by AVY

In this three part series of useful applications we would like to mention some popular ones that are used by many of our clients and amongst our employees. Applications which we will cover during this first part are free to download and great tools to help you and your staff stay organized, efficient, & productive. 

The first app is Evernote. It captures notes, pictures, and “web clippings” audio. You are able to access it from your computer, the web, iPad, android, and iPhone. You may encrypt the text within your notes or search your notes for key information. This is an excellent tool for note taking when you are on the go and do not have the access to Microsoft word for example. This tool has capability of synchronization, printing, sharing and file organizing. To download this app you will need to visit: www.evernote.com Remember it is a free app, so why not try it.

Next application is Wunderlist. This is a fantastic tool for your business and personal life. You may use this app to manage your tasks and share it with your business partner or an assistant at work. This application is a great resource to use within your personal endeavors as well. For example, share a Christmas shopping list with your spouse or a significant other. Access this tool from Web, PC, Mac, iPhone, & iPad. It is fully synchronized, so you and the person you sharing the list with are able to access it simultaneously via various devices. Visit www.wunderlist.com- free app that will save few trees and headache from lost paper notes.

The last application for this post is Tungle. In essence, this is a virtual calendar that will let others see your availability and schedule an appointment with you. This app cuts the back/forth “what about Thursday afternoon…oh no, I am booked then, how about Friday morning before ten?” Save some time for you, your clients, employees, and friends- they’ll appreciate it. To get this app visit www.tungle.me, and again it is a free application.

Here at TechGen, we are always looking for techy-creative ways to be more efficient and productive. We share our ideas with you, our clients and friends. To subscribe to our newsletters, blogs, and tech news via social network fill out “Get IT Social!” form (located on the left hand side of every page of our website) and indicate the communication you would like to receive from us.

Tells us about the apps you find useful and what you like about them!

All material Copyright (c) 2012 TechGen Consulting Inc. unless otherwise noted.

The Start Menu’s Shut down button has a default set to turn off your PC. However, you may also use this button for restarting your workstation/PC by clicking the arrow to the right of the Shut down button and select an action from the drop-down menu.

You may also change the Shut down button default action to Restart, Switch user, Log off, Lock, Sleep or Hibernate.

Here is how to change your default: Right-click the Start button and select Properties. Then on the Start Menu tab, click the “power button action” drop-down menu and select which action you want to be the default. Then click OK, and OK again.

by AVY

This blog is dedicated to those individuals that have over a 100 emails coming into their inbox on the daily basis. And for those who feel that email takes them or their employees away from being productive and becoming interrupt-driven. So how do you use the greatest tool such as email and eliminate the distraction from getting more important tasks completed? Here are some bullet points that will help you get more organized and control your email responsiveness.

• Eliminate The Noise.

Stop being interrupt-driven by emails through eliminating those dings, changing icons, flashing screens, little pop-ups, etc. Go to the Outlook settings (or whichever email application you use) and simply turn off all notifications.

• Identify Email Checking Times.

Based on your position and job duties you should identify the times in a day of when your emails should be processed. I recommend checking your email at least three times a day. For example: Morning-Noon-Late Afternoon (9am-11am-3pm)

• Processing & Organizing.

As you are checking your email you should create various folders such as clients, marketing, operations, miscellaneous, etc. You could also create subfolders for a specific year or month and/or a specific client or company, depending on the volume of your daily incoming emails.

• Read It, File It, Forward It, or Delete It.

As you are processing and reading your emails, you have to ACT on it right away! Once an email is opened and read/scanned take an action: read it, file it, forward it, or delete it.

Implementing this or similar process for your email handling will ensure improved productivity, less of unnecessary distraction, and better concentration on important tasks.

TechGen’s number one goal is to support your business IT infrastructure by providing you with the most useful tips to improve your overall productivity and organization. If you need our assistance with any issues regarding your email set up, back up, hosting, or moving please contact us!

We welcome your comments, thoughts, or any additional information that you would like to share on how you handle your emails. Please do share by posting your comments below!

All material Copyright (c) 2012 TechGen Consulting Inc. unless otherwise noted.

by AVY

Is the mobile device, that you or your employees are using, properly secured and managed? It is the reality- most business owners do not even realize the importance of Mobile Device Management or its existence. When we meet with our clients, most have no idea of the impact an unsecured mobile device could bring to their business if it’s lost or stolen. Therefore this blog is dedicated to discussion of the following: support, security, and BYOD (bring-your-own-device) vs. COD (company owned device) for mobile devices.

Should your mobile device(s) be included under an IT support agreement with your provider? The answer is YES. The mobile device(s) that have any association with or use for your business should be supported by IT professionals. The main reason is that these types of devices are not originally built with intention for commercial/business use, therefore are often lacking the necessary configurations for business security. The industry leaders in the tablet market, for example, are now slowly realizing this but yet nothing particular has been done about it. Users appreciate the fact that tablets are consumer friendly and do not require much to learn and navigate through the device. Many people, however, may not be aware of the extremely useful and helpful apps for business and commercial use that’s available to them. Support of mobile devices, which TechGen provides, helps to maximize the potential usage through getting practical and helpful business oriented apps, with a combination of initial configuration, training and set up of any particular app on any given mobile device, and the necessary management through the device’s lifecycle.

