Whether you believe that more screen space equals higher productivity or simply more room for distraction, the dual monitor discussion isn’t going away anytime soon.   Walking into an IT department in most offices may make you feel as though you’re in some futuristic movie:  with multiple screens shifted at all angles, all with variations of code scrolling across them.  While this isn’t unexpected from a technology team, how can you evaluate whether or not multiple monitors are helpful for your business users?  When trying to determine whether they’re a productivity booster or simply offering your business users more virtual real estate to play on social media, you’ll want to consider a variety of factors such as available desk space, job requirements and yes — the cost. Potential Distractions Humans do many things well, but not necessarily many things at the same time.  The potential distractions available when you have multiple monitors is exponential, as you’re offering workers that much more space to open additional windows into their tasks.  Multitasking has been shown to reduce job satisfaction, impair cognitive function and distracts us, as well as dividing our attention and sabotaging our performance.  Multitasking is actually a misnomer, as essentially what’s happening is that your brain is hopping back and forth from task to task very rapidly, which can damage our ability to think deeply and creatively in the long term.  What has been considered a boon on a resume in the past (“excellent multi-tasker”) might well become a detriment as businesses look for individuals who can dig deep, focus and solve tough business challenges. Space Requirements When you’re considering adding a second monitor to any desktop setup, there are two space requirements you have to keep in mind.  The physical space required on the desk and whether the user will still have enough room to balance a coffee cup, notepad and pen and the digital requirements of having enough system resources to keep things running efficiently and latency-free.  The physical desk space may not seem like much of a challenge until you attempt to fit two large monitors on a desk and see how far away from your user will need to sit to view them effectively and without eye strain.  Creating a physical setup that helps maximize efficiency is particularly important in call center environments or when there are significant requirements for contract review or other paperwork, for instance.  Ensuring that you have covered any additional video card requirements and ensuring that you have a swift enough processor will keep programs opening, closing and moving swiftly as well. Cost Implications While monitors have come down a great deal in cost in recent years, adding a second or even a third monitor can cause some unexpected expenses.  For instance, while many computers will support up to two monitors, adding a third monitor often requires a special video card in order to get everything properly connected.  The cost of two monitors is generally higher than a single widescreen monitor, but this setup can be more effective than a single widescreen monitor simply because the separation between the monitors often allows the mind to separate work functions more effectively.  If you’re using a laptop, having an additional monitor may be a bit confusing as you’re often looking at two differently-sized monitors, which can be incredibly distracting.  When you purchase dual monitors, it’s best to get exactly the same brand and style so the screens line up effectively.  A large organization can be facing a massive cost impact to add second monitors at every workstation, and even small businesses will feel the pinch of the additional cost — which may or may not be offset by the productivity gains. Big Boost in Productivity Anyone who has used a setup with multiple monitors can tell you that having the additional space available is highly beneficial, especially for jobs such as programmers, designers, social media gurus and anyone working with video.  Using a single monitor setup would be difficult if not impossible, due to the requirement of switching back and forth between various tasks, software, and workspaces on a regular basis.  Some experts believe that productivity is increased by more than 40% when using two monitors, while other studies have shown that errors are reduced as well as improvements found in the level of employee stress.  This isn’t difficult to believe when you consider the challenges associated with flipping back and forth between programs in order to transfer information between software packages.  Fewer clicks can equal a faster workflow, especially important in today’s world of rapid-fire communication. Many organizations have implemented a hybrid model, where some teams utilize two or more monitors based on business needs, while other employees work with a single monitor. If you’re considering dual monitors to boost productivity or you are too concerned about distractions to take the plunge, our technology professionals can help you work through the various scenarios to determine what will work most effectively for your organization.

