29
Jun, 2016
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Tip of the Week: 4 Easy Changes to Make Your Workspace More Comfortable

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Sitting at a desk all day is probably the worst thing you can do for your health. The average office worker sits for 9.7 hours each day and after one hour of sitting the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90 percent, significantly slowing metabolism. Then there’s ongoing back pain and eye strain. What’s the modern office worker to do?

If you have to sit at a desk all day, you might as well do so properly. Here are four ways to optimally set up your workspace. In addition to this being a good move for your health, you’ll be setting yourself up for increased comfort and productivity.

Getting Your Chair Just Right
First off, if your chair is uncomfortable, then you need a different chair. Now, we’re not suggesting you go out and get a La-Z-Boy for your desk (as cool as that would be), but you should at least sit in some kind of chair with enough padding that your back isn’t hurting at the end of the day. Ideally, you’ll want a chair with armrests bent at a 90 degree angle. Also, look for a chair that has lumbar support and adjustable settings for the backrest, height, and angle. Remember, the goal here is to have a chair that provides you with an upright posture throughout the workday–not a bed that will put you to sleep.

Desktop Hardware Placement is Key
It should feel natural for you to use your computer. The best way to achieve this is by lining up your keyboard’s “B” keys and mouse with your navel, and your keyboard should be as close to your body as comfortably possible. Heightwise, position your keyboard so that you’re bending your elbows, not your wrist. For your monitor, make sure that the top edge is two or three inches above your eyeline, and make sure that it’s reflecting as little glare as possible. To give you a picture of what we’re talking about, check out this chart.

Be Deliberate About Good Posture
Even if you have an ergonomic chair and desk and your computer equipment is positioned perfectly, all of this won’t matter if you’re not intentional about having good posture. If you’re used to slouching, this bad habit may take some help from your coworkers to break. For example, asking them to remind you to sit up straight if they catch you slouching may seem annoying at first, but it will help cement a good habit that will have far-reaching benefits for your health.

Be Sure to Take Breaks
Even though it feels counterproductive, taking breaks actually improves productivity and it’s good for your health. You’ll want to avoid being so locked into your task that you never look away from your screen, and you’ll want to get up from your desk from time to time and take a walk around the room or stretch. There are actually several useful apps that will help you achieve this. One good app is StretchClock, designed to remind you when to take a break by providing a short tutorial video of different stretches that you can do.

At the end of the day, these are all fairly minor actions you can take that will yield major results in terms of increased comfort, productivity, and improved health. Try these tips out for yourself and let us know in the comments if you feel any different.

27
Jun, 2016
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How NOT to Maintain a Backup

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A data loss incident is considered a major disaster scenario, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. All it takes is one moment to lose your business’s entire data infrastructure. We’ll walk you through a story that should serve as a cautionary tale, one that hopefully teaches you to adhere to data backup and disaster recovery best practices.

Marco Marsala, a hosting provider, posted on a server forum looking for advice on how to deal with a major issue he encountered while trying to delete a few files. He had utilized what’s called the “rm-rf” command with undefined variables, which wound up destroying all data on the system. Like any good hosting provider, he had backups of the files, but, like a dumb-dumb, he had the backups stored on the system that he accidentally wiped. What a mess.

This is actually a similar blunder to one that Pixar experienced, almost deleting Toy Story 2 prior to its release.

As a result of Marsala’s negligence, all of the data that his company had stored was destroyed. This included the data of 1,535 customers, whom he had built and hosted websites for. Without any backups stored off-site, he had no way to recover the data.

As you might expect, the responses that Marsala received from other users of the online forum were quite negative. Many completely dismissed the possibility that his company could recover from such a devastating failure, and others questioned his abilities as a hosting provider. One poster even went as far as recommending that Marsala seek legal counsel, rather than attempt to restore the data, predicting that Marsala was “going out of business.”

The conclusion: Marsala’s best chance of recovering from this major blow was to recruit help from a third-party data recovery firm. Fortunately for him, the company was able to recover his files, but that doesn’t change the fact that his simple mistake was a huge hit to his company’s finances. The company suffered from fees associated with the disaster recovery process, as well as reduced income from the loss of business suffered as a result of his negligence.

