Modern Business Communication: The Essential Rules of Etiquette  

by Felicien | Aug 11, 2017 | Education

When it comes to today’s business communications, there are some essential rules you should abide by.

Communication is, and always will be, the backbone of any successful business. How and where these conversations take place is something that changes all the time. Ten years ago, communication occurred in conference rooms, at meetings, and around the popular water cooler. These days, apps like Slack and Skype are the new norm as more employees work remotely. If they visited your physical location, they probably couldn’t find the water cooler if their job depended on it.
Even though the informal conversation is now the new norm, the essential rules of etiquette remain the same.  Here are some tips to follow:
Be Careful with Emojis.
Everyone loves emojis. (Except film critics, apparently—Reviews of “The Emoji Movie” were brutal!)  However, legal professionals increasingly recommend that businesses keep them OUT of modern communication. The problem is, the meaning behind an emoji is incredibly subjective—It changes depending on who’s doing the sending and receiving, which could land you in a world of trouble if you’re not careful.
The emoji problem has the potential to become so severe that people like Michelle Lee Flores are already presenting seminars to educate people on when to (and when not to) use them.

You may think that the eggplant emoji is just a funny little thing—But others may see it as a phallic symbol!
That oncoming fist emoji you intended as a celebratory “fist bump” may come across as an “angry punch.”
Just because you sent someone a winking-face emoji doesn’t mean they’ll see it that way. Oftentimes, it’s perceived as being flirtatious, or even sexual harassment, which is a big “no-no” in the work environment.

One San Francisco lawyer said that he saw an emoji used as evidence in lawsuits that alleged harassment and issues of workplace discrimination. Plus, if you accidentally use the wrong gender, or fail to use the correct skin pigmentation, you could deeply offend someone, and open up your business to a world of legal hurt.
With this in mind, perhaps the number-one rule of etiquette should be: “Just because your phone will let you send an emoji doesn’t mean that you should.”
Smartphones have changed the way we will communicate forever. This can be both good and bad in terms of etiquette. Here are some things to consider when making business calls with your cell phone:

Don’t put your phone on the table when meeting with others. Even if you’re not expecting a call or text, your phone will likely be firing push notifications and news updates every few minutes. Many people will see this as a distraction, or worse – a sign that you’re not interested in what they have to say.
Choose a normal ringtone. You may think it’s great that your iPhone lets you set the theme song to the hit show “Friends” as your ringtone. But, consider how embarrassing it will be if it goes off in the middle of your crowded office. Or worse, at your next client meeting. Consider how others will react to your ringtone before choosing one, and in most situations, remember that “playing it safe” is highly recommended.
Let a caller know when they’re on speaker phone, or if someone else is in the room during a conference call. This is just common sense, and extends to the world of video communication, as well. Just because someone can see you on Skype doesn’t mean that they can see others in your office who may be watching and listening. Make sure the person you’re talking to is aware of others in the room, and trust that they’ll extend the same courtesy to you.
Don’t leave long voicemails. Every form of communication has its intended purpose, and ignoring this is the perfect way to irritate anyone. Keep voicemails short and to the point. If you believe your message is going to be longer than 30 seconds, consider using email instead. This way, essential information will be properly conveyed and received.
Remember that you very rarely, if ever, want to “reply all” to an email. At best, you’re sending additional messages to recipients who may or may not be interested, and wasting their time. At worst, you’ll invariably trigger a “reply-all apocalypse” the likes of which recipients may never escape.
When delivering bad news, choose your medium very carefully. Just because instant messaging and SMS text messaging are easy and efficient, doesn’t mean they’re an appropriate way to tell someone they’ve been fired or that they just lost a big account. If you must deliver bad news, it’s best to do it face-to-face. If that’s impossible, choose a form of communication that allows you to SEE the other person’s reaction, like a Skype video call.
Be careful what you put in writing. This just makes good legal sense. Never put anything in writing via text message, email or other form that might come back to bite you later. Pick up the phone instead. Or better yet, pay a visit and communicate in person. Your legal team will be glad you did.

If your business is in {city} and you’d like to learn more about business communications or other IT issues, please contact {company} at: {phone} or {email}  

Do These Cybersecurity Myths Hold Up to Scrutiny?

by Felicien | Aug 11, 2017 | Education

To stay safe in terms of cyber security, you must separate fact from fiction. Hacking and forms of cyber crime are nothing new. However, one recent study reveals the problem is far more severe than any of us thought. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, almost 178 million personal records were stolen during breaches in 2015 alone. The cost of handling these attacks amounted to $400 billion during the same year – a number that’s expected to climb to $2.1 trillion by 2019.

