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Don't Forget!
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Greetings!
As a business owner, I know you don't have time to waste on technical and operational issues. That's where we shine! Call us, and put an end to your IT problems finally and forever!
- Lauren Groff
Groff NetWorks, LLC
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How To Get Your Employees To Cheerfully Put In MORE Hours
Who doesn't want employees that are more productive in the workplace? Nevertheless, personal issues, illness and family obligations often prevent employees from coming in. That's why so many employers are now enabling remote access to their network.
Whether you call it "working from home," or your "virtual office," the idea is the same: your network is configured to give you and your staff the ability to work from some location other than the office. While most business owners and managers pulling 60 hour work-weeks love the idea of putting in some of those hours from the comfort of their home, they often fear that employees given the same luxury won't be as productive. However, studies have shown that employees working from home are actually far more productive than those who are limited to working at the office. The biggest fear is that employees will goof off and not take their job seriously; however, that fear is on the decline as more and more businesses are pursuing this (23 million and growing to be exact!)
While telecommuting will not work in every situation, there is no doubt that technology has made working from home extremely practical, whether a few times a month or every week. As a matter of fact, offering work-from-home options can give you a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining the best employees. Here are some additional benefits to allowing your people remote access:
· Employees who are sick can continue to work without infecting the office or losing an entire day of work.
· Employees forced to stay home to take care of sick family members can continue to work instead of taking off long periods.
· Inclement weather or heavily congested traffic won't shut down your office.
· Key managers with a heavy workload will actually be more productive if given the ability to work from home on evenings and weekends.
· Allowing employees flexibility during peak workloads (eg. CPAs during tax season) makes employees happier to put in the extra hours from a home office.
· Employees with temporary or permanent disabilities can continue to be fully functional in a home environment.
How To Get Started With A Work-From-Home Program
While there are several options for remotely accessing your network, there are two primary ways used by most companies. They are:
Remote Web Workplace:
Pros: It's easy to use. This method of remote access automatically comes with most Microsoft Small Business Server software. As long as your server is configured properly, you should be able to use the remote features.
Cons: Your desktop in your office has to be turned on and functioning. Because this method actually takes over your computer, any issue with your computer that requires a physical reboot (meaning you need to be there at the machine) renders your work-from-home session impossible.
Virtual Private Network (VPN):
Pros: Doesn't rely on another computer in the office to work. Also, a VPN has some flexibility, since it can be set up as a hardware or software VPN.
Cons: Tends to run a little slower than remote web workplace. Basically, if you need to do a lot on your desktop PC, VPN may not be for you.
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Want to find out which method is right for you?
FREE Remote Workplace Action Plan
During the month of April, we're giving away a FREE remote workplace Action Plan. We'll review your current situation, help you clarify what you want, discuss various options and put together an Action Plan on the most cost-effective, hassle-free way to implement this in your business.
Get Your Free Action Plan Today:
Call us now at 518-320-8906
or e-mail: info@groffnetworks.com
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Who Wants to Win a $15 Dunkin Donuts Gift Card?
Take our Monthly Trivia Challenge!
The Grand Prize Winner of last month's Trivia Challenge Quiz is (drum roll, please) Melissa Novak, Assistant to the Publisher at Success Magazines, Ltd. She was the first person to correctly answer our question below:
The term "druid" comes from the Celtic for an expert on which tree?
A) Oak
B) Birch
C) Cherry
D) Apple
The answer is "a": oak.
Congratulations, Melissa! You won a $15 Dunkin' Donuts gift card! Now, here's this month's question.
This Month's Trivia:
Who was the first female LPGA golfer to amass $1 million in her career?
A) Kathy Whitworth
B) Juli Inkster
C) Jan Stephenson
D) Amy Alcott
E-mail us right now with your answer, and win a $15 Dunkin' Donuts gift card if you're the first with the correct answer!
trivia@groffnetworks.com
Please note: One prize per entrant per year. Entrants who have won a trivia contest in the last 12 months are ineligible to compete for prizes.
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Malicious Internet Application ALERT!
We want to ALERT you to a serious, insidious malware application that is propagating itself across the Internet. Where does this come from? A variety of sources on the Internet and/or through email links, sites that have videos or mp3 files. There may even be legitimate websites that are infected and not aware of this. What you should do if you receive notice that your computer is infected? Don't click on any links or prompts to scan your computer.Turn your machine off (press the power button and hold it until the computer shuts down). Then, contact us with as much information regarding the information you saw on your screen. Copy down the information, if possible. If you have not been confronted with this malware, you should make certain that your anti-virus application is running the latest version. Additionally, you want to make certain that the virus definitions for your anti-virus are up-to-date; otherwise, you may be susceptible to infection. If you have a firewall appliance, you want to make certain it has all of its updates, including operating system, if necessary. Lastly, you will want to consider gateway (on the firewall) subscription services. If you need help with any of these processes, please contact us at: 518-320-8906.