Wondering what the HITRUST/AMA workshop partnership means for your business?  Here’s a brief primer on the new workshops being rolled out, and what you can do to increase cybersecurity.   Cyber risk is everywhere.  While we all know it’s real, it’s hard to conceptualize in real-world terms.  Instead, we remember that one time that Target got hacked.  Or we imagine some sort of cartoon supervillain with a mask and cape, and a black uniform covered in green 1’s and 0’s. Okay, so that’s a little extreme.  It is true, however, that many people are so overwhelmed by the nebulous idea of cybercrime that they aren’t really sure what to do about it.  That’s where we come in, with a stated mission of providing insurance, retirement and investment organizations with cutting-edge, trustworthy and secure software.  Here at {company} we take the utmost caution to ensure our clients’ information is safe, and that the vital information they safeguard for others – health and financial documents – is always secure. Naturally, when we heard that the Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) was partnering with the American Medical Association (AMA) to provide physicians and their staff with information risk management training, we just had to tune in.  We’re guessing, if you’re in a profession that exposes you to sensitive client information, you’re pretty curious too. So just what exactly is going on with this partnership, and what can we learn from it? The HITRUST/AMA Cyber Risk Management Education Partnership If you started to get a little drowsy while reading the words “cyber risk management education partnership,” that’s okay.  You’re only human, and the fundamentals of managing risk in our increasingly digital world are pretty nebulous. HITRUST and the AMA recognize that too few businesses – even larger ones – have adequate cyber protection and risk management plans in place, often because the requirements are unclear and companies have little to no budget dedicated to these endeavors.  Even when they do, it’s not always obvious how to proceed with a plan that will address not only short-term risks but longer-term issues as they develop. In response, the two organizations are teaming up to provide a series of workshops around the country.  The first and most important point to understand is that in the last few years, cyber attackers have set their sights increasingly on the healthcare industry.  While it might seem counterintuitive to steal healthcare information – is Grandpa Jim’s asthma record really worth hacking into a system for? – there actually exist compelling reasons for hackers to do so. Much of the data that exists in electronic health records (EHRs) can be monetized, including social security numbers, financial information, and insurance policy data.  The results?  Identity theft, false insurance claims and in some cases, severe monetary consequences.  The motivation to hack investment accounts is even more obvious, with many of the same results.  (In a phrase: It’s not good.) Cleanliness Is Next to … Financial Security? They say cleanliness is next to godliness, but HITRUST and the AMA are taking a slightly different tack:  Cleanliness is next to fiscal safety.  As a healthcare or financial institution in {city}, there is much you can do to ensure impeccable “cyber hygiene.”  The workshop teaches actionable steps to take, such as: How to perform a cyber risk assessment How to assess HIPAA protocols to ensure you stay in compliance when it comes to safeguarding medical information The basics of good cyber hygiene, including daily risk management routines, safe online behaviors, and periodic risk assessments How to implement effective cyber risk management strategies on a budget Case studies from a variety of medical practices One of the main purposes of the workshop is to address the options for smaller businesses, which don’t have the major risk management departments larger organizations can afford.  Even without the larger budgets and staffing, however, smaller practices can do a lot to mitigate risk. If you’re a larger business, never fear:  You can learn plenty from this workshop as well.  Whether or not you go, speaking with an administration software provider can help you learn even more. How Can You Implement Principles of Good Cyber Hygiene in Your Business? So how can you meaningfully address this risk when receiving managed IT services in {city}? Your approach must encompass more than information technology solutions; you must also take care to incorporate the highest level of financial and medical data security. What you need are meaningful ways to address this risk that don’t break the bank.  Here’s where we once again look to the HITRUST/AMA partnership for guidance on how to move forward with a safe, repeatable and flexible cyber hygiene plan that will keep your clients’ information safe and your business in good standing. First and foremost, you do have the option of attending the workshops.  The first American Medical Association Cyber Clinic, hosted by Children’s Health will be held in Dallas, with workshops to follow in at least 50 cities across the nation over the following year.  If you don’t want to wait for the workshops to roll out in your area, you can book a ticket to the event now. Whether or not you opt to participate, it’s a very good idea to get in touch with your managed IT provider and ask about cyber hygiene right away.  A good administration services company will have the fundamentals of cyber risk management down to a science (like we do) and have the ability to further customize your IT plan to meet your organization’s specific requirements. Moreover, they should specialize in your field – in this case, medical – to ensure they’re up-to-date on the current risks and best solutions with which to help mitigate them. If you’re curious to learn more about how you can make your systems watertight, as well as increase the security of your EHR and general online behavior, it’s time to get in touch with a professional today.  Whether you already work with us here at {company} (hi!) or are looking

Small to mid-size businesses around the country are considering how to maintain data security in the aftermath of one of the largest data breaches in history at Equifax.  How can you ensure that your business has critical patches covered while still staying focused on operational effectiveness? Recent national news regarding big data breaches in organizations such as Equifax has small business owners scrambling to understand what went wrong — and how it can be prevented at their organization. The reality is that the potential of a data breach can’t be eliminated completely from your organization, but there are plenty of ways you can minimize the threat and make plans to come back up to full speed quickly after a breach.  Possibly the worst thing that you can do is start looking around in all directions in the hopes of shoring up your defenses. See how data security can become part of your ongoing strategic technology planning so you can skip the scramble. Small Business Impact Small businesses are every bit as vulnerable as enterprise-scale businesses to hack or data breaches, and sometimes even more vulnerable.  