There are many myths surrounding cyber crime. Shattering three of the most prominent ones is the best way to ensure you, your employees and your organization stay safe moving forward.
Myth #1: Size Matters – I’m Far Too Small to Be a Target
Perhaps the most popular cyber security myth is the idea that if you’re not a large enterprise you don’t have to worry about getting hacked. Many believe that hackers tend to go where the money is, and if you’re running a small or medium-sized business, you’re a small fish in a big pond that probably won’t attract their attention.
This is false. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) revealed that 61% of data breach victims in 2016 were companies with under 1,000 employees. Hackers are smart, and their attempts are getting more sophisticated all the time. Phishing, ransomware and other hacking techniques target small businesses in particular, as they’re the most likely to NOT have a cyber security plan in place.
NOBODY is immune from these and other types of attacks. The more you do to educate your employees and defend against cybercrime, the more you’re likely to stay safe.
Myth #2: Cybersecurity Technology Is Infallible and Will Fix Everything.
Many people think that if they invest in a cyber security solution, and keep it updated and configured properly, they have absolutely nothing to worry about. Again, this is false. Even a state-of-the-art antivirus suite can’t guard against something like user error.
The reason why attacks like ransomware are so effective is that they trick users who aren’t informed about the latest hacking techniques. This is one of the many reasons why cyber security education should always be a primary focus for your organization.
Any employee who handles data must undergo security compliance training and understand how to implement security measures. A data-security policy that starts from the top down, and that you strictly enforce company-wide, is essential. Training your staff to identify and mitigate cyber security threats is one of the best ways you can reduce the chance that you’ll be breached.
Myth #3: Cybersecurity Is Just Too Expensive for Me to Deal With.
Unfortunately, even when a business owner acknowledges that their organization could be a target of hacking, they often believe they lack the funds to properly defend against it.
Think about the consequences of a breach.  We’re not just talking about downtime and lost productivity – We’re talking about irreparable damage to your business’ reputation, expensive legal fees, damaging regulatory penalties, lost customers, and so much more—all because you want to save a little money.
Think about the days or weeks following a potential attack and ask yourself which expense will be larger: The cyber security protections you put in place, or the costs of the points noted above? This could l mean the difference between surviving an attack, and being forced to close your doors.
Implementing cyber security measures is a smaller investment than you probably think it is. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that nearly $1 trillion will be spent on cyber security between 2017 and 2022. Getting on this “bandwagon” today could ensure your business is still here tomorrow.
No matter what business you operate, one thing is clear – Getting attacked is no longer a question of “if” but “when.” You must ensure you’re doing everything you can to stay safe.  
If your business is in {city} and you’d like to learn more about this or any IT topic, please don’t delay – Contact {company} by phone at {phone} or by email at: {email}

Do you take work with you on vacation?

by Felicien | Aug 11, 2017 | Education

Taking business on vacation is bad news all around.
Here’s how to keep your phone, but leave work behind.  

Vacation time leaves today’s professional with a tough problem—They want to get away from work, but they typically end up bringing it with them thanks to their work-related mobile devices. In today’s BYOD world, more people are taking their jobs with them on vacation, and that’s not good.
Vacations are necessary for both physical and mental health, however the good they do evaporates when the job comes along for the ride. Here’s how to make sure your mobile device doesn’t keep you tethered to the office.
Leave an Effective “Away Message.”

Email: Be thoughtful when setting up your email “away” message. You don’t want people to leave unnecessary information, or try to contact you some other way unless it’s an emergency. The typical email auto-reply will work: “I’ll be out of the office from [date] to [date], and will be reading my emails when I return.” Don’t say anything other than this. More information will only hurt your goals. For example, if you say that you’re going on vacation in your away message, many people will think their problem is more important than your rest.
Phone: When leaving away messages on your phone, style them after the email version. Speak the dates you’ll be away. You may want to mention that unless it’s very important, the caller shouldn’t leave a voice message and should state their needs via email or on your website.