The lesson: neglecting to follow best practices got Marsala in some hot water, and his failure basically invited disaster to his doorstep. Following the accepted best practices of data recovery could have easily prevented the situation from escalating as quickly as it did. In fact, Marsala’s reason for distress (user error) is one of the most common reasons to use a backup and disaster recovery solution, a solution that stores your backups off-site on a separate system.

Storing your data off-site allows your organization to avoid the many causes of data loss, including user error, fires, electrical surges, hardware failure, theft, and so much more. This minimizes the risk of these events threatening your business’s operations.

How do you manage your business’s data backups? Are they stored off-site, and do you have a system in place to rapidly deploy them in the event of a major disaster? If you’re uncertain, reach out to NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

24
Jun, 2016
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4 Crazy Facts About Smartphones You Probably Didn’t Know

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You may feel like you’re familiarized with everything your smartphone can do; yet, there are still some little-known things about smartphones that may surprise you. Take for example these four smartphone facts from List25.

Wirelessly Charge Your Smartphone’s Battery
There’s a day coming when you’ll be able to charge your smartphone wirelessly using radio waves. Nokia is currently developing this technology for mass production, and there’s another product, the Nikola Case (named after the pioneer of wireless technology, Nikola Tesla), that’s already figured out a way to wirelessly charge phones using a specialized phone case. To get an idea of how this newfangled technology works, check out this video.

Smartphones Provide Live Traffic Updates
Apps like Google Maps are extremely useful for making travel plans, especially when it comes to determining which roads to avoid due to traffic congestion. Have you ever wondered how Google Maps is able to provide users with live traffic updates? It turns out that Android phones utilize GPS technology to feed Google Maps real-time updates. For example, if there’s a traffic jam and several drivers on the congested roadway have their phones on, then the traffic jam will be registered on Google Maps so that other drivers can be warned.

Smartphones Deter Nuclear Warfare
Thanks to a regulation known as COCOM (Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls), your smartphone will automatically turn off if it’s traveling at a speed of more than 1,200 mph, and at an altitude higher than 60,000 feet. The reasoning here is to prevent a smartphone’s GPS technology from being used to guide intercontinental ballistic missiles. Now that you know about this regulation, you’ll never look at a superhero movie quite the same again if the flying hero whips out a smartphone.

The Quirky Reason Behind Waterproofing Smartphones
Waterproofing is a trend that’s catching on with smartphones, as seen with the newest line of Samsung Galaxy phones. Oddly enough, do you know very many smartphone users that asked for this feature? You probably don’t, and that’s because waterproofing smartphones is meant to appeal to Japanese teenagers, known for using their mobile devices in the shower. Perhaps this trend will catch on with Westerners and, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself emailing in the shower.

How many of these smartphone facts have you heard of? Can you think of any more odd smartphone factoids to add to this list? Share them in the comments!

22
Jun, 2016
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Tip of the Week: A Step-By-Step Guide to Downloading Your Facebook Information

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The longer you use Facebook, the more personal content you hand over to the social media empire. Sharing content is what drives the social media experience, but what if you want your content back? Surprisingly, Facebook makes this easy.

The reasons to download your personal content from Facebook can vary. Perhaps you just feel better about having a backup copy of your data stored locally. Or maybe you’re working on a picture collage and want to use several of the images you’ve uploaded to Facebook. Or, as is more often the case, perhaps you’re fed up with Facebook and you want to leave it for good, but before you close your account, you would like to download your data.

Whatever your reason may be for needing to download your personal data, Facebook makes it easy. After all, it’s not like Facebook has any reason to make this process difficult, since they technically own whatever content you upload, whether or not you download it back or even close your account.

To get started, log in to Facebook and go to Settings. Below General Account Settings you will see Download a copy of your Facebook data, click on it. Next, click Start My Archive.

This will allow you to select a place to store your information, just like you would with any Internet download. Whichever folder you select to download your Facebook data into, make sure that’s it’s secure, seeing as it will likely contain sensitive data.

