by Felicien | Dec 13, 2021 | Education
Can Technology Reverse the Workforce – Depleting ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021?
Although remote and other technology appears to be an underlying cause of the 2021 “Great Resignation,” it may also hold the key to a“Great Return.”
Many believed the mass exodus from the workforce had peaked in April when a total of 24 million had quit for the year. But month-over-month attrition rates have remained staggeringly high. More than 4 million Americans quit their job in July. During September and October, the monthly dropout rate hovered around 4.4 million, and the year’s tally exceeds 38 million and rising.
What makes this modern-day phenomenon perplexing is that the U.S. carries upwards of 10 million job openings, with an annual high of 11.1 million during July and 10.44 million in September. These heightened numbers seem to indicate everyday people are quoting David Allan Coe’s 1978 hit by telling the corporate world to “take this jobs and shove it, I ain’t working here no more.”
Technology Sector Hit Hard by Great Resignation
To date, at least 40 percent of the existing workforce indicates they are contemplating leaving their position. In the U.S., more than 70 percent of people in the technology industry say they are on the fence. Many appear to be positioning themselves to quit in favor of another job or just fall out of the workforce over the next 12 months.
Economists and employment experts point to wide-reaching reasons why people are dropping out in record numbers. Free money in the form of stimulus checks and the sharp increase in remote opportunities are considered driving factors. Cynics simply shrug off the movement, indicating over-entitled Millennials and Gen Z employees don’t have the work ethic of other demographics or can’t handle the stress. Such remarks are typically echoed from one generation to the next. James Forbis, an IT services expert in Cincinnati, OH shares, ” research and anecdotal evidence by people who participated in the trend highlighted the following reasons for their decision.”
Failing Technology: Faltering laptops, networks, and systems frustrated employees who were thrust into work-from-home situations. Many had little or no experience working offsite, and the change was incompatible with a healthy work-life balance.
Toxicity: Low incomes, stressful workloads, and feelings of under-appreciation reportedly led many to quit.
Loss of Control: Pandemic displacement and return to brick and mortar facilities took away a sense of ownership. Employees tended to believe they were not “heard,” and their jobs felt dissatisfying.
Among technology sector professionals, more than 90 percent of employees were disgruntled about the lack of training and learning opportunities. It may seem counterintuitive, but the very technological advancements that helped shepherd workers through the height of the pandemic appear to be infuriating them.
But living in the technology age means that nothing stands still. New developments and innovative ways to utilize existing technology could prove invaluable in reversing quit rates.
Can Technology Help a “Great Return” to the Workforce?
It’s important to avoid looking at the Great Resignation solely through the lens of technology. There are wide-reaching cultural and economic factors in play that can also provide insight into employer solutions.
For example, Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao indicates that companies may be shooting themselves in the foot concerning remote talents. He recently posed the question about how companies such as Amazon and Microsoft planned to compete over the same technology talent. Will they offer salaries based on adjusted regional averages or higher ones to prevent employee migration?
That same concept applies to small business owners who find themselves in a global talent pool. But in terms of the role technology plays, the following strategies can help usher in a Great Return to the workforce.
Collaboration Tools: Easy-to-use apps and devices can help bridge the culture gap. Although people from different walks of life come to the organization with unique perspectives, collaborative tools support team building. Better remote connections typically lead to better results.
End Big Brother: Supervisors who suddenly lost in-person monitoring were pleased to discover surveillance technologies. Loyal and hard-working employees find the use of screen activity monitoring, mouse click counting, and other metrics offensive. Organizations would be better served to use technology to fairly evaluate productivity based on outcomes, not the process.
Maintain Remote Flexible: A recent Gartner study indicates more than half of the global workforce expects work-from-anywhere options. In 2019, only 17 percent of employees held that expectation. Given this live-work trend, company leaders would be well-served to invest in remote infrastructure.
Thought leaders who pivoted to remote workforces during the height of the pandemic are tasked with reevaluating their use of technology. Just as improved infrastructure, agility, and a willingness to adapt buoyed productivity, new strategies will help professionals adapt technology to a shifting business landscape.
by Felicien | Dec 6, 2021 | Education
Apple Business Essentials
A little more than a year ago, Apple acquired a platform called Fleetsmith with the intention of using it to create business management software. Now, that goal has finally come to fruition with the release of Apple’s Business Essentials in beta.