This may not stop phone calls to your mobile device if your number is listed for business communications. If you use a service that routes business calls to your phone, ask about disabling it while you’re away so you don’t have to get the calls at all.
Have Someone Else Manage Your Emails
When possible, don’t open up your work email at all. If you may be getting important, must-answer emails, arrange to have someone else cover them for you.  You should probably switch important client accounts over to someone else, and email messages should be a part of this process. Newer tools like Outlook’s Group emails make this easier, since emails can be seen and managed by multiple people.
Need to Check In? Talk to Someone Directly.
If you still need to get reports about business while on vacation, don’t review them yourself. Instead, give that job to someone else, and call them when you absolutely have to. Let them decide what’s important to tell you so you don’t have to.
Turn Off Notifications on Your Phone and Computer.
Chances are good that you have a few important apps on your phone and computer that provide alerts when something significant occurs. As part of your vacation prep, go to settings and move through your notifications to see how many you can turn off. Switch off as many as possible and you’ll rest easier. This may mean disabling Microsoft Office 365 during your away time as well.
Note: Platforms like iOS make this “a breeze” with the Notifications tab.  It lists all app notifications in one place so they’re easy to find and change.
Turn Off Your Alarms
Do you use your phone to wake up?  A lot of busy people do. However, you probably want to sleep in on vacation. So, don’t forget to turn off your alarms and try waking up the natural way.
Don’t Take Your Phone with You
Sure, you can take your phone on vacation. But don’t take it everywhere. If you’re going to lay by the pool or walk on the beach you shouldn’t need your phone. Leave it behind: You can always depend on someone else’s phone in an emergency.
Mute and Hide Your Devices.
This is an easy and effective tactic. When you’re back in your the hotel room or vacation rental you may want to turn off the sound on your phone and put it away in a drawer.  A major part of stress associated with devices is due to their physical presence. Disabling the sound and hiding it away removes that stress. After the “itch” to take out your phone goes away, you can finally start enjoying your vacation.
Set Strict Goals for Time Spent on Devices.
If you’re more of a technical person, then check how much time you spend on your device each day. You can easily do this with applications like  Moment Screen-Time Tracker. Set a goal for lowering the time you spend on your device as each day goes by. This gives you something to work on, while spending more time enjoying your vacation—So, both parts of your brain win.
Block Calls for Specific Times
Software like Timetrade allows you to set time-based blocks on your phone to stop calls and other activity. This is a great solution when you need to take your phone somewhere, but you don’t want to be disturbed.
Need more info on how to manage your business from afar, or your digital time in general? We can help. {company} provides IT services for businesses in {city}.  Give us a call {phone} or send us an email {email}. 

DaaS Solves Your Device Management Problems.  

by Felicien | Aug 10, 2017 | Education

Device management is an age-old headache, and one that IT teams struggle with on a regular basis. However, using DaaS (Device as a Service) can solve this problem, and leverage organizational strengths while reducing overall costs.

Businesses of all sizes look for ways to leverage technology to create an edge over their competitors. However, this can be a challenge for small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs). The rapid pace of change, and the deeper pockets of larger organizations often leaves SMBs competing with aging software and hardware, and without the funds to replace them.
Fortunately, cloud-based software is now extending to devices. DaaS is growing in relevance and prominence in the SMB workplace. While procuring devices in a service model isn’t new, the term has been updated. Technology teams are adopting this concept and fully embracing the new opportunities offered by this aged-old model.
The Challenges with Device Management
IT managers are familiar with the difficulties surrounding device management.  Plus, it can cause frustration all the way from the board room to individual workers, for a variety of reasons:

Cost: By the time IT managers get the funds needed for device upgrades, the technology is often outdated and needs to be researched again before a purchase can be made.
Lack of flexibility: Buying devices in bulk is usually the most cost-effective option. Purchasing a bulk quantity of the same type of computer simplifies everything from purchasing to deployment and support. However, this doesn’t take into consideration the varying needs of workers.
Slow upgrades: New employees coming online may have different requirements than those who received their computer only a few years ago. In this case, your IT team is left dealing with multiple releases and platforms.
Maintenance: It’s no surprise that older hardware and software require more maintenance to run efficiently and effectively. As you near the end of your device life cycle, this problem will rise to the forefront, and can be a huge productivity drain on your technology team.
Device disposal: What do you do with used devices after they’ve been replaced with newer models? Best case scenario, you’re can sell them—However, this still requires the wiping of hard drives, removing passwords, and other precautions.
Hardware inventory: Maintaining an accurate inventory of which devices are assigned to specific individuals can be a laborious task. Even the most organized of IT teams need to perform a bi-annual or annual inventory, and there are invariably surprises or missing devices that need to be tracked down. This problem is compounded if you provide your tablets, mobile phones, desktop and laptop computers for each employee.

