by Felicien | Feb 22, 2019 | Education
It happens to the best of us. You’ve invested serious time and effort into a Microsoft Office file for an upcoming presentation. You may even be moments away from finishing your work. Then it happens: your Mac goes down, hard. Maybe the power goes out, or maybe you get the dreaded “Sad Mac” screen of death.
You know it’s been next to forever since you manually saved the file. Worst case scenario, your presentation or executive meeting is just hours (or even minutes) away. What do you do?
Step One: Check the Auto-recover Pane
First things first: don’t panic. As soon as your Mac is up and running again, go ahead and open the Microsoft Office application you were using. Often, Word or Excel or whatever program you’re using can sense that it has crashed. If that’s the case, it should have saved an Auto-recover version of the document and will ask you if you want to view it when you first open the program. You might get a pop-up asking you this question, or you may see various files listed in the Auto-recover pane on the left side of the program window.
If you see an option like this, try it. Chances are you’ll get back a version of your document that’s only missing 5, maybe 10, minutes of your work. Congratulations, you’re back in business.
Step Two: Dive Deeper
If you tried step one but don’t see an Auto-recover pane and don’t receive a pop-up, there’s still one more thing to try. At this point there’s no guarantee that your work is still available, but there is still a chance. Your Office program may have saved an Auto-recover file deep in the recesses of your hard drive, but it’s having trouble telling you about it. It’s possible to manually locate the file following these steps.
Open Finder and select the Users folder.
You should see your username. Click on it.
Then click on the Library folder.
Next, select the Containers folder.
Within the Containers folder, you should see folders named com.microsoft.Word (and com.microsoft.Excel, and so on). Look for the folder with the name corresponding to the Office program that crashed on you. You’ve now located the folders where Office stores behind-the-scenes folders, so you’re almost there.
Now click on the Data folder, and within that click on the Library folder.
Within the Library folder, open Preferences, and finally, AutoRecovery.
If you’re lucky, you’ll find a file within that folder with a similar name to the one that you were working in. Now, you won’t be able to open it just by clicking on it, because it has a different file extension. Instead, right-click, choose “Open with…”, and select the Office program you need. Or rename the file, giving it the proper extension (.docx for Word, .pptx for PowerPoint, and so on).
Hopefully one of these two methods enabled you to recover your file. If not, it’s time to contact IT support. They may be able to further troubleshoot beyond the scope of this guide.
by Felicien | Feb 21, 2019 | Education
It is not an overstatement to note that today’s successful construction companies depend on their IT systems as much as they do any hammers and nails. Successful contractors find integrating the role of a quality IT partner critical to meeting budgets and deadlines while maintaining profitability.
It’s All About the Right Information at the Right Time
Information Technology is a catchall term for a combination of powerful and complex computer-based resources. However, just like an important tool, you don’t want to worry about how IT works or even why. You just want to be confident that your IT partner is managing and providing you with the information you need in the most efficient, timely, and cost-effective manner possible.
Rather than creating management challenges, the quality IT partner will help you prevent problems and assist in solving those that do arise. This is critical to you as the one that is responsible for getting the job done, especially in today’s demanding environment.
There is hardly any aspect of the construction process that well-deployed and effectively managed IT cannot enhance. This includes such disparate areas as:
Bidding and proposals
Project scheduling and process management
Compliance and regulatory requirements
Inventory management
Communications among all participants
Each of these areas of the construction continuum require the proper IT approach. Moreover, these individual components must integrate into a useful whole that provides needed information and controls from the conception of the project to its conclusion.
No Longer an Optional Tool
The right IT partner will help design, install, maintain and manage the proper information technology infrastructure. While these capabilities can provide competitive advantages when properly utilized, they are also essential basics in the hyper-competitive construction industry. Just as your competitors can buy the same tools you can access, it is how they are put to work that makes the difference.
As the use of the Internet and computing migrates into all aspects of the construction industry, you find everyone from customers to vendors to regulators expecting companies to utilize efficient IT methods and resources. It is increasingly impossible to meet those expectations without the right IT partner to handle the many intricacies involved.