Based in the cloud, Fleetsmith device management software originally aimed to “balance the management and security needs of IT with the experience users love about Mac, iPad, and iPhone.” Now a part of Apple, Fleetsmith has been the foundational software for Business Essentials, a spin-off of Apple Business Manager, but for small and midsized businesses (SMBs).
Below, we’ll take a look at this new software and answer some common questions regarding its features, usability, and applications.
What Is Business Essentials?
According to Apple’s website, Business Essentials is “one complete subscription that seamlessly brings together device management, 24/7 support, and cloud storage.” Business Essentials works on all Apple devices, including desktop Macs, iPads, and iPhones. The unique thing about Business Essentials is that it is designed specifically for small and midsized companies. Qualifying businesses can have up to 500 employees or as few as one employee.
Apple’s Business Manager is for larger businesses that use Apple devices, but up until now, no equivalent software had been available for smaller businesses or startups.
How Much Does Apple Business Essentials Cost?
Instead of being a single-purchase software, Business Essentials is offered as a subscription service. Users can choose from three subscription plans. The first and most inexpensive plan is called the “Single device plan.” This plan includes 50 GB of storage and costs $2.99 per month for every device used with the software. It is a single device plan, and as the name implies, it can only be used with one device per user.
The next plan up is called the “Multidevice plan.” This plan costs $6.99 per user per month and includes 200 GB of storage. The plan allows you to manage up to three devices per user. So, for example, if you are self-employed and plan to use the software on both your iPhone and your desktop Mac computer, you would pay one subscription fee of $6.99 every month. If you had one employee who also planned to use the software on their iPhone, iPad, and laptop, you would need to pay an additional fee of $6.99 every month.
Finally, there is the “Multidevice, more storage plan.” This plan costs $12.99 per user per month, and it allows you to use up to three devices per user. It includes a whopping 2 TB of storage.
Should Your Business Invest in Business Essentials?
If you own a small or midsized business (or if you are considering starting a new business), Business Essentials could be a great investment for you. This is, again, especially true if you primarily use Apple devices already. The software is especially recommended for new business owners, sole proprietors, and self-employed freelancers. That’s because many of these individuals won’t have employees to start out with. This allows them to still get state-of-the-art business management software and pay only $2.99 a month.
Business Essentials is also uniquely helpful for these individuals (and those who just have a few employees) because your organizational needs won’t be too complicated, to begin with. In this way, it’s much better to use business management software that targets small and midsized businesses in particular. Using complex and expensive software that’s targeted at larger companies is asking for trouble.
When Will Business Essentials Be Available for Purchase?
As stated above, Business Essentials is technically already available, but it’s still in beta mode. This means that it’s being released to a select few users who will be able to test the software for free before it is officially launched. Apple has designated the spring of 2022 as when the paid version will be launched, but it is now taking applications for beta testers.
If you would like to be a beta tester for Apple Business Essentials, head here and fill out the online application form. Keep in mind you will need to have an Apple Business Manager account in order to apply. If you are accepted as a beta tester, you will have your Apple Business Manager account upgraded with the additional features offered through Apple Business Essentials.
by Felicien | Nov 23, 2021 | Education
Microsoft & Meta Partner to Integrate Teams and Workplace for Easier Collaboration
Competing Social Software Giants Offer Customer-Requested Consolidation of the Two Applications’ Best Features
Workplace stated in May 2021 that it has reached a milestone of 7 million paying members. Microsoft similarly revealed later that July that its Teams platform had 250 million unique monthly users.
Users will be able to link Workplace with Microsoft Teams thanks to a collaboration launched by Meta, previously recognized as Facebook.
The collaboration between Meta and Microsoft is essentially a coming together of two of the industry’s biggest rivals in the business communication software sector.
The alliance could become particularly useful to Meta, whose Workplace offering has a far lower user base than competing companies.
Meta, the social conglomerate previously known as Facebook, established a collaboration with Microsoft on Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 that allows clients to connect Meta’s Workplace social networking application with Microsoft Teams software. With 7 million paying subscribers using Workplace and 250 million people using Microsoft Teams, the collab has enormous potential in the enterprise communication space.
While Meta and Microsoft have partnered to unite two competitors in the business communication software industry, Meta’s Workplace and Microsoft Teams don’t completely overlap. Teams is centered on rapid communication among employees and their immediate coworkers, whereas Workplace is concentrated on large, company-wide interactions.
