Technology Archives - Page 12 of 17

Nov, 2017

Tip of the Week: Seven Extensions to Add to Chrome

Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world, and for good reason. The browser has many useful features, largely due to the user’s ability to install ‘extensions’–applications that add to the browser’s functionality or the user’s experience. Once an extension is added to the browser’s toolbar, it is ready for the user to use whenever they need.

Here are a few examples of Chrome extensions that offer a user a useful function.

Select and Speak (SpeakIt!)
By leveraging the human-quality text-to-speech abilities of iSpeech, Select and Speak (SpeakIt!) can read out any text that has been selected in the browser. The user can select a language from a considerable list and adjust the voice and speed of the program to make the best use of the reader for their needs. However, this extension is clearly annotated as being for personal use, so make sure to contact the developer to obtain a license to use it in any other fashion.

Download Select and Speak (SpeakIt!) here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/select-and-speak-text-to/gfjopfpjmkcfgjpogepmdjmcnihfpokn?hl=en

Readism
It isn’t uncommon for many jobs to require an employee to read articles online. It also isn’t uncommon for a user to suddenly realize that the article they’ve committed to reading is considerably longer than first estimated. Readism takes the guesswork out of the user’s hands by scanning a page for content and delivering an estimated reading time.

Download Readism here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/readism-article-reading-t/bmiolhceebkeljaikojgcoeefblcihje

Honey
How often do you do your shopping online? If you’re like many people, it’s fairly frequently. Honey gives you an added bonus as you shop online by providing you with coupon codes for the site you’re browsing. Honey currently supports retail sites in the U.S., Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and India, plus global websites–and more websites are always being added to their databases. For the avid online shopper, Honey helps keep money in your pocket and the balance on your credit card down.

Download Honey here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/honey/bmnlcjabgnpnenekpadlanbbkooimhnj?hl=en-US

Unshorten.Link
Shortened URLs can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they make it more convenient to browse the Internet, but they can also be used to hide URLs that could put you and your system at risk. This extension, as its name states, will un-shorten shortened URLs and check them for malware, giving you a clearer picture of exactly where the link will send you. This extension even removes known tracking cookies from the URL, keeping you that much safer.

Download Unshorten.Link here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/unshortenlink/gbobdaaeaihkghbokihkofcbndhmbdpd

ColorZilla
ColorZilla is a comprehensive tool for analyzing the color of web content, giving you the code for the precise shade and hue you find. With a color picker, eyedropper and gradient generator included in the same tool, ColorZilla gives you a clearer view of what you’re looking at, without taking up too many of your resources.

Download ColorZilla here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/colorzilla/bhlhnicpbhignbdhedgjhgdocnmhomnp?hl=en

SessionBuddy
As a session and bookmark manager, SessionBuddy helps to avoid browser clutter and frees up your computer’s memory. By saving open tabs, this extension allows you to restore your tabs after a crash or unexpected shutdown.

Download SessionBuddy here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/session-buddy/edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko?hl=en

MightyText – SMS from PC & Text from Computer
This extension effectively turns your Chrome browser into another means of sending SMS and MMS messages. Any messages and texts you send will still be transmitted using your phone, and therefore, its number. What makes this extension different is the fact that you can still use your smartphone to text as well.

Download MightyText – SMS from PC & Text from Computer here:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mightytext-sms-from-pc-te/dkfhfaphfkopdgpbfkebjfcblcafcmpi?hl=en

Google Chrome is constantly improving with each new extension that is added to help its users. Which extensions do you feel are most valuable? Which ones should have made our list? Leave a comment to let us know!

Oct, 2017

For Better Business Communications, Choose VoIP

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, has become the only practical choice for a forward-focused business’ telephony needs. Any one of those who have adopted it could share a reason that they leverage it. But what is VoIP, really? How does it work, and why is it so popular among businesses? Read on to find out.

To understand VoIP, it may help to understand how the traditional telephone operates. When someone speaks into the receiver, the vibrations from the sound energy hit a part of the phone called the diaphragm and are converted to electrical energy. This energy is transferred through the phone lines to its destination: the recipient’s telephone handset. Once the energy is there, it is reverted to sound, and the first person’s voice can be heard.

VoIP works in a similar way, albeit more advanced. There are actually multiple methods to using VoIP, but we’ll focus on using VoIP through an IP phone.

Just as with the traditional telephone, the process begins when someone speaks into a receiver. However, instead of being converted into electrical energy, the sound of your voice is compressed and compiled into digital packets, which are then sent to the recipient via the Internet. By sending it over the Internet in this way, there is no longer a need to pay the phone company additional funds, lending VoIP its first benefit of cost savings through consolidation.

VoIP phones also allow you a better means of control over your telephony as a whole. With a plethora of features included that would only be available from a phone service provider for a premium price, you have considerable management capabilities. From voicemail to contact lists to conference calling to so much more, the right VoIP solution can lend you advanced business communicative abilities without the advanced prices.

Clearly, there are cost savings to be enjoyed through a VoIP system, but the benefits don’t stop there. Reach out to us at 810.230.9455 to learn about some other ways that VoIP can augment your business operations.

Oct, 2017

9 Ingredients to Creating a Winning UCC Strategy

If there is one thing that supports everything a successful business does, it has to be communication. Any company relies on its communications to ensure that its clients are satisfied with their services, and as communications have improved, it has only become easier for a unified communication and collaboration, or UCC, strategy to take form.

With these strategies, businesses have been able to expand upon their capabilities to enter and embrace the digital age. What follows are ten elements that a UCC would commonly feature in a business setting.