Managing the Ongoing Evolution
You know the construction industry is constantly changing and introducing new materials, methods, and processes. There is a similar reality in the IT world, and the changes often come even faster. Whether it is tracking the latest software updates or moving information between local computing devices and the cloud, IT is managed in an ever-changing environment.
Achieving the right partnership will allow the right division of tasks and responsibilities so the IT process facilitates every component of the job to be accomplished. When properly implemented this infrastructure will be largely transparent other than the results it provides. The characteristics of any solution offered by a competent IT partner will include:
Detailed and customizable real-time reports and information flow
Full access to systems onsite and remotely on multiple devices
Integration of data between different applications
Flexibility to modify requirements to reflect changed orders and schedule modifications
Comprehensive analysis, estimates and updates to facilitate management decision-making.
Managing a Dynamic Process
There is no one-time solution to the properly designed and functioning IT equation. Managing and monitoring the flow of data and inputs across multiple applications requires a robust and dynamic approach to the challenge. Your IT partner must provide a scalable solution that works in the pre-construction process as well as in the midst of the most intense construction phases.
Achieving this result requires the melding of trained and experienced personnel with the right hardware, software and networking resources. It is that competence you find in your best subcontractors. Even more, this partner is not just handling the one component a subcontractor might be tasked to accomplish. Rather, they are in the seat with you coordinating both the overview and the infinite details involved in the entire project.
There was a time just a few years past when the IT component of the construction industry could end up being somewhat of a hindrance. It often seemed that the computer made your job tougher rather than being a productive assistant.
With a qualified IT partner, that is certainly a reality that is in the past. If you understand the importance of the right partner, you won’t settle for one that can’t deliver the total solution. Once that carefully selected partner is on board and working alongside you, you’ll never tackle another project without them.
![Selecting The Right Business VoIP Provider [2019 Guide]](https://compnetsys.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/GettyImages-899355186.jpg)
by Felicien | Feb 21, 2019 | Education
To experience growth and stay relevant in their given industries, companies rely on productivity-enhancing and cost-effective communication systems that provide a robust, efficient platform for critical interactions, both internal and external.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems have risen to the forefront as a viable communication solution for businesses of all sizes, replacing traditional telephone systems and securing a spot as a standard for communication in the professional world. While VoIP systems require an Internet connection to operate, they can support high-quality long-distance calls while offering a number of other modern features, including integrated video conferencing, file sharing, and call recording.
Selecting a suitable service provider to set up and manage your VoIP system is an important decision, but if you know what you are looking for, the process becomes significantly simpler. We have organized the following list of criteria to guide you in picking the best VoIP service provider for your company.
Affordable Cost
Cost is an important factor in the decision-making process. Different vendors will have varying prices for the system hardware and installation, as well as a range of rates for managing, updating and maintaining a VoIP system. You should take stock of your company’s communication needs, as well as the budget you have available for meeting them. Keep in mind that with a quality service provider, you should not have to pay hidden service fees or extra chargers for standard features, including conference bridges, voicemail boxes, auto attendants, custom messages, and ring groups. Avoid VoIP providers who are not upfront about the costs associated with their technology and services.
Robust Cyber Security
Advanced security features should be a given. Even small- and medium-sized businesses can be targets of cyber attacks, including malware, phishing scams, and other viruses, which threaten their infrastructure and information. According to the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, VoIP, which relies on an Internet connection, “may be vulnerable to many of the same problems that face your computer and even some that are specific to VoIP technology.” Your VoIP service provider should be well aware of risks associated with this type of technology and ensure you have access to cutting-edge security features that protect your organization from cyber threats.
Call Management
A basic feature offered by top-notch VoIP providers is call management. This can include a number of functions that benefit your business, including call waiting for service, caller ID, call forwarding, voicemail, dial-in directories, call blocking, and other basic calling options. When shopping around for a provider, find out what call management options they offer that will be convenient and helpful for your organization’s employees.