XP Antispyware 2010is a fake anti-malware application; it convinces users that their systems have been compromised. Then they try to sell you their software, claiming it will remove these threats. In extreme cases, the false threats are actually the very Trojans that advertise or even directly install the rogue.
Another malware application currently wreaking havoc is known by several names - XP Anti-Virus 2010, Anti-Virus Soft, Anti-Virus 2010, XP Antispyware 2010, XP Anti-Virus- and effects primarily computers using the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. Another malicious application is Windows Security 2010 and can infect computers using XP or Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating systems. As always, feel free to contact us if you have questions or come across something with which you are not comfortable.
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Protect Your Kids Online For Under $30
Nearly 90% of kids, ages eight to 16, have seen inappropriate images online. Most of them stumble upon it as a result of conducting research for their homework. With frightening numbers of pornography, child predators, and other harmful online risks, protecting your children's online activity is a MUST.
With the following four features, Net Nanny Parental Controls software by Content Watch ($29 at www.hermanstreet.com) helps you do just that.
1. Blocks "Mature" Games. The software scans the online game for its ESRB ratings (like movie ratings, but for computer games). If the game isn't kid-friendly, the computer blocks it.
2. Filters Facebook. Net Nanny can provide parents with a report on who their kids' "friends" are, what pictures and videos they are looking at, and their Facebook Instant Message conversations.
3. Prevents Proxy Sites From Working. Content filters work by making a "black list" of sites that it won't allow. If you tried to type in a black-listed website address, you wouldn't get very far. But there's a sneaky way around this called a "Proxy Server."
Proxy Server web addresses are usually content neutral, so users can go there without flagging the black list system. Once in, your child can navigate to their original black-listed site. Net Nanny prevents this by blocking both proxy server entries and the inappropriate website itself.
4. Keeps Parents Informed. If your child is trying to gain access to something you have blocked, Net Nanny sends you an e-mail alert.
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 Lauren's Corner
It's a boy! Liam Vancouver Groff was born Friday, February 26, at 3:50 a.m. (my poor wife!). He weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz, and measured 19 inches long. He has ten fingers and ten toes (phew!), a head full of dark hair (just like his sisters when they were born), and a wonderful little sneeze.
My father's family has a tradition of naming their sons to have the LVG monogram (anyone want to guess my middle name?). With that in mind, my wife looked through the baby name book and came across the name, Liam. We like to choose names that mean something to us. Liam means "strong protector," a fitting name, we thought, for a son who, we hope, will be a strong protector of his sisters, grace and truth (Satya means "truth"). Up until the day we were discharged from the hospital, we weren't sure about Liam's middle name, however. I went for a morning walk and thought about the possibilities. Vancouver had been jokingly suggested by Erika's aunts, and I liked the idea of naming my son after the Olympics, something I've always enjoyed watching (whenever I ski, I still think I'm winning the super G). Besides, he was born coming into the final weekend for this year's Olympics, so, the fourth in the line of LVGs, Liam Vancouver Groff it is!
Next question is, when will we take him to British Columbia?
Left: Liam's birth day (2/26/10)
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Shiny New Gadget of the Month: Motorola Droid Phone
Here's a quick run-down of the good, the bad, and the bottom line on this new phone.
The good: Most users of the new Motorola Droid Phone really like its display screen; fans cite the phone's large, crisp picture and vivid graphics.
The phone also has a pretty fast Web browser (reportedly much faster than that of the Blackberry), a Google Maps Navigation app, and better messaging and contact management. With Verizon as its carrier, the Droid has very reliable service.
The bad: The QWERTY keyboard seems to be a bit awkward, especially if you don't exactly have dainty hands. Some people dislike its weight, too, since it weighs a full ounce more than its closest competitor.
Also, because the dial-pad control is restricted to the home screen, driving and making a phone call is rather difficult.
Not surprisingly, music and video capabilities are not as strong as the iPod's. In addition, there's no Bluetooth voice dialing.
The bottom line: Overall, the Droid is a good smart phone with good service, useful Google maps, and a killer display screen. It's a great touch-screen upgrade from the Blackberry and gives its competition a run for the money.
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