What kind of information is included when you download your archive? Facebook explains, “This includes a lot of the same information available to you in your account and activity log, including your Timeline info, posts you have shared, messages, photos and more. Additionally, it includes information that is not available simply by logging into your account, like the ads you have clicked on, data like the IP addresses that are logged when you log into or out of Facebook, and more.”

Depending on how much you’ve used Facebook in the past, this can be a rather large download. Although, at the end of the day, downloading everything in one fell swoop is much more convenient than going through every single Facebook post, selecting what to and what not to download.

For more useful tips and technology best practices, be sure to subscribe to NuTech Services’s blog for a new tip every week!

20
Jun, 2016
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The Vast Majority of Business Owners that Try Cloud Services Don’t Look Back

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Your business’s productivity suite, be it Google Apps for Work or Microsoft Office 365, is a critical component for your success. These services, when implemented in the cloud, can be major game-changers, and it’s thanks to the convenience of mobile data and application access that have led to such vigor in the development of the cloud.

In particular, the success of “software as a service,” or SaaS, shows the need to leverage online computing solutions to your advantage. Businesses can use SaaS to pay a flat rate for a productivity suite, or other virtual solution. The software is then accessible through the cloud via an Internet connection, which makes it both flexible enough to add new users, and accessible enough to be used on any device. A study by BetterCloud reveals that 91 percent of Google Apps users claim that SaaS helps them more than traditional desktop applications, while 68 percent of Office 365 users found the same.

SaaS’s success reveals that paying less for more over time can be a valid way to build out your IT infrastructure. Instead of purchasing software outright, businesses are finding that it’s more efficient and economically feasible to pay smaller fees at a monthly rate. Other benefits include using only the most up-to-date versions of business apps, and the ability to access these applications from anywhere with an Internet connection. Considering how it’s both easier and more cost-effective to add users to a cloud-based solution than purchasing new software licenses for all of your employees, the cloud is definitely the way to go.

Despite the many benefits, BetterCloud has found that there are still many significant roadblocks that could railroad your business’s implementation of cloud-based applications. One of them could be your business’s dedication to your old desktop application infrastructure. Even though the cloud is a great new addition to your organization, you may have employees who would prefer to use desktop apps stored locally on their machine. Remember, concepts like cloud computing, document sharing, and collaborative technologies, are still relatively new in the business environment. It will still take time for these concepts to sink in and take root.

Modern technology solutions have given rise to businesses that require mobile, collaborative workplace environments. Simply having the necessary software solutions on your workstation isn’t enough; people want to stay productive even when out of the office. This drive for mobility and constant access to data and applications is what has fueled the cloud frenzy. Therefore, it’s becoming not just a gimmick, but an important commodity in the business world, and one that you can’t ignore forever.

Is your business ready to implement solutions that are designed to help your team improve operations? If so, give NuTech Services a call at 810.230.9455. Our team will assist in the swift deployment of great cloud solutions designed for your organization’s specific needs.

17
Jun, 2016
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Researchers From MIT May Have Found the Holy Grail of Network Security

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When it comes to cybersecurity, maintenance is key. Whether you choose human-based security or an automated security solution, running into shortcomings is still possible. Human security tends to rely on the word of experts, and anything that doesn’t fit into the guidelines is missed and may therefore get through and wreak havoc. Network security can be a touch overzealous, in a way “crying wolf,” with an excess of false positives that ultimately require human analysis, leading to human frustration.

Blending the two in the past has proven difficult, as the experts with the necessary skills aren’t usually available for the time it takes to label the data for the programs to work properly. However, a team of researchers assembled from MIT’s CSAIL (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory) a PatternEx (a machine-learning startup) recognized these issues and have developed a platform that blends AI and human security attributes in a way that shields from the shortcomings of either.

Dubbed A.I.², this new platform is capable of detecting 85 percent of incoming attacks while reducing reported false positives to 20 percent of what they were originally. To achieve this, the “untrained” machine reports what machine learning tells it are the 200 most important problems in the sample set to a human expert, who then corrects the machine’s work. As the machine progresses through sets of data, it reports fewer and fewer false positives.

