FlexITechs Now in Its
Eighth Year
FlexITechs is now in its eighth year of serving Sussex County residents and businesses.
After two years as the computer services arm of our sister company, Sussex County Online, FlexITechs was formed to better define the computer services offered by owner Eric Magill.
We thank all of our customers who have made it possible for us to reach our 8th year!
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Greetings!
Thank you for your continued interest in FlexITechs. If you'd prefer not to receive our occasional email newsletters, use the "Unsubscribe" link above.
Also, be sure to:
Sincerely, Eric Magill, FlexITechs |
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Technology Resolutions for 2012
Okay, I've already blown my first resolution to get out my list of technology resolutions for 2012 before the start of the New Year.
Argh!
Oh well, better late than never, I guess, so without further ado, here's my list of Technology Resolutions for 2012:
Businesses:
1. Develop a backup plan and test the backups to ensure they are working and will be available if you need them;
2. Develop an Acceptable Use Policy for your company that details what your employees can and can't do on your network;
3. Develop a Security Plan that makes it a company-wide priority to protect not only company data but customer data, as well;
4. Put BIOS passwords and Windows login passwords on all laptops and consider encryption to prevent company information from falling into the wrong hands, even if the laptop is lost or stolen;
5. Develop a three-year Technology Lifecycle Plan that assesses your existing technology's ability to meet your business goals and allows you to budget for necessary upgrades and replacements to meet those goals.
Consumers:
1. Security -- keep your anti-virus software and Windows operating system up to date with the latest virus definitions and security updates;
2. More Security -- consider the paid version of MalwareBytes. For $24.95, it's the most effective anti-malware agent on the market. Note I said "most effective". I didn't say fool-proof;
3. Do not leave mobile devices like laptops, Netbooks, cell phones and tablets in plain view in your vehicle -- even in your driveway;
4. Do not open unsolicited emails with file attachments -- even from friends. Before opening an unsolicited file attachment, verify that the person the email is supposedly from actually sent the email;
5. Ensure that you have a password on your wireless network that can't be easily guessed. |
Be Careful What You Post Online If you're looking for a job, you should Google yourself and scrub your social networking accounts to prevent potential employers from scratching you off their lists. In a survey conducted by the social media monitoring service Reppler of more than 300 hiring professionals, 90 percent use social networking sites to screen job applicants. Worse, 69 percent have rejected a candidate based on what they saw on their social networking pages. Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are used most frequently by HR departments. Google is another easy way to get quick info on a candidate. The good news is that 68 percent of those same professionals have hired candidates based on what they saw on their social networking pages. You want to make sure your social networking profiles and Google results make a good impression on potential employers because nearly half -- 47 percent -- go to those sites as soon as they receive an application and before they ever talk to the applicant. Typically, employers are looking at those sites to determine if the candidate would be a good fit with the company. Lying about qualifications was cited most often by employers as the reason for rejecting a candidate after viewing their social networking profile. Other employer turnoffs -- inappropriate photos, comments, discriminatory comments, negative comments about previous employers, and content involving drinking and drug use. So, if you are currently looking for work, Google yourself and be sure your social networking profile presents the image you want employers to see. |
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BizTech -- iPads in a Windows World
You've decided that your business should venture outside of the Windows world into that mysterious place of the iPad.
So, what can it do for your business? Will it open a whole new way of doing business or will it be a cool but expensive gadget that has little to no use for business purposes like the typical Mac?
Certainly, you can use your iPad for basic Internet tasks like staying in touch with customers through email or social networking.
But while the iPad has numerous business-related apps that will allow you to access files, edit office documents, take notes, create invoices, manage customers, make presentations, show off catalogs, and analyze reports, etc., you'll need to perform your due diligence to determine if your iPad apps will mingle peacefully with the Windows-based business world that the overwhelming majority of businesspeople work in.
You'll want to know, for instance, if you'll be able to use the documents you create on the iPad in Windows applications and vice versa.
You'll want to know if your company's Line of Business Application (LOB) can be used from your iPad (if this is important to you).
You'll want to know if your printer will work from the iPad and you'll want to know if you can live with the limitations of touch-screen data entry or if you should spring for a docking station to use a keyboard (a bit cumbersome if you travel a lot).
In short, the iPad provides some tremendous capabilities for businesspeople, but only if you've thoroughly investigated the pros and cons of iPads in your Windows-based business world.
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We thank you for your past business and hope we can continue to fulfill your technology needs in the future. If you have any questions about current technology issues, feel free to contact us at 537-4198. |
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Sincerely,
Eric Magill
FlexITechs
Microsoft Small Business Specialist |
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