Collaborative Software
It is essentially guaranteed that you have some experience with collaborative software in this day and age, even if you haven’t personally used it to its full potential. With Microsoft Office and the G Suite available almost anywhere, the idea of collaborative software is not a new one. However, there are many more solutions out there that allow for many people to pool their skills and talents into a particular project in real time, regardless of how far away they are from each other. Many of these solutions also enable video conferencing and instant messaging, which will be discussed in greater depth later.

Podcasts
Imagine giving a presentation where the audience could pause you and wait until a more opportune time to listen to the rest of what you had to say. This is exactly what a podcast delivers–an on-demand lecture on a topic that an audience can listen to at their own convenience. Podcasts are also a more personal method of communication, as many listen through the intimate channel that is the headphone. If you are considering delivering your own podcast, you should be sure that you have these five needs planned out beforehand:

Topic
Length
Frequency
Format
Distribution

Instant Messaging
When it comes to rapid communication, you don’t get much faster than ‘instant.’ Businesses have picked up on this and now leverage instant messaging as a communications method. With utility as a communication device between individuals as well as among groups of people, instant messaging lives up to its name with the capability for near-instantaneous response times as individuals communicate with each other. In addition, companies that have used instant messaging in the workplace have seen increased efficiency and collaboration, as well as a reduction in email.

Video Conferencing
While it is certainly not a new technology, the practicality of video conferencing has increased significantly over the past few years. Better technology and improved Internet speeds mean that communications can happen in real time from almost anywhere in the world. Not to mention that, according to the IDG Enterprise Video Conferencing Trends in 2016, 96 percent of those surveyed agreed that video conferencing improves productivity and can reduce travel costs by 30 percent.

Discussion Forums
Sometimes a user would rather crowdsource their answers from their fellow users than bother the original source. Providing these users with an outlet to share their issues with each other allows them to identify their most pressing concerns, and also tells you what needs to be resolved or addressed first. You and your team can also step in and provide a solution to these issues, establishing yourselves as thought leaders.

Another benefit of discussion forums is that you are able to collect demographic information from your visitors here as well, enabling you to create a more complete idea of who your visitors are, and which groups seek information on which topics.

Email
While email may have once been seen solely as a means of sending and receiving messages with an individual or group, it is now relied upon as the primary record for over three-quarters of business correspondence. Archived emails help businesses keep track of their transactions, and incomplete email records have been the downfall of some companies in legal matters.

Clearly, email needs to be a component of your UCC. However, you will want to ensure that your selected email solution is properly secured, has searchable archives, is mobile-friendly, and integrates with your other solutions as much as is possible.

Enterprise Social Networking
While social media may have a less-than-shining reputation as a distraction in a workplace setting, Enterprise Social Networking works to the opposite effect. A company can leverage social media to help develop external business opportunities and to promote internal collaboration and communication. Furthermore, employees can be encouraged to act as brand ambassadors, using social media to share company culture posts and boost audience engagement–a strategy that more and more businesses are adopting.

With a UCC, a business has a variety of collaborative and communicative solutions to choose from, and many line-of-business applications incorporate enterprise social media platforms.

ChatBots
ChatBots can serve as a very helpful communication tool for the modern business and its website. Often structured in a way that is similar to an instant message, a ChatBot combines AI and human intelligence to improve the customer’s experience through a few common features.

Engagement – One of a business website’s key roles is to engage with its visitors so they will interact with the website. A ChatBot is an always-present opportunity to engage, with the benefit of providing your site visitor with information and assistance.
Personalization – As one of your visitors uses your ChatBot, they will likely give you a pretty good idea of why they are visiting. This allows you to customize your sales approach for their company, as well as to track and evaluate user behavior to deem which types of content are the most impactful to your strategy.
User Experience – Most businesses have an unofficial list of the questions that everyone asks. ChatBots can make that list official, with set responses that are activated by certain keywords in your visitor’s inquiry.

Project Management Software
In order for a business to be successful, it needs to be successfully managed. This is why 77 percent of businesses leverage project management software, as it encourages collaboration among team members, improved organization, and an overall boost to performance. This variety of software is also used by 66 percent of organizations to communicate with their clients.

UCC has grown significantly in popularity as the technology that supports it has developed. For more information on Unified Communication and Collaboration solutions and their place in your business, call us at 810.230.9455.

Oct, 2017

Cost Savings Are Just The Start of VoIP’s Benefits

Business owners and managers are always looking to save a buck. Since the cost of doing business continues to climb, looking to the cloud for their business-critical applications is one way to spread computing costs out over time. The cloud offers several solutions to help the modern business keep their costs down, and nowhere can these costs be mitigated more than with a business’ communications.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), specifically hosted VoIP, can help you reduce your communications costs in many ways, including:

Hardware Costs
A hosted VoIP solution makes it possible to get a powerful business phone system without having to go through the headaches and expense associated with installing new phone lines. Anyone who has ever run telephone wire from a distribution hub through the walls of a building knows that, in certain cases, it’s an arduous job. By hooking directly into your company’s broadband network, you can easily add and remove VoIP users on demand.

Additionally, deploying a hosted VoIP system removes the need for PBX hardware altogether. As the major expense in any traditional business telephone system, a PBX system can have huge costs, even thousands of dollars, per user. Even for a smaller PBX roll out, you are looking at a substantial capital investment that is transformed immediately into an operational expense once you choose to introduce a hosted VoIP solution.

Fee Structures
The largest expense for any telephone system is the minutes the phone is being used. Every traditional phone bill will feature costs for long distance calling, which the way it is set up most of the time, are calls that can often be local. Getting rid of this recurring expense is one of the most effective ways hosted VoIP is able to present any business with cost savings.

