Like many others, you probably spent more time on social media in 2011 than in previous years. Businesses are realizing that social media can influence sales and customer satisfaction and are looking for ways to get involved. David Armano discusses "Six social media trends for 2012" in his blog on Harvard Business Review. Two of Armano's trends include:

1. Social Sharing - Sears is one example of a company using direct links on their website to post or tweet opinions of their products. Whether selling a product or service, allowing customers to immediately share their experience with friends and family is a fast way to get noticed.
2. Gamification Nation - Foursquare uses points and badges for checking in at destinations with this app. Many businesses are adding coupons or discounts to that service to attract users to visit and check in at their business. Competition and game-like features keeps apps and their social networks connected.

Social media continues to become a powerhouse force in daily life. Get linked to your customers using social media and see how it can generate sales and build customer loyalty.

When you store information in the cloud you don't really know where it goes off to. In the past, data was more easily monitored because it was in the server closet down the hall. This made it relatively easy to comply with data privacy and security standards. With more emphasis being placed on incorporating cloud offerings into your business strategy, the concern about your data is real. Data laws have made many cloud offerings on the market impossible to use and remain in compliance. In December 2011 Microsoft published a press release stating that Office 365 is the first and only major cloud-based platform to offer leading privacy and security standards. In connection with the press release they have also revised the Office 365 Trust Center website (http://trust.office365.com to be more accessible and easier to understand. The press release also explains the compliance updates that you can learn about here: Office 365 Becomes First and Only Major Cloud Productivity Service to Comply With Leading EU and U.S. Standards for Data Protection and Security

If the security and privacy improvements of this product have you interested in learning how Microsoft Office 365 would work for you, let us help you get started with a tailored trial. Contact us at 630-875-1100 or [email protected].

One way companies are getting their feet wet using cloud-computing is with document storage. Storing company documents using applications like Microsoft Office 365, and others is an easy and fairly low-risk way to see how the cloud works. Sandra Gittlen points out in her blog "Company Docs in the Cloud: the Risks and Rewards" published on CIO.com that document storage in the cloud can save IT department time and expense with infrastructure to procure and maintain, it encourages collaboration, and provides data to employees using nearly any device when in or out of the office.

To make document storage safer though, Gittlen suggests putting policies in place for security and protection of corporate data. Limit the type of document stored in the cloud to protect the most sensitive data. Investigate your provider to see what level of security they can guarantee to protect against data loss and outages. Cloud service providers should also have backup and disaster recovery procedures in place. Make sure that you can also retrieve that data if your employee is on vacation or has left the company.

Document storage can be a cost-effective and productive way to test-drive cloud-computing options. Just like any other change involving IT products or services, it is wise to evaluate the risks and rewards before jumping into new technology feet first.

Frequent Traveler?

Are you a frequent traveler and have reward programs set up with multiple airlines? If so, you may want to consider signing up for MileWise. On this site you can not only put all of your reward numbers in one place, with one search request you can see all the ways to pay for a flight either by cash, miles or points you have accumulated and the best airline for you to take. Once you set-up your profile with your preferences and accounts it will also display the rewards you will earn, your current status, and if you are eligible for cabin bonuses. Happy travels!

Jump Lists (it's more useful than it sounds)

You probably haven't heard of Jump Lists before so here a quick education to a handy little tool. A jump list is the menu that comes up when you right click on an icon in your taskbar. For instance, if you right click on the Internet Explorer icon you will see a list of frequent websites you visit which you can click on, or you can open a new tab. Give it a try on different programs and you may be surprised at quick options that are available to you at your clicking fingertips.

The companies of IDT (Integrated Document Technologies, Inc.) support small, mid-market and enterprise firms in achieving maximum efficiency by offering fully integrated ECM, ERP and CRM solutions.

Founded in 1992, IDT's initial focus was helping companies effectively apply automated enterprise content management solutions to eliminate paper and better manage every business transaction. With the inception of IDT Consulting in 2001, the company offers ERP and CRM solutions and in-depth knowledge of how financial systems work and how to streamline the accounting process. Today, IDT Consulting is a Silver Certified Microsoft Partner specializing in Dynamics GP, Dynamics CRM, and Microsoft SharePoint. Visit our website at www.idtconsulting.com.