The thought of having the personal and financial data of 143 million Americans stolen is enough to cause any business owner to get a bad case of the hives.  Equifax’s security was violated due to the failure to correctly install a software patch, something that many small business owners can relate to as their internal IT departments are increasingly stretched in a variety of different directions.  Installing patches and keeping software up-to-date is one of the first lines of defense for organizations attempting to reduce the possibility of a cybersecurity attack. Dealing with Long-Delayed Issues Many business owners find that there are hidden pockets of issues that could be exploited by cybercriminals, such as that one workstation that didn’t get updated from Windows XP or a proprietary platform that kept system administrators from applying a Windows patch, for instance.  These risks may not seem significant by themselves, but allowing them to continue simply compounds the issues facing security professionals.  Small businesses rarely have access to the same level of technical support as a larger enterprise, leading them to lag behind in both learning and application of ever-changing security principles.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop cybercriminals from targeting small businesses — a recent Verizon survey indicated that more than 60 percent of the breaches that occurred in 2016 happened in organizations with fewer than 1,000 employees. Split Priorities Staying focused on patching potential security breaches is challenging with IT departments in a constant state of damage control due to user needs and other ongoing, operational issues.  This split priority provides the ideal breeding ground for security problems in businesses of any size. When there are not enough staff hours available to focus on creating a truly secure infrastructure and data privacy policies — along with ongoing training for business users and technology teams alike — businesses can find themselves in trouble.  When IT teams shift their focus to security for the near term, they are often able to catch up on critical patches but will take heat from internal business units and leaders who feel that the technology team isn’t pushing forward critical business initiatives.  It’s literally a lose-lose situation for understaffed mid-size business technology teams. Dangerous Endpoints Nearly everything today is an endpoint for your network:  cell phones, laptops, tablets and WiFi hotspots are all crucial parts of your network as well as being at risk of infiltration by nefarious parties.  While security concerns around these items are nothing new, the complexity of ensuring that you grant appropriate access to individual devices is growing as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) becomes a more widely accepted practice.  Endpoint security solutions continue to morph and grow, with a great deal of misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounding best practices.  Any smartphone that can attach to your corporate network is essentially an endpoint, and must be secured — and that is true for VPN access from unsecured devices as well.  The true danger of endpoints is not necessarily the technology; instead, the problem often lies in the lack of training, policies, and procedures being followed by business users.  Simple antivirus and anti-malware protection are no longer enough. Ongoing Training Training around endpoints isn’t the only required training for business users.  Every employee in the organization needs to be explicitly shown the dangers of clicking on links in questionable emails or online and how these actions can open the organization up to malicious actions.  This proactive security training has been shown to reduce the risk of malware and ransomware being introduced by employees or contractors — which is important as phishing attacks are often launched on internal assets in an effort to get business people to click on a link or provide personal information.  Simulated phishing attacks run within the organization may not get your technical team any popular votes, but they are incredibly effective in demonstrating how truly legitimate attacks can look in today’s world. Backup and Disaster Recovery Having a proactive training and patching plan in place are solid first steps, but a truly holistic strategy includes backup and disaster recovery plans that you can trigger instantly in the event of an attack or physical harm to your location such as fire or flood.  As Equifax has shown us, even the largest enterprise organizations can be caught off-guard and make decisions that later come into question during an emergency stop-gap situation.  Having a backup and disaster recovery plan in place can allow your business to quickly react to a negative situation, minimizing the impact to customers and employees alike. Ready to learn more about protecting your {city} organization from cyber attacks?  Contact {company} today at {phone} or via email to {email}.  Our cybersecurity team will walk through your current data security plans and see where we can make adjustments to shore up your overall security strategies.  

Are you afraid of new technology disrupting the way you do business? Don’t be. These three tech trends will completely change the way people do business by 2027—And for the better.  Technology changes, but what it takes to run a successful business never does. The most capable business owners are the ones who have the foresight to adopt new ideas and to adapt to different ways of doing things. {company} helps our clients use advances in technology to build their companies and to help them reach their personal and business goals. We believe the best way to grow any business is keeping one eye future while working hard today. We’re living during a time of rapid innovation when it’s close to impossible to catch your breath between each new extraordinary development. Although it’s true that tech trends come and go, we believe these three technologies are here to stay—And they just might change the way you do business five or ten years down the road. Three Digital Trends That Will Influence Tomorrow’s Business World Artificial Intelligence. Embrace it or fear it, AI is coming—And it’s going to alter everything. Already, AI programs have the capability to beat human players in games like Go and DOTA 2. While that may seem impressive, within the next ten years, the abilities of companies to harness the power of AI is going to be something to behold. When you hear the term. “AI”, don’t imagine Andrew Martin, the android from “The Bicentennial Man”, or even HAL 9000 from “Space Odyssey. Instead, picture a powerful computer with the capability of self-monitoring and correction. This is the type of AI that will have the ability to increase productivity by completing tasks and helping humans to make better decisions. They will do this in part by analyzing the big data most corporations have been collecting for years—And, AI will do it better and more quickly than any human ever could. Companies will come to depend on AI to make major (and minor) business decisions from the best way to market products, to making extremely accurate predictions regarding financial markets. Augmented