Broadband Internet is relatively inexpensive, basically mandatory, and available through multiple regional carriers, allowing your organization to buy the resources you need, again, as operational expense, not capital outlays. Moreover, the VoIP service rates are very competitive with the rates that you’d pay if utilizing a traditional phone system, without the need for constant management and maintenance of the system as a whole. A VoIP subscription is typically paid per user, which also provides efficient scalability and organizational flexibility in regards to your telephone system.

Mobility
Another way VoIP helps the modern business stretch its dollar is by adding a mobile aspect to their phone system. Many VoIP systems have mobile applications available through the Android or Apple App Stores. This provides organizations the mobile flexibility they need from their business phone system without paying a pretty penny for individual phones and service plans. Since these applications can be run over Wi-Fi, or through the organization’s virtual private network (VPN), it can save plenty of financial resources normally spent on the deployment of a typical mobile strategy.

VoIP provides all of the most important options that traditional phone systems provide, while adding mobility, and removing the enormous upfront capital costs, long distance fees, and operational maintenance that traditional business telephone systems bring. If your business is looking to cut costs, considering a VoIP system is a good place to start. For more information about VoIP or for to learn more on how to leverage other enterprise communications systems for your business, call the IT professionals at NuTech Services today at 810.230.9455.

Oct, 2017

Do You Have a Data Backup In Place?

Take a moment to imagine the absolute worst disaster scenario for your business. Does it involve a catastrophic event destroying your office building? Does it include key staff being absent from the office for extended periods of time? Does it include your business suffering from data loss or security breaches?

Most businesses that fail to recover their data following a data loss scenario go out of business within a year of the incident. Furthermore, there are a lot of small businesses out there that don’t necessarily see the value in a proper data backup system. Most just assume that they will be able to survive a loss incident, or they feel that a data loss incident won’t happen to them. This is not the right mindset to have for a business owner–especially not one that has the future of their business at heart.

Instead, you need to imagine the worst-case scenario and ask if your business continuity plan includes a data backup solution to minimize damage and downtime. Here are three ways that a cloud-based Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution can help your business survive even the worst data loss incidents.

Multiple Backups Daily
Traditionally, businesses have relied on tape backup for most of their backup needs. Due to the increased strain on your network, tape backups need to be performed during off-hours, and only once a day. The problem with this is that you could potentially lose up to an entire day’s worth of data and progress. Cloud-based BDR takes multiple backups as often as every fifteen minutes, which allows for higher redundancy.

Cloud-Based Storage
There’s something to be said about the cloud and its ability to make data backup storage far easier. Thanks to the cloud, a BDR device can take and store multiple backups in secure, off-site locations for later access. After all, you can’t store your backups in the same location as the rest of your data. What if you were to experience a major disaster, like a flood or ransomware infection, which leads to the destruction of your in-house data infrastructure? When this time comes, you’ll be glad you’re storing data in the cloud and away from the site of the incident.

Reduced Downtime
When your business can quickly restore data in a moment’s notice, the amount of downtime suffered drastically falls. This helps your business stay active even under the worst circumstances. BDR can instantaneously restore your data to the network-attached device, allowing your organization to quickly get back in action following a downtime incident. The BDR device can even act as a temporary server while you make more permanent arrangements.

How does your business protect itself from data loss? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to reach out to us at 810.230.9455 if your business needs help with its technology.

Oct, 2017

How Remote Monitoring and Management Can Help Your Business

As a small business, your assets are limited more than you’d like them to be. You have a budget that yearns for more flexibility, and there are only so many hours in the day to accomplish all of your goals. Thankfully, in an era that’s more connected than any that came before, modern technology provides solutions to businesses that need to get a little more value out of their budgets. One of these solutions is called remote monitoring and management.

Imagine having a persistent computer problem that you don’t know how to solve. It’s been bugging you for a while now, but you don’t have an in-house IT department to fix the problem. Imagine having the ability to log into a service portal and put in a ticket explaining what the problem is. A technician will see this ticket, send you a quick reply, and arrange for a time to remote into your computer to solve the issue for you. Imagine how convenient this would be!

Remote monitoring and management is a great tool that allows your business to take advantage of the many wonders of the connected world, all for the sake of keeping your business running as smoothly as possible. We’ll give you a few examples of how your organization can take full advantage of remote monitoring solutions.

Update and Patch Implementation
Have you ever had to install patches and security updates on every single computer in your office? It can be a frustrating and time-consuming task, especially considering how often these updates need to be implemented. Remote monitoring and maintenance allows our technicians to remote into your computers and deploy the patches and updates all at once, without an on-site visit.

Security Monitoring
Have you ever been concerned with network security? You’re probably wondering how you can keep threats out of your infrastructure when you don’t know they exist. One of the best ways you can do so is by having technicians remotely monitor your network for security troubles. It’s not even limited to just threats, either. We can remotely monitor your network for any troublesome developments, like signs of hardware failure, that could create large issues down the line.

Quick and Easy Service
Waiting around for someone to fix your computer wastes time that could be better spent on other tasks. You can take back this time by having a technician remote into your devices in order to resolve issues, rather than waiting for a technician to arrive on-site to resolve them. Sure, there are more pressing issues that require on-site assistance, but most issues can actually be solved remotely.

Could your business use remote assistance from time to time? NuTech Services can help with that. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Sep, 2017

Artificial Intelligence Can Be Useful To Hackers, Too

Man matching wits with computer isn’t new territory. In 1830, a locomotive raced a horse to see which was superior in terms of speed and distance. 1956 saw the first time a human played chess against a computer. Today, the time has come when an artificial intelligence has begun to break into a new territory that was dominated by humans for thousands of years: crime.