Clients may now access Workplace data from within the Teams application. Users may also watch video conferences from Teams on the Workplace application. Customers on both platforms can participate in conferences hosted on the other app without having to switch to that platform. For example, they can comment, reply with emojis, and interact in other ways without having to toggle between communication applications.
Ujjwal Singh, Workplace’s Head of Product, says of the integration, “[This] will make it easier for people who use both tools for work to keep up to date with information and create even more opportunities for company-wide engagement. The way our customers end up using it is customers use the complementary features, not the competing features,” he continues. “There are customers that are just Workplace shops, and then there are customers that are just Teams shops. This is really for those customers that use both.”
The connectivity will be especially useful for clients who utilize Workplace for daily tasks but use Microsoft Teams as their primary enterprise communications technology. This partnership makes the most sense for Meta because it enables users to access content in Workplace and import that data to other places where they invest the majority of their time. According to Angela Ashenden, Principal Analyst at CCS Insight, “by surfacing the newsfeed in Teams, Workplace can continue to reach those employees, while allowing comms and HR leaders to retain control over the communications and employee engagement platform strategy.”
Tools that facilitate remote work continue to gain traction as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and both Microsoft and Meta are reportedly developing deeper VR-based remote work solutions. This agreement reaffirms both organizations’ commitment to working remotely and accelerates Meta’s objective of creating a metaverse that delivers a completely immersive virtual environment. The move cements long-standing collaboration with other platforms, as Microsoft and Meta clients have already been able to link Workplace with Google’s OneDrive, SharePoint, and the Microsoft Office 365 suite.
The Head of 365 Collaboration for Microsoft Jeff Taper says, “One thing I’ve learned is there’s not going to be a one and only one communications tool on the planet.” He continued, summarizing that remote and brick-and-mortar office workers will toggle between several different tools to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity. The partnership between Microsoft and Meta shows promise in leading the way for competing tools to find ways for clients to integrate their work between applications and spend less time switching back and forth. Expect to see other large applications used in remote work to follow suit.
As far as the future of the collaboration is concerned, Singh has high hopes. “I would say we’re best in class around community, connection, people first and serving all employees,” he says. “Teams is arguably best in class around productivity, so this is really two best-in-class products coming together to solve an employee-experience problem.”
by Felicien | Nov 12, 2021 | Education
Picking the Ideal Unified Endpoint Management Platform
Unified endpoint management (UEM) software plays an important role in today’s business world, thanks to significant technological advancements. Over the years, endpoint devices have become more data-intensive, connected, and ubiquitous, despite the security risks associated with the software. Thus, proper management of the devices is a top priority for businesses of all sizes.
With the right UEM software, companies can streamline endpoint device management by maximizing security and organization. This type of software centralizes device management, ensuring a more efficient, cost-effective, and secure approach. Another key benefit of UEM is that it can manage IoT devices, wearables, and printers.
Here are the critical factors to evaluate when choosing the right unified endpoint management solution.
Robust UEM Security Features
When evaluating a unified endpoint management solution, selecting a platform with strong security features is important. The solution should have the capacity to manage virtual and physical assets more efficiently. These characteristics ensure that the platform protects your organization’s data and devices.
The UEM must come with advanced threat detection and defense capabilities to maximize device and data protection. Examples of key security features include anti-spyware, firewall, encryption protocols, and antivirus software. Automatic updates are another critical feature that helps safeguard your company’s critical assets.
Ease of Integration
The ideal UEM platform enables tech teams to integrate the solution with a wide selection of technologies for added convenience. Examples of these technologies include configuration management databases and IT help-desk systems. In addition, the platform should be compatible with various business apps and software programs.
A well-chosen unified endpoint management solution eliminates the need to worry about data loss by integrating seamlessly with your existing technologies. It also integrates easily and quickly without any need to make major changes or negatively impact user experience.
Device Security Policies
Your chosen UEM platform should allow you to set up a wide variety of policies, such as root detection, anti-phishing, and password-setting policies. This capability is vital to maintaining the security of all devices and connected apps and software.
The inability to set device security policies exposes your organization to wide-ranging security risks outside your premises. Another key aspect to consider includes integration with access management solutions to maximize the integrity of the devices while on the go.
Comprehensive Reporting and Diagnostics Capability
A good UEM solution stores and analyzes critical data to help you visualize various aspects of endpoint device activity. Thus, you gain full visibility of software status information, user behavior, device inventory, usage insights, and hardware status reports. A comprehensive reporting system allows you to monitor the system and identify issues that need resolving.