and Virtual Reality Augmented and virtual reality is just now on the cusp of what these technologies will become in the future. Virtual reality (VR) is the technology that most are familiar with–However, augmented reality (AR) holds more promise for businesses. As you probably already know, VR creates a fully simulated environment by using computers much in the same way as the holodeck from Star Trek. AR. It lets a user see the real, physical world but creates and superimposes images on top of it. A popular example of this technology is the Pokémon GO game. Within ten years, companies will be able to take advantage of both technologies in a variety of ways. Virtual reality is a natural for immersive training scenarios, virtual meetings, and inspections, or for walking a client through a computer-generated model of a home. Augmented reality will let consumers “see” how they’ll look in an outfit, or if a new sofa will look good in their apartment before ordering it. However, this technology offers more important capabilities. The real power of AR won’t be completely realized until technicians can use it to guide them through a critical repair, or doctors to perform delicate, life-saving surgeries. The Internet of Things The Internet of Things (IoT) will radically influence almost every aspect of the way large companies do business within the next ten years. But what is the IoT? It’s a network of physical objects that constantly interact with one another, remotely. These connected objects can be anything from the cell phone you use to start your “smart” coffee maker, to Wifi-enabled chips to keep track of the precise, physical location of inventory items. The IoT will also allow companies to make better and more timely decisions. This is because it can remotely monitor things. By using the IoT, companies will have access to a constant stream of up-to-date information.  This is thanks to the use of connected sensors and cameras. Whether a business uses this information to decide when to fill up a vending machine or to know when it’s time to do preventive maintenance on an engine, depends on the type of company using it. The IoT is a marketer’s dream. Using the IoT, businesses will be able to collect enormous amounts of data about the behaviors and preferences of customers from the ways they interact with their connected devices. The future of business is here. If you want to remain competitive in your market, you should begin to investigate which future technology is best for your particular company.  We can help. To learn more, contact the experts at {company} at: {phone} or {email}

What a Virtual Private Network Is and Isn’t. Virtual private networks are an understandably complex topic. We shatter all the myths here—Read on so you’re informed. VPN is an acronym for “virtual private network.” It’s a term that describes a popular way to extend a private network across a public one (like the Internet). Think of a VPN as a special lane on the highway that only you and your employees can use. You’re still traveling up the Interstate with hundreds or even thousands of other cars— Yet, anything you do in your lane stays safe and secure at all times. VPNs are essentially like this, just played out across the technological landscape. They’re a fast, efficient and (most importantly) a secure way for you to send and receive information over the Internet without worrying about identifying the information being compromised. Myth #1: Free VPNs Are Perfect for Your Business. Perhaps the biggest myth surrounding VPNs is that you shouldn’t have to pay for them because there is a wide range of free options available. When you need a VPN for business use, this is absolutely not the case. Paid VPNs not only offer a higher level of security by way of better encryption, but they also provide faster speeds and larger data allotments. Myth #2: VPNs Are Too Slow to Use. Many people think that because VPNs encrypt data at the device level before transmission, they’re too slow to use for most professional purposes. This is only true if you’re talking about a free option. If you’re willing to pay for your VPN service (and you should be) this isn’t an issue because you’ll get priority service. Myth #3: VPNs Are Too Hard to Use. Another common misconception is that they’re too hard to use unless you’ve got an advanced level of technical knowledge. This may have been the case at one point, but it isn’t today. While configuring your VPN may take some time, it really isn’t difficult to do. Once you get your service up and running, you won’t have to think about it again. You’ll be able to use the Internet the same way you always have. Myth #4: VPNs Are Completely Anonymous. Many people think that because VPNs offer a sophisticated level of data encryption, their online activities are totally anonymous. This isn’t so. While it’s true that 256-bit encryption is difficult to break, it isn’t impossible. Likewise, your VPN provider will keep a log of some or all of your activities for a period of time dictated by the terms of service. You’ll be more anonymous and more protected than ever before, but nothing in life is certain – especially when you’re talking about technology. Myth #5: All VPNs Are Created Equal. This is another myth that creates problems, particularly among enterprise users. People think that because all VPNs work in essentially the same way, those VPN providers are all the same. In reality, there are a number of factors that separate one provider from another. Speed, supported platforms, the number of available servers, and price all play significant roles in the quality of the service you’ll receive. As always, it’s best to shop around to ensure you’re teaming with a VPN provider who can meet your needs. Myth #6: When You Use a VPN, You’re Totally Safe Online. Unfortunately, a lot of people think that because a VPN offers increased privacy and security, they are totally protected online. Just because you have a VPN doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want online (like clicking on that link in an email from a recipient you’ve never heard of without fear of consequence). A VPN isn’t a suitable replacement for antivirus software, network protections, and good, old-fashioned common sense. All a VPN does is offer additional protection while you’re online, and allow you to keep some of your activities private. That’s it. A virtual private network was not, nor will it ever be, designed to keep your browser safe and secure. As a business leader, you should continue to invest in additional training for your employees to prevent costly mistakes that could easily lead to a data breach or other cyber incident. One thing’s for sure: As privacy and security become more important in today’s fast-paced digital world, technologies like VPNs are going to become more essential. However, at the same time, it’s important to always do your research to make sure you understand what a virtual private network can and cannot do. Only then, do you stand the best chance to stay safe from the types of people who want to do you harm? If your business is in {city}, and you’d like to find out what type of virtual private networks is best for your purposes, contact {company} at {phone} or {email}.