At a recent technology expo, a human hacker and a sophisticated computer that is capable of machine learning each attempted to spear-phish as many victims as possible through Twitter. For two hours, both entities refined their message in an effort to be more effective against the target. At approximately 1.075 tweets per minute, the human was able to make 129 tweets, 49 of which were successful. The computer was able to make 810 tweets in two hours, which is about 6.75 tweets per minute. In that time, 275 victims were converted.

Even though humans had a higher attempt-to-victim percentage, the machine was able to get 5 times as many victims in the same amount of time.

In a Cylance poll held during ConFab, attendees were asked if criminal hackers will use AI for offensive purposes in the coming year, to which 62 percent answered in the affirmative. Even though no one could cite any specific incidents, the overwhelming consensus among experts is that hackers have already begun using AI. Like all high-tech crimes, AI is a global issue that changes fast and often, making it extremely difficult for law enforcement to find and prosecute perpetrators. Even when they’re able to identify offenders, they often run into issues where the laws and statutes are well behind the technology in question.

Another reason that identifying and combatting AI is so difficult is because there are constant debates among experts around the globe on what exactly constitutes as AI. Think about it like this: millions of people consult virtual assistants, like Siri and Alexa, every day. However, if you ask the majority of them if they were using artificial intelligence, they’d say ‘No.’ In reality, they are both examples of AI being put to use to enhance the lives of its users.

There are a lot of potential uses for AI by cyber criminals. For example, hackers could use machine learning capabilities to write programs that personalize emails with malware attachments. As that technology is developed, there will likely be a time when distinguishing actual email and phishing attacks is nearly impossible. Another probable use of machine learning and AI for hacking is drastically reducing the time and resources it takes to find and exploit vulnerabilities in software though automation.

For a small business, AI might not be not something that you need to concern yourself with – and perhaps it isn’t, at the moment. However, AI is already being incorporated into many aspects of business with great success and many experts feel it will be very important in the near future. What do you think? Would you be willing to give AI a try? Let us know in the comments!

Sep, 2017

Tip of the Week: Android Oreo Is Double-Stuffed With Features

Earlier this year, Android released Oreo, version 8.0 of their popular mobile device operating system. Whether you’ve already updated to the latest version of this OS or are still waiting for your update, it has several new or improved features that you’ll want to consider using. Let’s look at five of our (many) favorite additions to the OS.

Autofill Passwords for Apps – Considering the widespread popularity of using an application over accessing programs within your browser, Google has decided to bring autofill beyond its use in the Chrome browser. The ability to autofill and store passwords for applications are a feature that many people will welcome.

Picture in Picture – Have you ever been in a video conference on your mobile device at the same time you needed to access an email or other information from an application? With Android Oreo, you can continue a video call or view a clip started in Chrome using the picture-in-picture mode by just tapping the home button when the video is playing.

New Emojis – Even though the use of emojis in business correspondence is marginal, they’re still one of the features that users are looking forward to with the Android Oreo release. Luckily, many mobile devices are used for both professional and personal communications, which means that you’ll have plenty of opportunity to use these fun additions to your library of emojis.

Smart Text Select – Anyone who regularly uses a computer likely considers the Select Text, Copy, and Paste functions to be very handy tools. To improve functionality, Oreo has introduced a Smart Text Select feature that is much easier to use than trying to drag and highlight text manually on your smartphone.

Snooze Notifications – Especially when you use a mobile device that for both work and personal uses, you’re probably going to receive notifications that you might not want to deal with immediately – but would like to check out a bit later when you get a chance. With Android Oreo, you can snooze notifications. Simply swipe to the right on the notification until a clock icon pops up. From there, select the amount of time you want to delay the notification by and go back about your regularly scheduled activity.

How do you feel about Android’s latest release? Have you found any other useful features? Or perhaps you still prefer to use iOS, regardless of how many new features Android adds? Sound off in the comments! We’d love to hear your opinion!

Sep, 2017

Without A Data Backup, You Aren’t Ready

Most modern companies rely on computers to at least some extent, particularly if there is some sort of delegation of services involved. Whether it’s an office filled with computers and server units, or simply a retailer with point-of-sale equipment, the companies of today need computers and data in order to function as intended. To protect this data, you need a method to preserve it–which is where data backup comes into play.

Your business’s data is susceptible to all sorts of danger stemming from malware, hackers, hardware failure, and even user error. It doesn’t take much to expose your data to something that could cause it harm, so it makes sense that you should have a plan put into place to protect it. Most small businesses that fail to recover from a disaster within 18 months following a data loss incident will be forced to cease operations, which showcases the importance of data backup. What’s the best way to combat data loss?

A Backup and Disaster Recovery, or BDR, is a great way to protect your network and data infrastructure. It’s a network-attached backup system that allows you to take a preventative stance against even the worst disasters. Since the device is attached to your network, it can perform backups at various increments automatically. All you have to do is set which parts of your infrastructure you want it to back up. Furthermore, you can set it up so that backups only occur on files that have been changed since the last one has been taken, allowing for a more lightweight solution.

The most important part of BDR is that your data is automatically uploaded to the cloud. The best part of this is that it’s safe and secure, tucked away from anything that could cause it harm. While your data is hosted in an off-site data center or the cloud, it’s protected and prepared for the worst, allowing your organization to ensure survival even under the most desperate situations. It’s just one way that preventative thinking can help your organization avoid downtime and the immense costs it can accrue.