Reliable Support
You should be able to access and use your VoIP system for business operations consistently and without delay. That is why a quality VoIP provider will emphasize a high level of uptime and round-the-clock technical support, which includes monitoring and maintenance. You should be able to reach your provider via email, phone call, or live chat when you need assistance with your service or encounter technical difficulties. Another important aspect of customer support is a plan for disaster recovery, in case you experience a system failure or other emergency. VoIP providers should have intensive protocols in place to quickly address the issue and get you back on track without losing valuable time or important information.
Intricate Integration
Any cost-worthy VoIP service should offer organizations more than the simple ability to make calls. To enhance productivity and efficiency, you should be able to integrate company smartphones, since many people rely on their mobile devices to do business outside of the office. You also should pick a VoIP provider that allows you to integrate your system with existing third-party processes, applications and extensions, including Google Drive, Dropbox, Salesforce, Desk.com, and office software, among others. Without easy integration, you could face the resource-intensive task of transferring business data or creating new databases.
Unified Communication
Unified communication is another industry standard that you should keep in mind when searching for the right VoIP solution for your company. Unified communication is a feature that allows you to integrate a variety of communication methods into a single system, mitigating your need to open separate apps or windows. Some of the communication methods you will likely want to access from your unified platform include email, video call, voicemail, and conference calls.
Local Area Codes and E911
You do not want clients, business partners, or other individuals to incur a charge when they call you on a traditional telephone system. That means you could look for a VoIP system that supports local area codes. Additionally, your provider should offer enhanced 911 (or e911) service, which enables emergency service dispatchers to automatically locate a caller’s geographic location.
Sound Quality
In this day and age, there is no excuse for subpar audio when using modern technology for business communications. Quality VoIP providers should be able to ensure high sound quality, as well as a guarantee to address technical problems if you experience choppy audio.
Obviously, there are numerous factors to consider when you are searching for the best VoIP system and service provider for your organization. Working alongside experienced IT consultants or information service providers can help you select an option that fits well with your existing communication systems, serves your professional needs, and stays within budget.
by Felicien | Feb 19, 2019 | Education
Do you have a lot of data?
Are you able to organize your data in a convenient logical way and then search for it with ease and/or with advanced search criteria so that the results are not in the hundreds but in the tens or less?
Is managing it or finding specific data at any given time proving time-consuming? Does that consumption of time eat into your budget?
If any of this is true, you may need an advanced program, something like Advanced eDiscovery that you can use via your Microsoft 365 subscription. It’s great for lawyers and it’s great for just about anyone else in any other industry who needs a better way of managing data.
Here’s how
Advanced eDiscovery helps people like you manage data.
What is Advanced eDiscovery?
First, what is Advanced eDiscovery? You may already be familiar with eDiscovery. eDiscovery is software that helps you process and collect information in a digital form or from digital sources. Examples include:
Emails
SMS
File Shares
Web pages
Social media
Other online documentation
eDiscovery allows you to search and put together information and unstructured data with relative ease. You can also search, tag, review, organize, analyze, and/or export it whenever necessary.
Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery is the next level — it fills many of the gaps left by eDiscovery and incorporates Equivio Zoom technology — Microsoft acquired Equivio in January 2015. Advanced eDiscovery, by optimizing the powerful tools provided by Equivio technology, makes managing data and gathering things like evidence much more efficient and intuitive.
What features does it offer?
The powerful features presented by Advanced eDiscovery include some of the following capabilities:
Powerful search capabilities that allow you to:
search documents stored within Office 365 as well as information and data outside of Office 365,
search using keywords and/or specific conditions defined by the program or added by the user,
identify information that is redundant or duplicative,
determine the relevance of using advanced predictive coding, and
apply tags to in effect label certain documents under one theme.
Intuitive organizational capabilities that allow you to:
cluster or group information from relevant topics,
define who has access to the data or allow only certain persons to view information, and
set up notifications.
Extensive analysis, reporting, and exporting capabilities that allow you to:
analyze data using different criteria,
filter information into a specific package using tags or labels that the user created, and
generate reports that can be submitted to government agencies or other legal institutions.
How does Microsoft Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery help manage your data?
Managing data is all about the above-mentioned features. Using these features, you can prepare a case, process it, analyze information and data, determine and save what is relevant, create reports, and export information, data, and/or reports.