As security goes, I am willing to bet that not many business owners realize that the data on their cell phones, tablets, and even some laptops is lacking any security or protection (i.e. encryption). The encryption of your data is the most important step you could take towards making the mobile device(s) secured and protected. These mobile devices carry just as much valuable and sensitive information as your desktop PCs: emails, files, credit card #s, addresses, names, etc. Did you know that there is a way to remotely access any mobile device and wipe out everything on it? Yes, this is an incredibly useful option when your mobile device is lost, stolen, or you just fired an employee who left to a competitor and you need to protect your business/clients. TechGen, as an example, has a way to encrypt, secure and protect your mobile device so you can rest assured that regardless what happens with it- your information, your clients’ information, and your business will be safe.

To summarize my thoughts on support and security, let’s discuss BYOD vs. COD option for your business. When you let your employees bring in their own mobile devices to work and connect to your office network- what do you think could happen? As you may not be aware of the security settings these devices have and cannot control their daily use- do you think you should allow the use of non-company owned devices for work/business related activities (i.e. email access, shared drive access, etc.)? We encourage every business owner who exercises BYOD option to include in their company policy a set of rules on proper business use of any personal mobile device that employee brings and/or uses for business related activities. We would also recommend supplying the employee with a company owned mobile device which can be configured to only allow access to specific business related apps and websites, you control what they do with the device, and you are able to wipe out the data in case the device lost, stolen or the employment situation has changed.

These are just a few reasons and examples of why should you be contacting your IT service provider and discussing a Mobile Device Management option with them. And if the IT support you use does not have this or similar solution, I recommend that you give us a crack at it. Let us know if you have any questions, needs or concerns about your mobile device management support. We are glad to help out!

Look for our video series of useful apps for Android and Apple tablets on YouTube!

All material Copyright © 2012 TechGen Consulting Inc. unless otherwise noted.

by AVY

We have been hearing so much about Cloud Managed Services from our clients that I have decided to write about it in my fourth blog. What is a Cloud Managed Service (CMS), or so called “cloud”? What so many people like to call “cloud” is the off-site infrastructure which could be public or private, yet it still has better data protection security in place then any office space. Not every business is a great fit for “cloud” services. Even though CMS has been in place for many years and leveraged by big enterprises such 3M, it still has to be cost efficient and fit your business goals/model. There are three main points of having the CMS as part of your network set up: capital expense, performance/maintenance, and security/reliability.

Due to the fact that many people are still trying to fully grasp what a Cloud Managed Service is, many are unsure of the cost benefits and how these services affect their bottom line. As an example, say you need to purchase one server and three Microsoft Office licenses out of which you will only use two of them at the same time. This will cost you approximately $6000. If you were to use Cloud Managed Service for your network set up, you would pay a one monthly fee which would include the cost of the “cloud” service plus only two licenses. Why two? Because CMS allows you to access unused license regardless which computer you are using in the office. Here you are saving money- what’s not to like?! I could compare CMS to your thermostat at home, when you need more capacity, speed, software you “turn up” your service and when you don’t need as much you “turn down” your service. CMS is a controllable, customizable, and effective option for any business regardless of its size.

Some of our clients are concerned with security and reliability, when it comes to Cloud Managed Services discussions. The one statement I could make with no regret is that Cloud Managed Services are more reliable and secure than any given server(s) in any given office space(s), unless you are a CIA agent. Here is why:

• The CMS is set up in a huge data center that has hundreds and sometimes thousands of servers linked together, which limits the chance of connectivity failure.
• The data centers have security guards, restricted entrance, cameras, disaster recovery procedures/plans, and background checks for every employee.
• These centers have to follow all privacy and security regulatory compliance procedures set by the federal government such as HIPPA, GLBA, etc.

As far as performance and maintenance goes- you are still in the win. No worries, TechGen is still going to be in the picture helping you managing “cloud” services, yet it will reduce the need for an on-site maintenance and associated down time. Besides the above mentioned hosted app capabilities you are able to set a SPAM filter directly through Cloud Managed Service therefore eliminating the need to purchase your own anti-SPAM software. CMS is great for businesses that are looking to downsize the office space, and have employees work out of their homes. Virtual offices and remote access capabilities are so much better with “cloud” service then a traditional server, which you still have to keep somewhere, protect, and maintain.

These are just a few examples and reasons why you should talk to us about Cloud Managed Services. Techgen is still your reliable and trusted partner to pick the most secure “cloud” and will continue servicing you and your business. Contact us to learn more about your options on Cloud Managed Services. We are the only place you need to take care of your all IT support needs.

All material Copyright © 2012 TechGen Consulting Inc. unless otherwise noted.