Automated Management
Device deployment is undoubtedly an undifferentiated activity that can benefit from automation. For this reason, your preferred UEM requires automated management capabilities for faster and more convenient deployment. As a result, you save a significant amount of money by avoiding spending time and effort handling the deployment process. The best part is that your staff receive the devices faster, allowing them to focus on core day-to-day activities and become more productive.
Pricing
Another key factor to consider when choosing a UEM for your organization is pricing. Some vendors offer unified endpoint management tools as part of bundled products, making it easier to get value for money. The vendor’s licensing model also determines the affordability of the software. In this case, you can save a significant amount by opting for a per-user pricing model than the per-device pricing model. Signing up for the latter is not cost-effective because most end-users perform their day-to-day duties using multiple devices.
Remote Environments Support
If your organization has remote work arrangements, it is vital to select a UEM platform that supports a hybrid and remote workforce. By opting for a solution with this capability, you enable your IT support team to manage mobile and traditional endpoints more effectively. As a result, you will notice an improvement in user experience and reduced downtime for your staff.
Non-MDM Deployment Support
Privacy-minded employees are typically unwilling to enroll in mobile device management (MDM) deployments. In such cases, your organization needs to choose a UEM platform that supports a non-MDM deployment. You can also opt for this route for technical reasons. Mobile application management (MAM) support provides a viable alternative because it allows employees to enjoy their privacy since the company has no access to devices.
Device Support
The ideal UEM platform fully supports various operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Wear OS, Linux, Android, VR, and iOS.
by Felicien | Nov 1, 2021 | Education
Windows 11 Tips: How to Get Things Done More Effectively
Windows 11 comes with a slick redesign and a comprehensive selection of new features. Although it shares many similarities with Windows 10, the new OS introduces groundbreaking features like Android app integration. The best part is that the operating system brings balance to your personal computer with easy-to-use tools that enable you to optimize functionality.
With Windows 11, you can take advantage of new convenient ways to connect with friends, colleagues, and family. The integrated Microsoft Teams enhances communications with free calls, texting, video conferencing, and chat functionality.
You can maximize productivity and other objectives by adopting a variety of tips and tricks.
Discover New Features
With the Get Started app, you can learn more about Windows 11’s latest features. The app makes it easier to port the Windows 10 preferences to a new desktop device. Likewise, Get Started can inform you about Win 10 applications that you can load to your new device, depending on whether you selected to backup your apps.
In doing so, the Get Started app eliminates the need to start over completely. Instead, you can follow prompts to restore specific documents, Windows 10 photos, and other files on the Windows 11 device. Backup and sync functions require you to sign in to your OneDrive account.
Be sure to check out the future of password technologies, which will be part of Windows 11 and Microsoft’s online services.
Organize Apps on Your Desktop More Effectively
With Desktop Groups and Snap Assist, you can organize applications on your PC in tandem with your day-to-day activities. By dragging an open window to the edge of the screen, you activate the snap function, which groups the windows into a grid of four or five.
By taking advantage of these features, you keep your screen organized, allowing you to focus on a specific task at a time. Additionally, Windows 11 can remember activities on external screens to help you find the pages where you left off. This option allows you to continue working, even if you switch devices.
Bring Back Folders on Start
Many Windows 11 users expressed interest in pinning folders to the Start Menu, a feature that is unavailable in the new operating system. Thankfully, you can take advantage of a workaround using the setting that enables you to display folders adjacent to the power button on the Start Menu. However, the feature differs from the Windows 10 version in that you can only show system folders.
To activate this functionality, you need to press the Windows key + I and select Personalization. Then, select Start followed by the folders.
Change the Touch Keyboard’s Appearance
Using Windows 11 on touch devices is undoubtedly a fascinating experience, thanks to the customization options. The new OS allows you to tweak the appearance of a touch keyboard to suit your preferences. This capability eliminates the need to stick with the default dark or white keyboard.
To change the appearance of your touch keyboard, press the Windows key + I and select Personalization. Then, click touch keyboard to choose the ideal theme based on the keyboard size. The operating system offers up to 16 preset themes, in addition to the ability to create your custom theme.
Typing Made Easier
The voice typing feature in Windows 11 simplifies many tasks that involve typing. Whether you’re composing an email or a blog article, you can count on the feature to eliminate the need to worry about typing speed or accuracy. Using a microphone to type your thoughts is a faster and more convenient way to work.