In doing so, A.I.² demonstrates machines effectively learning from human teachers, cooperating for the sake of security analysis accuracy.

The implications to the realm of security in the future are massive. It’s difficult not to let the imagination run wild with thoughts of upcoming technologies being influenced by this human-artificial intelligence hybrid.

However, since there is no telling how long it may be before a system like A.I.² could be available to users for purposes of data defense, business owners should still follow best practices. Users should not only be educated on the importance of avoiding typical security risks. They must also be reminded of the importance of compliance to regulatory standards for business security, such as those set by organizations like HIPAA, DSS, and others. They should also be encouraged to review the reports generated by security software.

Additionally, you could always allow NuTech Services to help manage your cybersecurity. By intelligently implementing security solutions, we can help your company avoid security issues and keep your IT in top working order. To set up a remote monitoring and maintenance solution, call 810.230.9455 today.

15
Jun, 2016
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Tip of the Week: Improve Email Open Rates With an Attention-Grabbing Title

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It’s safe to say that nobody enjoys their email inbox getting clogged with messages. Unfortunately, communicating by email is a standard part of doing business. Of course, in order for these emails to communicate their message, they must first pique the interest of the recipient enough to be opened. Here is a guide to crafting email subject lines that get readers to open them.

\Depending on your audience and context of the email, there are a few different approaches to take. One rule to go by is to keep your subject lines as relatable and personable as possible.

According to Unbounce, a message with the subject line, “Steve, where are you?” achieved a 43 percent open rate, compared to a Mailchimp report citing the industry average to be 24 percent. This is due to both the personalization of the subject line, as well as the perception that, by not reading the email, the recipient will miss out in some way.

Another excellent method to reach an email subscriber is to include some detail about their recent activity with you. Asking them in the subject line what their follow-up experience has been like makes your message appear to be completely customized to them (and not spam). For example, if someone ordered a new product or service from your website, asking them how their experience with it has been can provide a personal connection, and can encourage them to take advantage of your business further.

Offering a special benefit or advantage to reading the email can inspire a great open rate as well. If your email offers to teach your audience some trick or surprising fact, the recipient will receive an instant benefit for opening your message and could quite possibly be convinced to take any action you suggest to gain further benefits.

When an email is used to convey some bad news to the reader, it is best to be honest and authoritative. If a service is experiencing issues, let them know about these problems, as well as the actions you plan to take to resolve them.

Ultimately, each message needs to be tailored to fit the expectations of the intended recipient. Communication is not a one-size-fits-all venture, and if users suspect that you’re not being genuine with them, they will push your message to the back-burner, or perhaps even to the spam folder.

This tailored approach, of course, begins at the subject line. With proper crafting and care, you can hook in your recipient and improve the odds of them actually reading your message and responding promptly.

What are some tips and tricks you use to personalize your emails? Let us know in the comments.

13
Jun, 2016
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Alert: 7-Zip Software Can Leave Your System Vulnerable

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Software vulnerabilities can cause major issues for individuals and businesses. Cisco’s Talos Security Intelligence and Research Group, which is designed as an organization to “protect consumers from known and emerging threats,” has found such a vulnerability with 7zip.

The 7zip software is an open-sourced file archiver and decompressor, and has many software developers scrambling to patch their products. Since 7zip is freeware, it is naturally used in the development of other applications’ code; and that is making this particular vulnerability more than your run-of-the-mill code malfunction. Currently there are two discovered vulnerabilities with the software. ZDNet explains the issues in stark detail:

  • “The first vulnerability, CVE-2016-2335, is an out-of-bounds security flaw caused by the way 7zip handles Universal Disk Format (UDF) files. When partition maps are scanned to find objects within the file system, there is a lack of proper checking which can cause a read-out-of-bounds problem. If exploited, cyberattackers could use the vulnerability to execute code remotely.”
  • “The second security flaw, CVE-2016-2234 , is an exploitable heap overflow vulnerability found within the Archive::NHfs::CHandler::ExtractZlibFile method functionality of 7zip. In the software’s HFS+ system, files can be stored in a compressed format using zlib, and depending on the size of the data, this information may be stored in blocks.”