To keep your organization from suffering due to data loss, a BDR solution is your best bet. To learn more, reach out to NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

Sep, 2017

Don’t Underestimate The Value Of Managed IT

Have you had to make substantial technology investments in the past year? How much money do you think you will spend this year? If you have a solid technology budget in place, you’ll know how much you expect to spend, but what happens if critical systems fail? Are you prepared to cover the cost of new technology, the management of that technology, and the staff that you’ll need to do so? If you are even a little unsure about it, managed IT services could have plenty of value for your business.

There are two critical facets to every IT strategy. The first is based in demand. What technology does your business need to be MOST successful? Do you need one server to deploy the software that your company uses? Three? Five? What do you do for communications? What do you do for storage? There are a lot of variables at work when deciding how to deploy technology solutions, and since there is so much cost associated with these systems, many businesses cut corners to provide their organization with technology solutions but end up putting their overall sustainability at risk.

The second facet, and often most costly, is based in supply. Your supply of technology has to be monitored, managed, and maintained to provide you a reasonable ROI on your technology investments. Typically, the cost of onboarding, training, and deploying a proficient technician far outweighs the cost of new technology; and, to make matters worse, the more technology your organization deploys, the more resources you need to have to ensure that all is running efficiently, and as intended. After all, the downtime that comes with fledgling technology, is a major problem for any organization.

NuTech Services can often provide a substantial cost reduction, better services, better technology, and a better return on your technology and management investments than buying new technology all the time, and hiring people to manage it. We utilize industry-leading remote monitoring and management software, leverage automation, and dispatch certified technicians to help businesses like yours build and maintain robust technology. We also have partnerships with some of the industry’s best vendors to ensure that every client has access to the technologies they need to build an efficient and secure IT infrastructure.

By delivering comprehensive IT management, our managed IT services are exceptionally valuable. If you run an Michigan business that is looking to improve your processes, deploy powerful technologies, and manage the technology you have, call us today at 810.230.9455.

Sep, 2017

Why Windows Ink Is So Useful In The Business Setting

While computers, laptops, and tablets are incredible tools for productivity, there are many who miss the ability to scrawl out their ideas by hand. However, Microsoft has developed a means for your business to enjoy the benefits of both approaches with Windows Ink.

You may be familiar with the digital tablets that many artists use to transpose their ideas directly into their computer. The concept behind Windows Ink is very much the same. The primary difference is that, rather than using a separate tablet that you plug in via a USB connection, Windows Ink enables you to take notes right on the screen of your device with specialized writing utensils.

Naturally, as a Windows (and by extension, Microsoft) tool, Windows Ink is particularly suited to working with Microsoft Office products.

Microsoft Word: Windows Ink not only allows you to mark up documents, but allows you to edit them with different settings and gestures. Among other features, you can turn your stylus into a high-precision highlighter, or delete unwanted words or sections with a quick strikethrough.
Microsoft OneNote: With Windows Ink, OneNote turns into a freehand calculator. If you write an equation in the workspace, you can get the answer instantly–or, if you want to polish your math skills, OneNote will take you through the process step-by-step.
Microsoft PowerPoint: If you have ever used PowerPoint and wished that you could do more than what the toolbar allows you to do, Windows Ink is for you. Using the built-in ruler that comes with Windows Ink, you can draw with more precision than ever. Plus, Windows Ink gives you the ability to replay whatever notes others have made on a PowerPoint file.

Of course, there’s more that Windows Ink can do than work with the various programs of Microsoft Office. For instance, if you use Windows Ink to jot an address on a sticky note, Maps will step in to find you the best route. Another useful utility Windows Ink offers is its ability to take screenshots that you can then put notes on, allowing your reaction to be more easily understood.

The utility of Windows Ink in an office setting should be clear. Communications can be condensed from emails that list out the edits that a document needs, to contextual notes being made directly on the document itself. Windows Ink can essentially turn your device into an interactive notebook, allowing you improved utility and increased potential for productivity.

To learn more about Windows Ink and other useful solutions for your business, reach out to NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

Sep, 2017

Tip of the Week: Miss The Start Menu From Windows 8? Here’s How To Bring It Back

Remember how when Windows 8 came out, it had that slick tiled Start screen? If you are one of the people who miss that interface, you are in luck. While Windows 10 returned the nostalgia of the traditional Start menu, you can emulate the experience of Windows 8’s tiled screen relatively easily in Windows 10.

First thing’s first–open your Start menu and select the Settings icon. This is the gear-shaped one. Alternatively, you can simply use the Windows key and the I key for a keyboard shortcut. Next, you’ll want to navigate to Personalization > Start. You should see the option for Use Start full screen. Once you’ve turned on this setting, your Start menu should open into the full-screen mode.

While it doesn’t quite look exactly like its Windows 8 counterpart, it has some similar functionality built into it. You’ll see icons for all of the usual suspects, including apps that you use on a regular basis, and icons for opening up various menus. You’ll also be able to see your pinned tiles in an easy way. Another note is that this can actually make navigation a little bit easier if you are using Windows 10 on your tablet.

If you want to just use the normal Start menu and change the size of it without going full-size, you can do that as well. Just open your Start menu and click on the edge. You can click and drag your Start menu to suit your specific size needs. You’ll see more tiles depending on how large you make it.

Speaking of Windows 8, are you still using it for your business’s needs? If so, you should really consider upgrading to Windows 10. If your business is struggling to implement the latest and greatest software solutions, or you just want all of the best tips and tricks, reach out to NuTech Services at 810.230.9455.