It’s true – and it’s a whole lot easier than you probably think! Most of us are visual learners. Our brains process visuals more effectively than written words.  Plus, we also retain more information from images—Days later we can easily recall a visual form versus words on a page. Diagrams make it easy to convey “big- picture” ideas and bring those details to life. This is essential in the world of business, which depends heavily on employees working together on projects. These concepts are some of the many reasons why Visio’s new Data Visualizer feature is so useful. With Visio Pro for Office 365, you can process and map data from Microsoft Excel and bring it to life in the form of stunning data-driven diagrams. The Visio Data Visualizer reduces the number of steps required to do this and gives you the option to create diagrams based on data parameters. Visio’s Data Visualizer: Breaking It Down Business analysts often use tables in Microsoft Excel to display complicated processes and metadata. Now, thanks to Visio’s Data Visualizer feature, they can convert this information into a fully visualized diagram with just a few clicks of their mouse. There are two options to choose from: You can use a pre-made Excel template or an existing spreadsheet of your own design. The pre-made templates provide for both basic and cross-functional tables containing a wide range of criteria like: Process step numbers Phases Descriptions Functions Dependencies Owners, and much more Once an Excel table has been populated, all you have to do is launch the Visio Data Visualizer wizard to help you complete the remaining steps. The wizard is designed to walk you through the process, ensuring the diagram is created with minimal fuss, and without losing essential information. Regardless of whether you choose to use the pre-made templates or create one of your own, the Data Visualizer wizard will help you map flowchart parts like swim lanes and connectors – Before now, this would have to be done manually. Here’s the best part of all—The resulting diagram in Data Visualizer is linked back to that original Excel table. If the data is modified or changed in any way, the diagram automatically updates accordingly. This means that Data Visualizer is a process you only have to run once, and from that point on, any other changes you make in Excel are visualized instantly. Shape modifications in Visio are still preserved if the Excel data is changed. This ensures everyone stays on the same page when working on major projects, prevents confusion, and increases the ability of people to collaborate and share information. Thanks to the new Data Visualizer feature, you can save both your Visio diagrams and associated Excel mapping tables in a single package for easy sharing.  This is perfect when the file has been completed, and no further changes will be made. All you have to do is employ the “Export as a Template Package” feature and your designs are preserved for all time. And, thanks to the flexibility of the associated file format, these packages can then be shared with others, or even reused on future projects. This totally removes the need to create the same diagram time and again from scratch. Not only will this make the lives of both Excel and Visio users easier than ever before, but it also encourages total process consistency and maximum visibility across an entire organization. When sharing files like these across a business, many people worry about variations on files, old versions, and outdated data. Perhaps the best news of all is that the underlying Excel data travels with the Visio Data Visualizer file wherever it goes, guaranteeing all team members have access to the most recent version of a diagram at all times.   While solutions like Visio and Microsoft Excel are undoubtedly valuable, their true power is unlocked when combining them to reach common goals. The volumes of mission-critical data your business creates on a daily basis shouldn’t exist in a silo. Visio’s Data Visualizer goes a long way towards breaking down those silos. If your business is in {city}, and you have any questions about using Excel data to create process diagrams in Visio—Or, if you have questions about other essential IT-related topics, please don’t delay—Contact {company} at {phone} or {email}.  We’re always here to help.

“What’s This About an Updated Protocol in Outlook on Halloween?  Should I Be Concerned?” If you’re like most people, you rely on Outlook email to maintain connections both inside and outside your business.  Now there’s critical protocol change in Outlook that could negatively affect your ability to use it if you’re not informed. If you’re running Office 2007, 2010, 2013 or 2016, take heed – The winds of change (or perhaps a hurricane) are coming your way. On October 31, 2017, Microsoft will officially replace RPC over HTTP protocol in Exchange Online with the more modern MAPI over HTTP. No, it’s not a trick for Halloween, however it can trip you up if you’re not prepared. Whether your specific configuration is affected depends on a variety of factors, such as whether you’re running on premise or cloud-based software. At a bare minimum, you should review your current control settings to ensure the latest patches and updates were applied. The Updated Protocol In May 2014, Microsoft released an updated protocol called MAPI over HTTP to create a modern networking environment that supported seamless mobility, regardless of the device used. This release included a time schedule to retire RPC over HTTP, a 10+ year old protocol that doesn’t provide the same ability to hop between networks as the updated MAPI convention. Remote Procedure Calls, or RPCs, were revolutionary in their day, as they allowed Outlook Anywhere to transport information without the need for a firewall or VPN (virtual private network) –as long as a secure HTTPS connection was enabled. Microsoft’s utilization of this protocol allowed Outlook clients to reduce dependence on extended synchronization sessions and tiresome dial-up connections, and move into the new wave of WiFi connectivity and mobile computing. Today, the enhanced functionality from MAPI over HTTP enables additional sign-on scenarios, removes dependence on legacy technology, and improves overall connection resiliency when the network drops packets in transit. “Will My Platform Be Affected?” Organizations are currently using an on-premise Exchange Server will continue business as usual and experience no adverse effects from the protocol migration. (If you run Windows 10 Mobile, Outlook on the Web, Outlook for Mac, iOS, Windows Mobile or Android you won’t be affected by the switch.) However, businesses connected to Exchange Online mailboxes in Office 365, and that use Outlook for Windows must review their current setup and determine which upgrade path makes sense (or they risk losing system functionality and availability). “What Upgrade