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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.
- Lauren Groff
Groff NetWorks, LLC
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Could You Be Breaking The Law By Not Archiving E-mails?
 It's 4:30 on Friday afternoon when you get the message that a key vendor will not be able to deliver what they promised on time, which will in turn cause YOU to miss a critical deadline for your most important client. Frustrated, you call the vendor, who instantly denies ever being told about the deadline. You know deadlines were discussed but can't find it in your original written agreement. You then turn to your e-mail only to forced to dig through hundreds of messages to try and find the e-mail where you conveyed the importance of this project being delivered on time, but you can't find it because it was deleted.
Sound familiar? Or perhaps you've been in a similar situation where you've had to "dumpster dive" for old e-mail communications? Think about it - almost all of your business communications and negotiations are performed via e-mail, making them important documents to keep for reference. And since you send and receive hundreds if not thousands of e-mail messages annually, it just makes sense to have a simple and easy way to find old communication threads. But this isn't just a convenience issue, it's a legal one.
What Every Business Is Required By Law To Do
Some industries have strict federal guidelines on storing e-mail communications (financial institutions for example). But what most people don't realize is that ALL businesses must comply with the Federal Regulations on Civil Procedures, or FRCP. In this instance, ignorance is far from bliss - it could put you and your organization in serious legal trouble.
The amendments, which went into effect on December 1, 2006, mandate that companies be prepared for "electronic discovery". Simply put, that means you must know where your data is and how to retrieve it. Failure to do so can lead to fines or loss of a lawsuit.
But I Have A Backup... That Means I'm Okay, Right?
Wrong! E-mail archiving is not the same as conventional e-mail backups. Backups only enable you to restore your e-mail servers to a previous point in time in the event of a disaster. An e-mail archive (unlike a backup) is indexed and searchable, which means you can find e-mail communications based upon various criteria, such as date, subject, sender or receiver address, attached files, or any combination of the above.
Aside from the legal issues, e-mail archiving just makes sense. Murphy's law dictates that you'll need an e-mail the minute you permanently delete it; that's why it's smart to archive your inbox. Plus, it will make searching your inbox infinitely faster (not to mention easier) AND prevent your inbox from getting so overblown that it stops working due to file size limitations.
If you want to set up an e-mail archiving solution for your company, give us a call: 518-320-8906 or e-mail us at: support@groffnetworks.com. |
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Who Wants to Win a $15 Stewart's Gift Card? Take Our Monthly Trivia Challenge!
The Grand Prize Winner of last month's Trivia Challenge Quiz is (drum roll, please) Michele Franisconi from Abele Tractor & Equipment of Albany. She was the first person to correctly answer our question below:
According to legend, what did St. Patrick drive out of Ireland? a) Witches b) Leprechauns c) An SUV d) Snakes
The answer is "d": Snakes
Congratulations, Michele!
She won a $15 Stewart's gift card.
Now, here's your chance to win a $15 Stewart's gift card!
This Month's Trivia:
In a 1980 April Fool's Day hoax, the BBC reported that the iconic Big Ben would undergo a drastic transformation. What was the transformation? a) Become a Swiss watchb) Double the size of the clockc) Go digital E-mail us right now with your 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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Shiny New Gadget of the Month
Who doesn't want to be more organized? You're less likely to forget important projects, dates and tasks, which in turn will reduce your stress and wasted energy.
But if you think getting (and staying) organized is tough, maybe you just haven't found the right tool. If so, you should check out WorkFlowy.
WorkFlowy makes capturing and organizing your ideas, projects and "to-do" list simple. It's based around the idea of outlines. Just pick a topic to organize and start typing. The outlining is handled almost automatically through its intuitive interface.
You can create outlines within outlines and break up a large project into smaller actionable tasks. It's great for multi-step processes or even planning your week. Best of all, it's all online so you can access it from anywhere. All you need to do is create a free account and install Google's Chrome browser. Since it's free, you've got nothing to lose for giving it a try! |
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The Top 5 Network Security Mistakes
1. Weak Passwords. You know you need to have a stronger password, yet "password" is still the #1 password used by computer users. For maximum security, your password should contain numbers and letters, both upper and lowercase combined.
2. Lack of Education. Most viruses and spyware are invited by the user; therefore, if you want to make sure your employees don't download viruses, take the time to educate them on what new viruses are circulating and about common scams.
3. Lack of Maintenance. No software is perfect, which means security loop holes will be exploited by hackers the minute they are discovered. That's why it's critical to keep your security patches up to date.
4. Plug and Surf. Computers are NOT designed "ready to go" out of the box. Before a phone line, Ethernet cable or wireless card is anywhere near a new computer, certain security needs to be installed and/or configured. Ideally, this should include virus protection, multiple spyware scanners and a program that runs in the background to prevent malicious software from ever being installed. 5. Do It Yourself. Setting up a network, applying proper security measures and downloading and installing software can be tricky. Large companies have IT departments. Small business owners should also ask for advice or even hire help. It's worth the extra cost. |
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Client Corner
"Since partnering with Groff NetWorks, we have increased productivity nearly 100% and earned back almost 50% in productivity losses. They always meet our needs, they are excellent to work with, and the cost is a comfortable point; working with them is an all around pleasant experience. I am happy, and equally importantly, my staff is happy."
Lori Veshia | Director of Finance and Human Resources
Albany Institute of History & Art
Albany, NY
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The Lighter Side...
While YOU would never use a lame excuse like one of these, according to CareerBuilder.com, these are a few of the reasons employees have given their bosses for skipping work:
- Employee said a chicken attacked his mom.
- Employee had a bad hair transplant.
- Employee called in sick from a bar at 5:00pm the night before.
- Employee had to mow the lawn to avoid a lawsuit from his home owner's association.
- Employee's finger was stuck in a bowling ball.
- Employee fell asleep at his desk at work, hit his head and had a neck injury.
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Lauren's Corner
Recently, Liam turned one. His sisters picked out a small drum for his birthday present, bought here in Troy at Segal Violins. Liam liked all the attention and his first chance to eat cake.
Below: Liam, with his birthday cake
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Office Notes
New Clients
Welcome to the following companies, our newest clients:
- XC Associates in Stephentown
- Trudeau Architects in Latham
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