The following is a breakdown of steps you would typically take when using Microsoft Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery to manage a new set of data:
Step 1: Conduct a search and pair down the information by about 60%. You can use different modes and themes to narrow the search.
Step 2: Click on the Relevance tab to mark each entry as R (relevant), NR (not relevant), or Skip (for later determination).
Step 3: Decide if you should move forward by clicking on the Decide tab.
Step 4: If you want to create a package to send to another party, you click on the export tab.
Advanced eDiscovery is all about helping users assess their position, protect data and information, and respond to requests for data, information, or compliance issues, among many other uses. There’s a lot to learn about Office 365 programs. It offers a lot of tools, but you can’t build if you do not know how to use the tools. Return to this blog regularly to learn more about these tools to make your professional life more efficient and productive.
by Felicien | Feb 19, 2019 | Education
Looking for ways to help your team accomplish more? Consider equipping their workspaces with additional monitors. Skeptics are likely shaking their heads at this, wondering, “Will that really improve productivity, or only give my employees an extra incentive to stream videos or play games? Aren’t more screens just a recipe for distraction?” Believe it or not, business leaders recommend providing your employees with two or more monitors. Here are just a few reasons why multiple monitors should be on your radar screen:
Digital Decluttering
It’s well-known that a messy workspace typically leads to chaos and confusion. Working at a crowded or disorganized desk requires you to navigate piles of paperwork or jumbles of office supplies to get things done. A cluttered desktop computer has the same effect. An abundance of icons and open tabs creates headaches for your team, while a second monitor keeps apps and programs organized.
Higher Productivity
Industry leaders report that productivity increases with two or more monitors. Users can navigate multiple applications efficiently, view more information simultaneously, and customize each monitor’s layout– with different landscapes and resolutions– to optimize ease-of-use.
Most modern computers are designed with multiple-monitor systems in mind. That means your employees can enjoy the benefits of added data availability without having to learn a new software program or spend valuable time configuring a new system. Those advantages alone are enough to boost productivity and streamline workflows. It’s also worth mentioning that Windows automatically “remembers” which monitor you last used to open a program, defaulting to that screen when you need to access the program again. When you’re multitasking or working on a big project, you can keep application accessibility consistent to maximize efficiency.
Versatility
Multiple screens prove invaluable in a variety of occupations– from graphic design to market analysis and stock-trading. You can easily make use of multiple applications and copy, paste, and edit data and images when you have access to more than one monitor. If your marketing team uses social media to promote your brand, they can reserve one screen for Twitter and Instagram and keep other documents open on another.
Likewise, if you must frequently respond to email, you can glance up from your work occasionally to check the other monitor for new inbox arrivals, rather than having to toggle back and forth within one screen, which can make digital correspondence more of a distraction than it has to be.
Workstations with extra monitors are also helpful for people who use laptops and need to frequent multiple workspaces throughout the day. Some companies provide “docking stations” where employees can connect a laptop to multimedia equipment– such as a monitor, speakers, and wireless keyboards– to access data, utilize a particular application, or perform other tasks. This is more cost-effective and efficient than providing each employee with a desktop and a laptop.
Data-Sharing and Referencing
When meeting with colleagues, you can effectively keep them “in the know” by enabling them to view the same information simultaneously. Whether you’re presenting information to a small group or a larger crowd, multiple monitors can be adjusted to display information from different angles, making it highly-visible to everyone. Similarly, if you are communicating with clients and vendors, you can track inventory or an order’s status without putting people on hold while you look up the information.
When preparing reports, you can have a PDF or HTML file open on one screen for reference while you create a Word document or Excel spreadsheet on another. If you have more than two monitors, you can keep other pertinent information within easy reach, too, allowing you to transition more smoothly from one task to the next.
Collaboration
When teleconferencing via Skype or a similar app, you can make your data visible to colleagues while still communicating almost as though you were face-to-face. Displaying data on one screen while video-chatting on another allows you to keep the interaction personal without compromising data accessibility.