Recommendations Do You Advise?” In many cases, the best recommendation is to bring your Outlook installation into a more contemporary platform, such as the latest version of Outlook 2016 within Office 365 (part of Office 365 ProPlus). However, if this option isn’t feasible for you to do before October 31, 2017, there are a few options that will allow you to continue using your corporate email and avoid disruptions in connectivity until you can put a more permanent solution in place. The minimum updates are listed below: Office 2016: December 8, 2015 update, MSI: 16.0.4312.1001 Office 2013: Office 2013 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and December 8, 2015 update, MSI: 15.0.4779.1002 Office 2010: Office 2010 Service Pack 2 (SP2) and December 8, 2015 update, MSI: 14.0.7164.5002 However, while these updates should provide you the ability to maintain usability of your Outlook software, it’s recommended that you move to Office 365. Remember, maintaining a solid update schedule for your office productivity software ensures you’ll have access to security patches for identified vulnerabilities. “What Are the Benefits of Migrating to Office 365?” While some organizations are still most comfortable with an on-premise solution, Office 365 offers a variety of benefits. Since all upgrades are handled on the server side, there’s no need to update individual workstations, or even push an upgrade to users. Office 365 provides a variety of benefits over on-premise solutions, including: Scalable options that allow you to right-size your licensing over time. There’s no need to overspend on licensing when planning for future growth. You can select the pricing level that fits your budget and needs. It provides the flexibility to install one license for up to five individual devices. It reduces the overall risk of data loss due to rigorous backup and disaster- recovery protocols. There’s no need to perform upgrades, as new functionality is available immediately. While migration can be a bit challenging, with the support of a managed service provider, you can successfully achieve a fast adoption of Office 365 online. If you need assistance with your Outlook Exchange or Office 365 migration, contact the professionals at {company} at {phone} email}. Our security and infrastructure professionals will work closely with you to ensure you’re receiving the best possible pricing and support for your office productivity needs.

Should I Consider the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update for My Business? The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is right around the corner—And it’s coming with a number of incredible new features that you’ll definitely want to take advantage of. To say that Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system is popular is something of an understatement – Particularly as far as adoption rates are concerned. By the end of 2016, Windows 10 was already running on more than 270 million devices around the world. This put it on track to reach one billion users a bit faster than expected! A large part of this had to do with Microsoft’s massive course correction from the poorly received (yet widely used) Windows 8. After the initial and disastrous launch of the 8 operating system, (and in an effort to fix as many of the flaws as possible) Microsoft responded quickly with Windows 8.1. This was a bit more in line with the previous (and more popular) Windows 7. However, by that time, it was “too little, too late.” The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update—You’re Sure to Like It. Windows 10 users already received one fairly popular “Creators Update” earlier this year. Another is right around the corner, as the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is set to launch. It brings a number of changes that business users, in particular, are definitely going to applaud. Expected to launch in October 2017, the Fall Creators Update can be summed up in a single word: “improvements.” This isn’t a “reinvent the wheel” update—And for many, not nearly as drastic as the previous 2017 update that rolled out in May, June and July. It does, however, bring a variety of “under-the-hood” and productivity improvements that are more than worth exploring. The biggest set of changes involve the Windows Shell, which is the main part of the operating system. Made up of components like the Start Menu, the Taskbar and File Explorer, the new version of the operating system will bring with it the following new enhancements: The Action Center that features a more fluent User Interface design, and will share the same acrylic background as the Start Menu. A variety of new icons added to the Start Menu. The Start Menu that can be resized diagonally – something that we’ve all been clamoring for. The ability to resize the Start Menu, particularly horizontally—now a much smoother experience. Improved OneDrive integration with File Explorer. It’s now possible to see files that have been saved to the cloud with a new “On-Demand Sync” option. Microsoft’s Edge browser will also see some much-needed improvement, particularly with the way it handles file compatibility with formats like PDF and EPUB. It’s now possible to “ink” onto PDFs directly within Microsoft Edge.  This prevents the need to download a file and open it in a separate program. You can also see the table of contents from within a PDF, and directly interact with forms within a document. This brings Edge much closer in line to applications like Adobe Reader. Settings: Some of the most relevant changes for enterprise users come in the way of settings adjustments. The “About” area of the “Settings” app has been completely redesigned to display more relevant information and paint a much clearer picture regarding the health of a particular machine. “Storage Sense” is also a new feature making its debut. It allows the operating system to automatically delete files in the “Download” folder after a period of 30 days. “Storage Sense” can also be used to automatically delete previous versions of Windows after a successful upgrade has taken place. Remote Desktop functionality, now in the “Settings” app, brings it more in line with how you’ll actually interact with this feature. Updates: Each update file has its own individual progress indicator when downloading and installing – making it easy to see what’s going on “behind the scenes,” and how much time is left before updates are available. There’s also a new “Activity Monitor” that shows comprehensive statistics on downloads, updates and other essential factors that occurred during the previous month. General Improvements: The Fall Creators Update now allows Windows 10 to run on the ARM64 architecture (Advanced RISC Machine, a family of reduced instruction set computing (RISC) architectures for computer processors). This will let you “future proof” your machines in a much more effective way. Windows is also now “smart” enough to throttle inactive programs, which should go a long way towards generating incremental performance improvements across the board. Cortana, Microsoft’s Siri-like voice assistance, will also support dedicated speaker devices – something that should improve compatibility with peripheral hardware, and address certain accessibility concerns that some had in the past. Our Advice? –-You Should Definitely Consider Windows 10 Fall Creators Update for Your Business.  