With all of the challenges associated with device management, it’s no surprise that businesses are looking for other options.  
The DaaS Model
Devices as a Service has been used in the past to lease high-end office equipment such as printers and copiers.  However, it’s now expanding to other devices as IT departments are being overtaxed and understaffed.
Outsourcing devices allows technology teams to focus on ways to bring value to the organization, instead of spending time keeping things running. The hidden costs of poorly supported technology are numerous, and include everything from poor productivity due to slow operations, to lost customer data, and even reduced levels of revenue.
IT teams may not realize their prospects and customers are jumping off their website due to slow connection speeds from their server. And business leaders may not realize that the effectiveness of their customer service representatives is less than 50 percent due to slow computer connections.
Improved Security and Scalability
As cybercrime is on the rise, and ransomware is running rampant throughout the business world, ensuring your network is completely secure is a key. When your team has the latest hardware and software, you’re more likely to be compliant with accepted best practices for security, regulations, business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
Scalability is a critical piece to consider as well. DaaS provides you with an easy way to scale up or down, without incurring massive costs to add or depreciate equipment.
You’ll Receive Timely Updates
With DaaS, security patches, software updates and hardware upgrades are performed on a regular schedule by individuals whose sole responsibility is to ensure they’re up-to-date at all times.
Ease of Management
Working with a DaaS vendor provides you and your IT team peace of mind. Your vendor will constantly review the current device structure for your business, and handle device issues now and into the future.
Plus, your DaaS vendor can provide an analytics platform so you and your IT team can view employee performance and productivity throughout your organization.
When you research DaaS organizations, it’s important to keep in mind that service levels can differ, with a variety of price ranges depending on response times and update schedules.
Working with a DaaS vendor provides you and your team more time to focus on strategic initiatives that will promote your business success. They’ll manage your IT assets, device inventories, upgrade schedules and handle deployments—even the disposal of aging assets.
Want to learn more about DaaS for your organization in the {city}? Contact {company} at {phone} or {email}. Our professionals will work with you to find the best device management options for your business.

Microsoft Paint “Saved”

by Felicien | Aug 10, 2017 | Education

When news broke that Microsoft was planning to discontinue MS Paint in the wake of newer and more modern offerings like Paint 3D, the Internet did not take it well. The reaction to what many assumed was Microsoft’s plans to kill the beloved 32-year-old program was one of sadness with the hashtag #RIPMSPaint trending within hours, tacked on to the end of numerous tweets from users who were not happy to learn that they would have to say goodbye to this old favorite.

First launched all the way back in 1985 as part of the original Windows 1.0 program, MS Paint holds a deep nostalgia for computer users who have fond memories of the entertainment the program provided in the days when there wasn’t much other entertainment to be found on the home PC. For such a simple program, Paint proved to be a surprisingly versatile tool for Windows users. Whether you used it to doodle with your mouse, add your own artistic flair to a piece of clip art, or as a way to create screen grabs, MS Paint had something to offer everyone.
The barrage of tweets expressing gratitude for years of silly fun and sharing little Paint-created photos as a reaction to this disappointing bit of news did not go unnoticed by Microsoft. A day later, the PC giant released a blog post that addressed MS Paint being added to a list of “deprecated” features that would be included as part of their Windows 10 Fall Creators Update – meaning that while the program would be a part of this fall’s software package, it would no longer be subject to active development and could likely go away forever. Outlook Express and the Reader app were also on this list, but neither of those programs prompted the level of protest and outrage MS Paint’s inclusion did.
In their statement, Microsoft acknowledged the outpouring of support for this trusty old app from its large number of fans. As a result, they no longer plan to put MS Paint out to pasture. An app version will be made available in the Windows Store. In an email, a Microsoft spokesperson further clarified the company’s plans for the app, saying “MS Paint is not going away. In addition to the new 3D capabilities, many of the MS Paint features people know and love like photo editing and 2D creation are in Paint 3D–the new app for creativity, available for free with the Windows 10 Creators Update. In the future, we will offer MS Paint in the Windows Store also for free and continue to provide new updates and experiences to Paint 3D so people have the best creative tools all in one place.”
With that, MS Paint supporters can rest easy knowing that the much-loved program will be sticking around for a while longer. For those who spent many an hour playing around with Paint and making the most of its basic features, this feels like an important victory. Regardless of whether you view Paint as an integral bit of your childhood or as an easy and reliable means of creating simple graphics for a college or workplace project (or killing time in class or at the office – we’ve all been there), it’s nice to know that Paint isn’t going anywhere.
Technology is constantly evolving for the better, slowly but surely making even old standards unrecognizable. These kinds of changes are welcomed with open arms, especially by those who use them each and every day. Paint may be the one and the only program we’re all glad has barely changed since day one. Because while no one would argue that yesterday’s technology is superior to today’s, seeing that familiar little icon in the Start Menu is like seeing an old friend who is impossibly still the exact same as you remember them. In a digital world that would be completely baffling to computer users from the 80s, MS Paint is a touchstone to days gone by.
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