRM system or improved website
  • Automating business process by using software to do remedial tasks
  • Getting work done faster with better PCs and new software like Windows 7 and Office 2010
  • Cost cutting through VOIP phones, remote offices, or remote access
  • Boosting sales with better websites, social media, and marketing help
  • Improving productivity for employees with smartphones and remote access
  • Improved decision making with information from paperless systems and reporting
  • Security: keeping company and client data safe

We can’t lie, technology does cost money but we assure you it will more than outweigh the costs of downtime, lost productivity, missed opportunities, and emergency support. As we move forward in 2011, wouldn’t you rather focus on what you do best?  Let us worry about the technology and help you choose technologies that can save you money and improve your business.

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What’s the point of a monthly support agreement?

Dec
17 |
20
10
by Stephen Taylor

Peace of mind, security, and superior support are now made available not just for the enterprise, but for small to medium-sized businesses as well. With a monthly support agreement, you can enjoy the same benefits big companies have without it costing an arm and a leg.

Like a lot of small to medium-sized businesses these days, you perhaps have become greatly reliant on information technology, IT. Your computers, software, applications, server, and network. You’d certainly love to have someone on staff to offer the functionality and security that huge organizations benefit from. But cost is most likely holding you back—the large amount of money needed to design, install and maintain such a setting is usually too expensive for smaller organizations. Or you have a computer “guy” now that you call as needed, but work is always reactive instead of proactive.  There are constant issues, and yet the support invoices are never predictable. Continue reading >

Posted in business, productivity, security | Leave a comment

7 Awesome New Features in Office 2010

Dec
13 |
20
10
by Stephen Taylor

Office 2010 is now available and has many great improvements.  If you’re an Outlook user, you’ve got a lot to look forward to. Personally, my favorite feature is conversation view; much like Gmail emails are threaded together as conversations instead of individual messages. In addition, the Ribbon, which keeps all your commands in an easy to reach place; has now been added to Outlook and OneNote. Continue reading >

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