In layman’s terms, the vulnerabilities affected the way that many programs utilizing 7zip function. In particular, software programs like antivirus solutions are affected. The vulnerabilities change the way that files are compressed and decrypted; and, since the 7zip code was used as a part of so many other pieces of software, the opportunities are real and prevalent. While this vulnerability may not present network administrators with as much fear as 2014’s Heartbleed vulnerability, the potential for data and network breaches is concerning.

Working with Talos, the 7zip developers have patched the problems, with their latest offering, 7zip v. 16.00, being free of these vulnerabilities. Any other version of the software needs to be updated immediately to ensure that users are not subject to data breaches as a result of this vulnerability. Any other software that has the 7zip code needs to be patched as well.

For more information on the latest security vulnerabilities, as well as information on how to protect your organization from potential threats, call us today at 810.230.9455.

10
Jun, 2016
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A Checklist of 40 Microsoft Software Titles Reaching End of Life/Extended Support in July 2016

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What kind of Microsoft products does your business use on a regular basis? If you can’t answer this question, you could be in trouble when it comes time to update your crucial applications and operating systems. This is a necessary part of working with technology; if your software can’t be considered secure, you need to upgrade to a more recent, better-functioning tool, or find yourself in a dangerous situation.

Microsoft in particular has a very specific way of handling support for their products. The software giant will provide what’s called “mainstream support,” which involves accepting requests for new features and hotfixes for key issues. Once mainstream support ends, the product enters an “extended support” period, where all warranties end, and the only support your product receives is security updates and patches.

Both of these periods last for five years, meaning that the lifespan of a piece of software is effectively ten years. Once extended support ends, the product reaches its “end of life,” in which Microsoft no longer supports the software at all.

Below, you’ll find a list of all Microsoft products that will reach their end of support date on July 12th, 2016. If your organization is currently using any of this software, you should seriously consider upgrading before it becomes a security discrepancy.

Service Packs Reaching End of Support

  • Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013
  • Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011 Service Pack 2
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Business Intelligence
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Developer
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Enterprise
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Enterprise Core
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Express
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Standard
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Web
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack 1
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 Endpoint Protection Service Pack 1
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Endpoint Protection
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Endpoint Protection for Linux
  • Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Endpoint Protection for Mac

Products Moving from Mainstream to Extended Support
Products marked with * expire on July 10th, 2016, rather than July 12th, 2016.

  • * Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System Headquarters 2.0
  • * Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System Store Operations 2.0
  • Microsoft Project Server 2010 July 12, 2016
  • Microsoft Dynamics SL 2011
  • Microsoft SQL Server Compact 4.0
  • Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Premium
  • Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Standard

Products Moving to End of Support

  • Microsoft ActiveSync 4.2
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 Developer Edition
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Branch Edition
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Developer Edition
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Commerce Server 2007 Developer Edition
  • Microsoft Commerce Server 2007 Enterprise Edition
  • Microsoft Commerce Server 2007 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Connected Services Framework Billing Standard Business Event 3.0
  • Microsoft Connected Services Framework Order Handling Standard Business Event 3.0
  • Microsoft Connected Services Framework Server 3.0
  • Microsoft Connected Services Framework Standard Server 3.0
  • Microsoft Connected Services Framework Standard Server with Standard Business Events 3.0
  • Microsoft Visual J# Version 2.0 Redistributable Package
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server

Is your organization is facing an end-of-life event for any of these technologies? If so, contact NuTech Services. We’ll work with you to determine the best course of action for replacing your dying software. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

8
Jun, 2016
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Tip of the Week: 4 Easy Tips to Boost Your WiFi Signal

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Your wireless router is both an integral part of your business’s online infrastructure, and a critical part of your home computing environment. Therefore, you need to make sure that your router is broadcasting a clear signal. Here are some tips on how to keep your wireless signal as strong as possible, regardless of where you are in the office.

