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Lasco Newsletter |
July 2011 |
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Friends,
I hope you enjoyed your town's Independence Day festivities as much as I did. Thank you to all of the service men and women, as well as their families, who have made it possible for us all to enjoy the freedom we have. Our prayers are continuously with you.
I would like to share with you an update on Lasco's Support Center. Over the past few months we have made numerous changes and improvements to our support center, including infrastructure and software changes, as well as personnel additions. To date, our I.T. Support Budget is in excess of $500,000 annually. All of these changes enable us to support our clients' current applications and infrastructure.
One of the most obvious infrastructure changes is our approach to handling support calls. We have changed to a multi-tiered approach, which involves quicker escalation of support tickets and after a set amount of time, a ticket will automatically be handed up to a more highly-skilled technician. We will also be moving to a fully-automated ticketing system, which will give our customers more ability to check the status of their ticket without having to call the support center for an update.
Our goal is that all of these changes will add value to our relationship with our clients and also improve your experience with us as your technology partner. I hope you will share your thoughts as well as any concerns with me as these changes are implemented. If you are ever not completely satisfied with our service, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always available to speak with you and look forward to our conversation.
I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the summer with friends and family.
Warmest Regards,
Dennis VanLandschoot
President & CEO
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Congratulations!! Renee Kremer from First Bank
was our most recent giveaway winner! Renee received our 'Night on the Town' package which included a Gift Certificate to Elizabeth's Chophouse as well as two tickets to NMU's Theatrical Production of Peter Pan. Thank you to all who participated in our free drawing. |
Tim's Tech Tidbit
This seems to be a busy time of year for traveling, whether for business or leisure, and while it's wonderful to be part of this mobile world - there always seem to be things unaccounted for. Lasco is here for all of the little I.T. details to see that your business is still moving forward, even if you're on the beach! So please don't forget to call Lasco to make sure you've thought of everything before you leave. Also, if your travels take you near Marquette, please stop in for a visit, as well as a chance to preview some of our finest technology. Enjoy your summer and please feel free to contact me at any time.
Tim Shandonay, VP of I.T. can be reached at 800-800-6197 Ext. 1044 or by email tims@lascoinc.com |
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Did You Know?
"The whole country makes money when the Mint makes money... Why? The answer is "seigniorage"-the difference between the cost of making a coin and its face value. (For example, it costs only a few cents to make a quarter, yet its face value is 25 cents.) This profit runs the Mint and puts extra funds into the country's Treasury-funds then spent on education, health care, defense, and other services for the nation."
Source: The United States Mint |
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More Thoughts from the Tech World...
- Did you know that Microsoft Updates are not just for "looks"? They actually keep your system safe from new vulnerabilities!
- When in doubt... log out of the server and try again. |
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We Want To Hear From YOU!
We are looking for topics of interest for our upcoming newsletters. Please let us know what topics are of highest interest to you! |
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In-House News...
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Jason Barnes |
- Lasco's Newest Employee!
Jason Barnes is a graduate of Escanaba Senior High School as well as Northern Michigan University, Jason has recently returned to Marquette from the state of Washington. While studying at NMU, Jason earned a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature with a Minor in CIS - Networking.
Jason also has a military background with the United States Army. He was trained in Field Artillery but also studied to work as an Arabic Interpreter. While attending NMU, Jason worked as a Help Desk Consultant, providing technical support to both students and faculty. Jason's most recent employment was for The Summit at Snoqualmie (a Boyne Resort) near Seattle, Washington as an I.T. Technician. He has expertise in End User Support, Desktop Troubleshooting, Server Administration and Maintenance, Network Infrastructures and Routing, Application Support and Development, Phone Systems and also Network Cabling. With over 10 years of experience in the I.T. Field, he is also quite knowledgeable in current issues and trends concerning Electronic Security.
Jason enjoys spending time with his wife and son as well as snowboarding, hiking, cooking and traveling. Jason will be working with Lasco's Technical Department as a Support Technician.
 | | Amy Elliott |
- Lasco Employee Promotion!
Amy Elliott has been promoted to a full-time technical position within the Lasco Tech Team. Congratulations Amy!!
- Fraco is currently undergoing a server conversion!
- State Savings Bank of Manistique completes server conversion!
- The Peninsula Bank completes server conversion!
- mBank signs with Lasco for network support service. Welcome mBank!!
- State Savings Bank of Manistique renews contract with Lasco for 6 years. Thank you State Savings Bank!!
 Lasco donates to Marquette County Habitat for Humanity (Pictured from Left to Right: Jason Barnes, Lasco Support Technician; Marquette County Habitat for Humanity President of the Board Ken Czapski; Ryan Valiquette, Lasco Support Technician) - Lasco hosted an H.R. Bootcamp, and also an FIS Lending Products Demonstration at The Landmark Inn, thank you to all who attended these seminars!
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Social Media
Looking for a list of Do's and Don'ts for Social Media? Look no further! We've listed a few below, but feel free to check out the full article here: Banks should advise customers on the do's and don'ts of social networking
Do:
- clear any sensitive information from all of the electronic devices that you use, especially your mobile
- use all the tools you can to be safe online such as free antivirus software like AVGfree, and plugins to browsers such as NoScript
- share your life and lifestream, but restrict this to only those who deserve to know you and who you really know
Don't:
- use passwords and usernames similar to your bank logon details anywhere other than with the bank
- store your password and username on devices such as your mobile, netbook or laptop, or keep such information anywhere near them
- click on any links from people you don't know or to something that sounds exciting but could be fishy.... use link above to see the rest of this article
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Social Media, please contact us today.
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Where are you spending your $$...?
While invention has often been defined as turning cash into ideas, "innovation" is sometimes thought of as turning ideas into cash. This model possesses an intriguing symmetry. But more interesting perhaps is the aspect of getting the cash to fund innovation in the world of information technology and, in particular, in banking.... To see the rest of this article, please follow this link: IT Austerity Is A Mistake
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FREE Drawing! |
Win a Free Gift Basket!! Prize includes: Gift Certificates to local shops and restaurants as well as a bottle of wine and some locally made gift items.
Simply respond to this e-newsletter before August 1st with the word GIVEAWAY in the subject line and you will be entered into the drawing. | |
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