Sep, 2017

Microsoft Word Makes Collaboration Easier With Co-Authorship

Does your workforce have the option of working together on a document in Microsoft Word? This type of collaboration is something that is much desired in business today. One of the best ways to take advantage of this collaboration is through Microsoft Office 365’s built-in sharing features, which allow your workforce to work together on various initiatives.

Cooperate and Collaborate
If you need multiple users to access the same document, you can use Microsoft Office 365 to allow for it. You can review and edit documents in real time, but before doing so, you need to allow access to these documents by your staff.

First, open a new document in Word 2016 or Word Online. Once you’ve done so, select Share, and then Save to cloud. You can share the document in OneDrive or in a SharePoint Online location. Once you press Save, you’ll be able to share your document. Just select the Share panel and you’ll have several options for doing so. You can select Invite people to summon additional assistance from others in your organization, or Get a sharing link to send the invite out through email or instant message.

Once the invitations are sent and accepted, your team can then access the Word document and make changes. If you allow these changes to be made automatically, everyone will be able to see them as they happen.

Communication is Critical
You can’t have collaboration without communication. There are plenty of solutions available that help your business keep in touch while working together on a project. Microsoft Office 365 has a leg up on the competition because of its built-in integration with Skype for Business, allowing you to send messages or talk to anyone while working in a document.

Word also keeps a complete record of any changes made to your document so that you always have access to various versions of your documents. This makes it quite an excellent way to see who has made which changes, and when. Of course, the best collaboration happens when your workforce knows the endgame of the project, and they can then work toward a common goal moving forward.

In fact, many of these features are also available in other Microsoft products, including Publisher, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

Which of these features do you use most often in Office 365? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for more great tips and tricks.

Aug, 2017

3 Reasons VoIP Is An Improvement Over Traditional Telephony

Do you still rely on a traditional telephone system to keep in touch with clients and internal departments? This can be a severe issue for your operational budget. While your employees might be accustomed to having the physical phone on their desks, virtual phones are becoming a major contender to replace them for all different types of businesses.

Voice Over Internet Protocol, also known as VoIP, has a surprising amount of benefits over its traditional contemporary. Here are some of the best features of VoIP that make it a dynamic and flexible choice for your organization.

Flexibility
Have you ever had to step away from your desk while you’re on the phone? With the static lines tied to the corded phones of old, this was an impossibility. Even if it is a cordless phone, chances are that it’s limited to a certain range, even within your office. VoIP can completely change the way you look at a telephone solution.

VoIP has options that lets your employees take their duties on the road, allowing them to communicate with any connected device. You can use VoIP applications on a laptop, smartphone, or even a desktop. All you need is the right software installed. Your employees can take their conversations on the road, be it for a business trip, a walk down the street, or burning the midnight oil at the home office to meet an important deadline.

Functionality
Knowing what your phone system can do is incredibly important. Sometimes your phone system will come with various other services like your Internet or television packaged together. When this happens, service providers tend to nickel-and-dime you for everything they can get for simple conferencing solutions. Depending on what your services come attached to, you may need additional features that aren’t already included.

VoIP allows your organization to spend fewer resources on services that you may not want or need, and free up more funds to spend on what you absolutely need. For example, you can get all of the services that you want and need with VoIP, including call forwarding and conference calling, but without going all-in on a service that forces you to pay for television or other services. This helps your business be more productive and lucrative without dropping more than necessary on unused services.

Cost
Your traditional telephone system will wind up costing you more in the long run thanks to its plethora of services and features that don’t do anything for your bottom line. Since these companies require various services to be purchased in a bundle, they cause more trouble than they are worth–particularly in regard to long-distance charges. It might seem like you’re getting a great, varied service, but you’re just spending money on things that you don’t need.

Unlike traditional telephone systems, VoIP lets your organization benefit from significant cost savings. Since you’re only using your business’ Internet connection, you’ll spend less on implementation fees and running wires around your office. All you need to think about is your bandwidth, but that’s easy enough to figure out compared to all of the headaches that come from a traditional telephone service. We can help you work out a plan where you get all of the services that you want, all budgeted into a monthly payment that works for your specific needs.

Does your business need a new communications solution? NuTech Services can help. Your organization can take full advantage of VoIP to augment communications and change the way you do business. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Aug, 2017

Your Business Can Use HaaS

Just like how your organization relies on hardware solutions to keep operations moving, this hardware relies on regular refreshes which keep it in proper working order. If you fail to replace or maintain the solutions that you have in place, you’ll be more likely to experience downtime, or at least hardware failure. Managed IT has provided SMBs with a way to bypass many of the frustrations involved with acquiring new hardware in the form of Hardware as a Service.

HaaS helps your organization keep its critical hardware running. This includes servers, workstations, networking components, and more. While these technology solutions require daily maintenance in order to run at maximum efficiency, they often need to be replaced after a certain amount of wear and tear. By working with a managed service provider to implement HaaS, you can maximize the amount of mileage you get out of your hardware solutions, all while obtaining new technology without breaking the bank. We believe that your organization shouldn’t have to suffer due to an unforeseen hardware failure.

Chances are that your organization doesn’t upgrade its hardware as often as it should. While your technology budget might be limited, this mindset will hold your organization back from implementing new hardware solutions that can boost productivity and improve operations. It’s often difficult to know when it’s time to invest in new hardware, but unexpected hardware failures can throw a wrench in your plans. In other words, you’re paying to both replace your hardware, and to make up for downtime that can cause trouble for your organization.

Hardware as a Service addresses many of the problems that businesses have with hardware management. Thanks to monthly payments and a service level agreement, you can expect new hardware when it’s needed at an affordable cost. Here are some of the many benefits of HaaS.