The idea of providing multiple monitors for your staff may seem counterintuitive at first, but the advantages outweigh potential drawbacks. When you make dual-monitor systems a staple of your workplace, using them will become second-nature, especially when you see how they make it possible to move so effortlessly from one application to another. This low-maintenance solution gives your team the opportunity to get more accomplished in less time and paves the way for better communication and collaboration. All these benefits can go a long way toward improving morale and serving as a catalyst for enhanced creativity and innovation.
by Felicien | Feb 18, 2019 | Education
What Is the Big Picture in Terms of Cybercrime in 2018?
The past few years have revealed trends that show us cybercrime won’t just go away. The following stats put the breadth of the threat into perspective:
Cybercrime was the 2nd largest crime in terms of the number of incidents reported.
Cybercrime accounts for more than half all criminal activity in the U.K.
An attacker is present in a network an average of 146 days before getting caught. That’s enough time to get what they need without getting caught.
What Did Cybercrime Cost in 2018?
With technology continuing to advance in favor of cybercrime, 2019 is likely to see its share of hacking headlines. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey revealed that 43 percent of businesses experienced some kind of cybersecurity breach in 2018. California alone lost $214 million to cybercriminals.
VPNs are one way people try to protect their online privacy, but user behavior continues to counteract the best firewalls and security strategies. For example, despite knowing the risks of clicking an unknown link or email, many people do so anyway.
What is a Cybercrime Platform?
The cybercrime economy mimics the global economy’s shift towards a platform model. This mirrors the legitimate shift to social media, Amazon and Google. Platforms connect retailers and consumers and give people a place to interact in other ways. Unfortunately, this has given unscrupulous people an opportunity to get to know how these systems work and use that knowledge to commit cybercrimes.
What Is the Most Common File Format Used By Cyber Criminals?
Hackers love Microsoft Office file extensions. They know people trust them and are more likely to click on them. Emails are the most common way that cybercriminals defraud their victims, and they do so by sending files with familiar extensions to mask malware and spyware. People use emails every day for all kinds of communications, including very sensitive information. Unfortunately, it’s relatively easy for bad actors to send you an email that opens you up to viruses, identity theft and other risks.
How Are Cyber Criminals Making Money Off Your Computing Power?
Some hackers aren’t interested in your personal information or causing havoc with your sensitive files. Believe it or not, some cyber criminals break into your computer to steal your computing power. They may use these unauthorized resources to mine cryptocurrencies, for example.
One of the latest threats involves the use of your computer or other devices for bitcoin mining. Symantec has reported an increase of 8,500 percent in the number of people caught coin-mining. This indicates that there are hackers dedicated to accessing and using a victim’s computer resources in lieu of stealing personal data.
How Much Money Can a Cybercriminals Make?
The short answer to this is that an individual with the right skills can earn far more via cybercrime than most legitimate lines of work. Individuals can earn about half a million dollar a year by selling stolen data. There are several levels involved, however. Low-level hackers may be happy with petty crimes that put extra cash in their pocket. Highly specialized hackers can make millions working alone or as a team. Generally, though, hackers make about 15 percent more than those in traditional crime brackets. High earners bring home about$167,000 a month, mid-level earners rake in $75,000 a month and at the low end of the spectrum, petty cybercriminals make $3,500 a month. For instance, someone managing multiple card data forums can bring in millions each month.
How Do Hackers Use Existing Platforms to Make Money?
Just turn on the news any given night and you can find stories on data breaches, the bread and butter of cyber thieves. Personal data can be sold as is or used to created bank accounts and apply for credit cards, which are sold for small or large fortunes. Theft isn’t the only crime possible. Major platforms are targeted for the myriad of data they collect. Even Facebook is not immune. It was in the news for a significant data leak in 2018. Yahoo also had a major breach that compromised 3 billion user profiles. Cybercriminals aren’t shy about going after these giants, so it’s up to you to increase your vigilance at home and at the office.
Are Smart Homes Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks?
Smart home devices usually connect to your home network from an outside network. If your router is adequated protected, you’re opening the front door of your home for cybercriminals. With smart home devices becoming more common, savvy criminals are learning to take advantage of their vulnerabilities.