Place Your Router Out in the Open
People like to conceal their routers in cabinets, hidden on the floor behind a desk, or elsewhere. It’s not like the device is an eyesore or anything, yet people are so quick to just throw them somewhere they won’t be seen. This is often dangerous and impractical, as the device can overheat if it’s in a place with poor air circulation. Plus, if you’re storing your device in a cabinet or otherwise, your signal could be suffering, making your Internet connection spotty and unpredictable at best.

Instead, we recommend that you keep your router out in the open, where it can get plenty of air circulation and broadcast its signal unhindered. In general, this is a best practice for your technology; especially workstations and servers.

Place Your Router in a Central Location
It’s tempting to just tuck your router away into a corner on the far side of your office, but this is a good way to make sure that the other side of the building doesn’t get a strong wireless connection. What you need to do is set up your router in a spot where it can broadcast its signal equally to each location. Depending on the architecture and size of your office, you may need multiple access points.

It should also be noted that you will probably want to elevate your router slightly, so as to make sure that your signal isn’t being blocked by objects placed on the floor, like file cabinets, desks, and so on.

Check Your Bandwidth and Internet Service Agreement
Sometimes placing a router will do nothing to help with your business’s wireless Internet speed. In cases like this, it might not be a problem with your router’s placement, and instead is a result of your network’s modem. The modem is often issued by an Internet service provider and works in accordance with your service agreement, limiting bandwidth and the flow of data. Therefore, if you’re having wireless problems, but have tried every router position out there, give your ISP a call and see what they can do for you.

Upgrade Your Router
If you’re using the same router that you had when your business first started, chances are that it’s grown outdated. In this case, your wireless signal could be limited by the router itself. Since this is something that your business has control over, you may want to purchase a new one. It’s recommended that you at least go with something that has dual-band support for both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands. This will help to keep your network strong, with minimal resistance from external forces. NuTech Services is available to help you choose the best wireless solution for your business.

Alternatively, you could try updating the firmware of your router; often times, this can help with connection issues and limited wireless range.

For more assistance with your wireless network, contact NuTech Services at 810.230.9455. Our trusted technicians would be happy to lend our assistance with your IT troubles.

6
Jun, 2016
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Every Business Owner Must Understand These 4 Fundamentals of IT

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It makes no difference how your business’s administrative chain of command is set up. Everyone should have a basic understanding of how your IT works, as well as its related responsibilities and functions. Here are four easy ways that you can educate yourself (and your staff) on how your IT department works, be it internal or outsourced.

Know Who to Contact for Support
You should be aware of who your point of contact is for your IT department. If you don’t, your employees probably don’t, either. Therefore, you need to lead by example and share this information with them in the event of technical difficulties. Doing so allows your team to cooperate with IT and improve operations, so that minor technology issues don’t evolve into major problems that could have a drastic effect on your working operations.

Working with Vendors
Businesses often have several vendors for each of their various hardware and software solutions, which can make dealing with them unnecessarily complicated and frustrating. You should have an understanding of who to contact within these vendors if you’re experiencing an issue with their products. Basically, by being aware of information pertaining to your organization’s relationship with its vendors, you can’t go wrong.

Basic Security Best Practices
Every single one of your employees should understand how to keep your organization’s infrastructure secure. There’s no getting around the importance of data security. Your information is sacred, to the point where your organization can hardly function without the data you collect on a daily basis. Here are three best practices that should be followed to a T:

  • Employees should use long, complex passwords.
  • Employees should use two-factor authentication.
  • Employees should be able to identify potential online scams.

Managing Laptops and Mobile Devices
If you have employees who bring their own devices to the workplace, a trend known as BYOD, then you should be taking responsibility to manage these devices. Mobile devices that haven’t been equipped with a mobile device management solution in accordance with your BYOD policy, could potentially become a liability. There needs to be oversight into how mobile devices access and use your corporate data, and to restrict the flow of data for security reasons.

This may seem like quite a lot to remember, but don’t worry; NuTech Services has your back. Most of the above problems can be solved simply by having an IT technician whom you can rely on. We provide outsourced IT services, including consultation, vendor management, and mobile device management policies, all so your business can function properly without a hitch. For more information, give us a call at 810.230.9455.