Unlike in the past, dictation required the use of a recording device and transcribing software. The best part about voice typing is that the process is instant, saving you time. Windows 11’s voice typing feature detects your voice’s rhythm and inflection to add appropriate punctuation. In addition, the new operating system supports the digital pen and touchscreen functionality.
Stay Focused on High Priority Tasks With Windows 11 Widgets
The new operating system provides a practical way to stay focused on important tasks. It allows you to curate priority tasks using widgets found on the Taskbar. With this feature, you can group to-do lists, news, reminders, upcoming meetings, and much more. This feature eliminates the need to find key content in different apps, pages, and tabs. Widgets provide access to personalized content at a glance for your convenience. You can find publishers to follow via the interest page.
by Felicien | Oct 25, 2021 | Education
A Quintessential Guide to Windows 11 Tips and News
Windows 11 introduces a wide selection of interesting new features capable of transforming the user experience. In addition, the operating system comes with a streamlined design, Android apps integration capabilities, a built-in Microsoft Teams conferencing application, and other notable features.
Examples of features that you can expect from Windows 11 include a revamped Start menu, snap layouts, virtual desktops, snap groups, and a redesigned Microsoft store app. MS Office 2021 will launch alongside the new OS.
Although the new operating system comes with specific system requirements, it can still run on older and unsupported computers. However, installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC has its downsides, including the possibility of not receiving regular updates. Microsoft has not clarified ineligible PC support and the exact system specifications of old computers that can still run the OS.
On the other hand, unsupported computers could not participate in the Windows Insider Program testing processes.
Computer Manufacturers Announce First Batches of Windows 11 PCs
As the era of Windows 11 begins, computer manufacturers like Lenovo have begun introducing their first Windows 11 computers to the market. Lenovo’s first batch of PCs run on AMD’s Ryzen desktop processors.
These processors are ideal for multitasking, gaming, and other functions; they compare favorably against Intel processors. Meanwhile, manufacturers have also started to provide a list of eligible devices that can upgrade to Windows 11.
Other Notable Windows 11 News
The much-anticipated Android app support in Windows 11 will be available sometime after the launch date. Microsoft announced that there would be a delay in introducing this groundbreaking feature into the operating system.
When it comes to gaming features, Windows 11 does not have an exclusive claim to the DirectStorage, an API that boosts loading and texture decompression speeds. This advanced technology will also appear in the Windows 10 operating system.
If you own an eligible Windows 10 device, you can upgrade it sometime in 2022, depending on a variety of factors, such as device age and other system specifications. This phased approach enables Microsoft to assess the deployment and performance of the new operating system before expanding the rollout.
Windows 11 Trips and Tricks
Once you upgrade to Windows 11, there are various tricks and tips that you can follow to enhance your overall experience. For instance, you can download and install third-party apps to tweak the operating system. A good example of such a third-party app is Stardock.
If you are looking to boost performance or speed, you need to activate the concealed Power Mode feature. On the other hand, you can also tweak the start menu in Windows 11 to resemble Win 10. The new operating system comes with a centralized and simplified Start menu, including a taskbar. Microsoft has made it easier to revert to the old design or appearance for your convenience.
Features Review
One of the key features of Windows 11 includes less intrusive updates. Microsoft changed the way devices download periodic updates by enabling you to install specific code components on your computer. The tech giant confirmed that this approach could help reduce the amount of data required to install updates by up to 40 percent. Windows 11 installs these updates in the background to minimize disruptions.
Additionally, the system provides an estimated update installation time to help you decide when to reboot your computer.
When it comes to window management, widgets, and virtual desktops, Windows 11 retains the minimize, maximize, and close controls that form part of window management features. Microsoft introduced several window layout options displayed as a pop-up below a window. When you click on the pop-up, the chosen window immediately snaps to a predetermined size and shape.
Another key aspect of your Windows 11 is the impressive performance. This new operating system is faster, allowing you to work more efficiently and maximize productivity. It boots quickly and switches from one window to another almost instantly. Speed tests conducted by experts revealed that the speed improvements are more prominent only on the operating system’s front end. Meanwhile, back-end functions revealed modest or no improvements.
According to Microsoft, you can extend the battery life of your device by upgrading to Windows 11. The new OS comes with a dynamic refresh rate feature that optimizes your display, depending on your activities. However, this benefit does not apply to two devices without a 120Hz screen.