An IT roadmap: Knowing where you’re going in on a trip is great, and so is knowing when your hardware goes through its next refresh. We can help you plan out a special IT roadmap that includes hardware refreshes and overall maintenance of your network’s health. This keeps your network from going too long without a proper upgrade.
Lower upfront costs: Since you only pay a flat monthly rate for new technology, you’ll be able to afford it much more easily. HaaS providers can also take future upgrades and management into account when picking equipment for your organization, allowing you to save money down the road.
The latest hardware, now: You’ll be using the latest hardware solutions that help you stay one step ahead of the game. This means that you’ll be able to take great strides in productivity and functionality that may not have been initially available for your organization.

Do you want your business to take full advantage of the latest and greatest hardware solutions on the market? NuTech Services can help. To learn more, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Aug, 2017

Tip of the Week: How To Enable Flash In Google Chrome

Flash is going the way of the dodo, with support from Adobe expected to end in 2020. Many popular browsers like Google Chrome have started to do away with Flash by default. However, there are still websites and online tools that use it. Here’s how you can enable it when you need to.

Keep in mind, Flash is being phased out due to compatibility and security issues, so under most circumstances it’s best to have it disabled unless you really need it.

The first step is to check the current Flash settings for your Chrome browser. To do so, navigate to a new browser tab and type chrome://flags into the search bar. You want to make sure that a pair of settings are set to Allow instead of Default. These settings are Prefer HTML over Flash and Run all Flash content when Flash setting is set to “allow.”

Next, open another Chrome tab and type chrome://components into the search bar. Look for the Adobe Flash Player selection and click the Check for Update button. Once you’ve done so, open Chrome’s Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and select Show Advanced Settings. Scroll down further and you’ll see options for Content Settings in the Privacy tab.

In the box that pops up, scroll down until you see the option for Flash. Be sure that the Ask first before allowing sites to run Flash (recommended) is selected. If you’d rather just block Flash on your browser completely, make sure that the Block sites using Flash box is checked. You should never allow sites using Flash to run automatically, as it could be a security issue.

But what if you want to allow specific sites to allow Flash without being blocked? You can create exceptions to this by clicking on Manage exceptions, which is found under Content Settings – Flash. You then enter the URL and select Allow under the Behavior column. A shortcut to this can be found by clicking in the left-most section of your address bar, and under Flash, selecting Always allow on this site.

For more great tips and tricks, be sure to subscribe to NuTech Services’s blog.

Jul, 2017

Tip of the Week: Using Shortcuts Can Improve Your Microsoft Outlook Experience

Microsoft Outlook is a great tool that can help your business stay in touch with clients and vendors, as well as stay updated regarding your internal operations. However, did you know that you probably aren’t using Outlook to the best of its abilities? We’ll walk you through some of the easiest ways to help you take even greater advantage of Microsoft Outlook for your organization: keyboard shortcuts.

Many of the shortcuts that work in Microsoft Word, like bolding or underlining text, remain unchanged through the Office 365 productivity suite, but the following are exclusive to Outlook. Here are some great shortcuts that you can use in Microsoft Outlook versions 2013 and 2016. In fact, you can print out this blog and place it on your desk so that you’ll never have to look up another Microsoft Outlook keyboard shortcut again!

Alt + S: This will send an email.
Ctrl + Enter: Send the message you’re currently writing.
Ctrl + R: Reply to an email.
Ctrl + F: Forward an email.
Ctrl + K: Complete the name or email you are typing into the address bar.
Ctrl + N: Create a new email folder.
Ctrl + Shift + A: Create a new appointment on your calendar.
Ctrl + Shift + O: Open your Outbox.
Ctrl + Shift + I: Open your Inbox.
Ctrl + Shift + C: Create a new contact.

As previously mentioned, many other shortcuts exist, and they all function in similar ways to the way they work in other Microsoft products.

By using all of these shortcuts to your best advantage, you can cut down on time wasted by fumbling through Outlook to click on several buttons that can be replaced by keyboard shortcuts. To learn more about how you can take full advantage of your business technology, be sure to subscribe to our blog.

Jul, 2017

Tip of the Week: Google Offers Personal Users A Backup Solution

Let’s say that you are a consumer looking to take advantage of data backup in an affordable way. You want a way to keep your data safe in the event of a disaster. For the average PC user, Google Drive now allows users to take backups of specific files and folders via the Backup and Sync application on their desktop PC.

Keep in mind that we are only discussing the possibility of Google Drive as an adequate backup solution for the average PC user. For businesses that want to ensure minimal downtime and maximum data recovery, your best chance is to implement an enterprise-level backup and disaster recovery solution. If you want a powerful backup solution, be sure to reach out to us and ask about your options.

In essence, Backup and Sync is the latest version of Google Drive, and allows users to back up specific files or folders on their desktop PC, and send them to Google Drive. This is particularly great for consumers who want to keep backups of their photos, videos, and other media. Google understands that this feature is primarily meant for consumer use, and encourages their G-Suite customers to wait patiently until their Drive File Stream feature is available.

In terms of availability, Backup and Sync can be implemented by users using Google Drive for PC, as well as for Mac. Just keep in mind that using Backup and Sync to store your videos and photos will likely result in your exceeding the free Drive space offered by Google.

One thing to think about as a business owner though; you shouldn’t let employees store company data directly on their workstations. Files should be stored centrally on the server where you back it up. If your workstations have a lot of sensitive company data on them, a disgruntled employee could easily set up Google Drive Backup to grab and steal all of your data. It doesn’t hurt to be a little paranoid over your data and where it’s stored.