3
Jun, 2016
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What You Need to Know About Upgrading to Windows 10

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It’s been over two years since Microsoft stopped providing Windows XP with security updates and patches. The Windows operating system was known as one of the most popular Windows operating systems ever. Both businesses and consumers were affected by this major update, being forced to migrate to more recent operating systems in order to stay secure. Thankfully, an upgrade to Windows 10 isn’t nearly as difficult as one from XP to Windows 7, largely because of the hardware costs involved.

Budgeting Issues
The first major lesson that can be learned from Windows XP’s end of life is that many businesses felt a financial strain when considering the upgrade from such an old operating system. With Windows 10, this isn’t an issue… yet. Organizations that are currently using Windows 7 or 8.1 as their preferred operating system can still enjoy the free upgrade to Windows 10. This means that they don’t necessarily have to be worried about applying huge strains to their budget. Plus, businesses that ran Windows XP likely had to upgrade their hardware, as well, which was another major expense that caused organizations to dread upgrading and put it off for as long as possible.

In comparison, those who used Windows XP likely upgraded to Windows 7 or 8.1 leading up to and following XP’s end of support date. This means that organizations have a free upgrade to Windows 10 that can be cashed in until July 29th, 2016. Now is as good a time as any to invest in Windows 10, especially considering you already did the hard work of getting away from Windows XP.

Legacy Applications
Moving applications and internal software solutions can be a huge pain, regardless of which operating system you’re moving from, or what you’re moving to. Particularly with XP, organizations needed to perform extensive research into how to make their internal solutions work on more recent operating systems. Thanks to Windows XP’s end of life event, this research has already been done for many organizations.

In theory, a Windows 7 and 8.1 upgrade to Windows 10 will be much easier to pull off than an XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade. Of course, we’re not going to make any promises; each business is different, and will require varying degrees of compatibility with legacy software and applications. It’s important that you perform this research before you make any significant changes to your computing infrastructure, as even the slightest hiccup can cause downtime and hamper the migration process.

With over 300 million devices actively using Windows 10, it’s time to ask yourself when you’ll be implementing Windows 10 on your workstations and mobile devices. It’s important that you do so before the deadline for your free Windows 10 upgrade arrives. The latest technology could be a great benefit for your organization, and you’ll want to take advantage of the free upgrade before it’s gone forever.

To learn more about migration, contact NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

1
Jun, 2016
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Tip of the Week: How to Take a Picture of a Document With Your Android Device and Turn it Into a PDF

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Like many of Google’s productivity applications, Google Drive is available on both iOS and Android mobile devices. One of the neat features that users of Android can take advantage of is the ability to scan a PDF and store it in Drive, all by taking a picture of the document. Plus, if it has text on it which was created by a computer, you can use Drive’s search function to find it at a later date.

Granted, such a tool will have certain limitations that need to be worked around. If you use the iOS version of Google Drive, this option won’t be available to you. Plus, Drive doesn’t recognize handwriting as searchable text. Either way, Drive’s PDF scanner is useful for what it is, and it can help you keep track of signed documents within Drive.

Create PDFs for Google Drive
Follow these steps and you’ll be able to create PDFs in Drive by scanning them with your Android smartphone’s camera:

  • Open the Google Drive app.
  • Tap the red plus button in the bottom right-hand side of the screen.
  • Select the Scan option. It will look like a camera icon.
  • Take a picture of the document you want to upload.
  • Once you’ve taken the photo, you have a couple of options:n
    • Tap the checkmark icon to save it in your Drive.
    • Select the Redo icon if you want to take a better picture.
    • Tap the plus button to scan another page to the file.

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  • Once it’s been saved, you can use Drive’s search form to search the non-handwritten text in the document.

We’ve outlined a couple of situations where this feature might come in handy:

  • If you’re on a business trip and you need to scan and send a document, but aren’t near a computer
  • Storing receipts for later viewing and documenting
  • Any time you’re not near a printer with a scanning function

What are some other great ways that you can take advantage of this PDF converting feature? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to NuTech Services’s blog for more great technology tips and tricks.