Windows 10 has come a long way since its original release, especially in terms of the productivity and collaborative benefits that it can bring to enterprise users in particular. For a company still struggling to recover from the lukewarm reception to operating systems like Windows 8 (and the outright disaster of Windows Vista), the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update proves that Microsoft is willing to listen to the people who matter the most of all: its users. If you’d like to find out more information about the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update—Or for answers to your IT questions—Contact {company} at {phone} or {email}. We’re {city}’s trusted, IT Managed Service Providers.

Is Your Business Lacking the Productivity You Want?  If so, Look to Office 365. I’ve said it before, and will again (because you’ll thank me once I’ve convinced you)—Microsoft Office 365 increases productivity. With cloud-based collaboration, your employees can use work efficiently as a team wherever they are. Your success is directly related to its productivity, especially in today’s fast-paced world. If your employees don’t work productively as they should, your competitors will outpace you—Microsoft Office 365 has become the norm for small businesses today, including your competitors. Office 365 Makes Collaborating Easy. Working with Office 365 improves the how your teams collaborate. (We use it for our business, and what a difference it’s made.)  Multiple employees can collaborate in real time. They can use Yammer on their computers or any other device to keep up to date on the company’s latest news and current activities. Try One Drive for Business or SharePoint, and let your employees easily share documents with each other while still preventing unauthorized access or changes. OneNote makes it convenient for staff members to leave notes and feedback for group projects, and Skype for Business makes one-to-one video chats, and even large meetings possible at the click of a button. Microsoft Office 365 helps your employees work together on projects in real time, exchange files and documents, and to do so securely and easily no matter where they are. Painlessly Manage Upgrade Costs.   Technology is changing at a rapid pace, and keeping your business up-to-date with the latest systems can feel like a never-ending uphill climb. However, Microsoft’s flexible and scalable subscription model allows you to deploy only the licenses you need. Previous models required the purchase of new licenses, ongoing installation, and upgrades that couldn’t be managed remotely.  This resulted in a confusing mishmash of different releases within various business departments. Plus, software upgrades in past iterations of productivity software required significant upfront investments. Not so with Office 365—You can spread the costs over a longer period of time, making the overall upgrade more affordable for businesses of all sizes. With Office 365, your employees automatically receive upgrades along with new functionality that helps them work more efficiently. Your Employees Will Benefit from Multi-Device Compatibility. Small businesses are notorious for using a variety of platforms based on employee requests and requirements—This makes it challenging to successfully deploy traditional software models. With the flexible deployment model of Office 365, a single license covers up to five devices at one time, with the ability to switch a license quickly as needed. Even better, the type of device used no longer matters—The same license you use for a Mac can also be used for a Microsoft Surface, iPhone or iPad. When employees are firm believers in BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), and can work with their chosen devices, productivity skyrockets. Enhance Your Customers’ Experience with Office 365. Understanding the needs of your customers is a primary driver in today’s hyper-connected world. When your service reps can interact with prospects at the time, and in the fashion they want, they’re much more likely to connect with them. Collaboration tools like Skype and Yammer allow you to message your customers in real time. Quickly spin up a video meeting or a chat to resolve their problems or concerns. Plus, your teams will be more productive with tools like Exchange and SharePoint to manage, store, organize and search for documents their customers need. Office 365 Provides Flexible Plans to Meet Your Needs. Microsoft Office 365 pricing starts at an incredibly low entry point per employee, and can be scaled up to allow for even the largest enterprise deployment. There are seven versions of Office 365 to choose from, while keeping operating costs under control. What’s even better is that there’s no need to use business apps if your team already has a solution in place. This low entry point allows you to selectively implement exactly the right solutions to meet your requirements. For example, if you want to move to a Microsoft-centric webinar platform, but still have several months left on a prior contract, you won’t be forced to buy your way out of your previous contract. Instead, you can treat the platform as a scaled rollout and implement additional functionality as needed. Take Advantage of Real-Time Analytics with Office 365. Microsoft’s Power BI is one of the most comprehensive suites of analytics visualizations on the market today. And, the self-service business intelligence functionality allows your employees to weave together disparate data sources to create a compelling story about the work they’ve completed. Perhaps one of the least-understood platforms available to smaller businesses, Power BI provides a means for effective decision making without the effort required to implement traditional sales cubes or Big-Data platforms. A key reason for implementing Microsoft Office 365 solutions is to remove the barriers between your employees and the technology they need to do great work at any time. Having a subscription-based productivity suite provides you with the latest collaboration tools to drive business advances while keeping costs at a minimum. We benefit from Microsoft Office 365, and so will you. Feel free to contact us with any questions you have. {company} {phone} {email} Work with the professionals at {company} to leverage the power of Microsoft Office 365.  We’ll ensure it improves your productivity and efficiency.  