As always, you can count on NuTech Services to inform you about the latest and greatest business technology solutions for your organization’s needs. If you need help with managing data backup and recovery, you’ll find no one better suited to the task than us. To learn more about your business’s data backup options, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jul, 2017

There’s a Better Way to Approach Technology Than Fixing What Breaks

Technology is a major factor that can determine your business’s fate, yet some organizations don’t necessarily recognize IT problems before they make themselves apparent. Unfortunately, by the time you notice any issues with your IT, they are usually turning into problems that cause your business considerable troubles. To keep issues from evolving into major problems, it’s up to you to ensure that your technology is maintained in a proactive fashion.

What NOT to Do
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about tech support isn’t necessarily the best option out there. Most users think of a break-fix IT provider, which uses the following formula for providing service:

Some piece of technology or equipment stops working and it begins to affect operations.
You contact your tech support.
A technician is dispatched to assist you.
You wait for a technician to arrive on-site to fix the issue.
The tech arrives and fixes your issues.
You pay the support fees.
Your employees get back to work.

While this method of IT support certainly gets your problem taken care of, the true cost of such support is that you’re paying every single time you require it. While you pay your IT provider for services, there are plenty of other costs associated with this type of break-fix support. After all, your employees will still have to be paid for any time spent in the office, even if their technology isn’t allowing them to work properly.

Plus, what if the problem is not just affecting your employees, but your clients as well? If they can’t receive the goods or services that you provide for them, then they aren’t going to be happy. If this happens too frequently, they might even consider breaking their agreement with you and moving to a competitor who might offer more reliable services. Therefore, while break-fix IT is certainly a solution, it’s unlikely to minimize damage. You’re better off taking a proactive measure to resolve your technology troubles.

The Right Way to Approach IT
Many organizations are shifting from a dependence on break-fix IT to more proactive solutions, with the primary one being managed IT services. This particular approach takes a much different method of administering IT support:

One of the managed service provider’s technicians notices that there are components that might experience a critical issue. They then inform your organization of the possible issue.
The managed service provider then works to resolve the problem remotely while possible.
If your issue is covered by your service level agreement, then you pay nothing for the service besides your usual monthly fee.
Your employees get right back to work with minimal interruption.

The managed services provided by NuTech Services offer your organization dynamic, enterprise-level solutions that allow you to minimize downtime and take a proactive stand against IT issues. We can monitor and maintain your solutions so that your organization can focus on what it does best, without worrying about whether or not your technology will remain functional. To learn more about managed IT, reach out to us at 810.230.9455.

Jun, 2017

No Business Should Be “Happy” to Lose 24 Hours’ Worth of Data

A new study by Disaster Recovery on the state of data backup for enterprises yields some rather disappointing results, particularly when it comes to the percentage of companies not enacting data backup best practices. Companies that fail to continuously backup their data, or fail to even back it up at all, are gambling with their future.

For starters, one of the most shocking finds from the study is how 72 percent of businesses are “happy to lose” more than 24 hours’ worth of data after a cyber-incident. When one looks behind the scenes as to why this is, they may find it in a company’s data backup practices. This is especially the case if a business is utilizing tape backup–a data backup procedure that typically backs up a company’s files once every 24 hours.

Admittedly, a business having tape backup is better than not utilizing any form of backup whatsoever; a category which 13 percent of businesses find themselves in, according to the study. However, being “happy” that your data backup needs are covered vs being “happy” about losing 24 hours’ worth of data should be viewed as two entirely different forms of “happiness.”

To clarify our point, consider your SMB in the following IT scenario: At the end of the work day, a designated employee goes to perform a backup of the day’s work by swapping out the old tapes for new ones. The following day, an employee responds to a spam message by clicking on a malicious URL contained within the message. This dumb move ends up infecting your entire network with ransomware, completely disabling operations. Thankfully, you’re able to deal with the ransomware by pulling out the backup tapes and restoring the data from the previous day. While such a move may make you “happy” that you’re able to resume operations, the inconvenient fact remains that your company just lost an entire day’s worth of data, plus several hours (if not more) to restore the data from a backup.

Now, some businesses may operate in an industry that doesn’t handle a ton of data on a daily basis. For example, think of a small retail storefront that’s operated entirely by the owner and all the business dealings take place on a single PC. A small business like this might not take too hard of a hit by losing 24 hours’ worth of data, but it would nevertheless be a costly inconvenience.

For the modern SMB leaning heavily on technology and utilizing enterprise-level solutions, the amount of data generated in a single day can be significant, and more so for companies whose business model revolves around generating digital content, like marketing firms, schools, hospitals, etc. If such an organization were to lose 24 hours’ worth of data, the consequences could range from very expensive to catastrophic.

It’s not overly complicated to do the math and put numbers to such a data-loss scenario. Consider how many payroll dollars are spent on paying employees to generate and handle data, then factor in how much money is made in a single day thanks to all of the data that’s generated. You’ll also want to consider how much money you’ll lose from having your company’s operations miss out on an entire day’s worth of work. Chances are, you’ll be making up the progress lost from that day over the course of several work days. When all of these calculations are compiled, there’s an extremely high chance that you won’t be “happy” with the results–and hopefully be much more motivated to backup your files multiple times each day.

To that end, NuTech Services offers a cloud-based data backup solution that makes copies of your files as often as every 15 minutes. Plus, unlike tape backup, the entire data backup process is automated, meaning that you don’t have to make a nightly task out of swapping out tapes. To equip your business with a backup solution that you can truly be happy with, give NuTech Services a call at 810.230.9455.

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