Check out the most advanced security tactics in the fight against hackers for companies like yours. One of the worst things about malware is that it never stays the same. There’s always a new threat, vulnerability, or revised virus cropping up. But there’s good news—A lot of innovation is happening in the world of cybersecurity Let’s take a look at some of the latest advances and how they can help businesses like yours in the fight against hackers. The “White Worm” Approach For a while now, universities in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Russia have been studying the Mirai worm, an annoying piece of malware that crept into programs and wreaked havoc. However, security experts at these universities had a good idea—What if they could turn Mirai into a vaccine to use against similar types of worms? It’s not exactly a new idea, but it is finally showing real-world success. The White Worm Project created a vaccine that uses Mirai-like capabilities to access devices and search for vulnerabilities. However, instead of exploiting those vulnerabilities, the new software (called AntibIoTic for its smart-device application) adds an extra security code instead. The code alerts device owners about potential problems and changes the authorization settings so malware can’t get in. Additional white worms can be designed to shore up lagging security, warn users about new threats, preemptively protect devices, and more. The future of anti-malware is looking a lot better! Advanced Machine Learning AI (Artificial Intelligence) If you’ve kept up on the latest malware developments and security solutions, you’ve probably heard about machine learning and AI programs. Large security organizations are now using AI programs to identify aberrations. These aberrations are numerous and customizable, and focus on any out-of-the-ordinary activity from both software and account users. They indicate anything from malware attacks to identity theft, so the “AI approach” has very quickly become popular. If you receive threat intelligence reports from Microsoft Office 365, you’ve benefited from this technology. The software adapts based on what it learns. For example, AI software might send 10 alerts to a security administrator. The administrator notes that five of these threats are false positives (ordinary activity that’s just a little unusual, but not threatening). The AI uses its machine-learning capabilities to include this information in its future scans—adding more accuracy over time to pinpoint the security problem. VM Browsers Browsers get hit with a lot of malware that can be challenging to block. One new solution that’s getting praise from security experts is a VM (virtual machine) browser approach. In this case, a business only allows browsers to be used when they’re opened in a virtual machine. A VM is created with each new browsing session. If malware manages to make it through the browser, it will get stuck in the VM and be destroyed when the browser session is complete. This approach is interesting because it also allows for the possibility of popular “security browsers” to be used at the professional level, a trend that’s just off the horizon. Email Authentication DMARC or Domain Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance is a term you can expect to hear frequently in the near future. It’s an email authentication standard that helps companies to secure their email (to prevent hackers from spoofing them for phishing attacks) and confirm the emails of others (to stop incoming phishing attacks). Customized authentication standards open the path to better and faster security for businesses worldwide. Architectural Security The Internet of Things (IoT) is defined as a pervasive and ubiquitous network which enables monitoring and control of the physical environment by collecting, processing, and analyzing the data generated by sensors or smart objects. While many existing security technologies and solutions can be leveraged in a network architecture, there are unique challenges in the IoT space. Architectural security refers to how the Internet of Things is set up. It’s about designing and producing smart devices with security in mind – making them more difficult to access, and with communication features that decrease the likelihood of an attack. Encrypted Detection If you’ve attended any of the latest security conferences, you’ve probably heard talk about encrypted detection. However, encrypted data is hard to scan for signs of hacking. In the past security solutions had to unencrypt data and analyze it for threats, or just let the encrypted data pass and hope it didn’t include anything dangerous. Modern solutions have found ways to search for threats in encrypted data, without compromising its encryption. This is a big deal for companies that want to protect their data – especially wireless data –and should soon become standard once the last few wrinkles are ironed out. Security as Development During program development, security is often added on after the core workings of the program are already complete. This is problematic – it tends to create a lot more vulnerabilities. We’re finally seeing a concerted demand for developers to start including security aspects in their initial coding. This new standard could help secure many of the applications on the market. Do you need help with data security for your business in {city}? The team at {company} understands these challenges.  We’ll work with you to create a comprehensive security plan to protect your business from data breaches, malware or other cyber threats.  Contact our security professionals at {phone} or {email} to schedule your no-obligation consult.