| Update - The "Paperless" Office
September, 2008 |
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Is the "paperless" office possible?
Clients often ask us how to achieve a "paperless" office. We have taken active steps in own office to try to achieve this goal. In reality, we use much less paper than we used to, but there's still paper floating around our office, as it probably still is in yours. This month we offer ideas to help us all use less paper and conserve other resources at the same time.
We appreciate your business and we're here to help. Contact us anytime to let us know how we can better meet your IT needs.
Jim Kerr
President, CRU Solutions |
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6 Tips for a "Paperless" Office by Joseph Anthony, Microsoft Small Business Center
Many people who use computers - whether it's for their home or business - are moving toward a "paperless" office. Simply, they are tired and overwhelmed by scraps of paper, clunky old file folders, envelopes - and they want to reduce the clutter. Read Article
The New Push to Get Rid of Paper by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek
Thirty-three years ago the phrase "paperless office" entered the business lexicon in a BusinessWeek article titled "The Office of the Future." Still, the financial and environmental need to reduce paper is greater than ever. Read Article
A Green IT Checklist: From First Steps to Stretch Goals by Mary K. Pratt, Computerworld
Leading businesses are looking for ways to get green. Some are motivated by concern for the planet; others by the cost savings or the marketing advantages that can come from more environmentally friendly policies. Often, they're driven by a combination of factors. In any event, IT has a key role to play. Read Article
Pushing Paper Out the Door by Hannah Fairfield, The New York Times
Chris Uhlik, an engineering director at Google, and his family live a practically paper-free life. The children are home-schooled on computers. Other sources of household paper - lists, letters, calendars - have become entirely digital. Read Article
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Tip of the Month: System Backups are Critical, Even if Your Business Isn't "Paperless"
The right backup system for most businesses involves a server, backup software, and backup media (choose either tape or hard drive since optical disks, such as CDs or DVDs, don't have the capacity to hold the volume that even a partial backup takes). Several different software packages are available, and CRU generally recommends Backup Exec by Symantec. Software licenses renew annually, but for your annual renewal you not only get support, but also any new patches, bug fixes, and new version releases of the software.
Multiple backup generations are essential. The absolute minimum number of backup generations is three. That is, a minimum of three tapes or three removable hard drives. The three devices are using a rotation that cycles through each one: Monday is Backup1; Tuesday is Backup2; Wednesday is Backup3; then repeat the process beginning Thursday. One of those backups must go offsite to protect against catastrophes that could damage the backups (fire, flood, etc.). We recommend that the offsite backup be stored in a bank safety deposit box. Our "best practices" recommendation is eight backup sets (Monday-Thursday and four Friday tapes). Media should be replaced annually - every three years if you use removable disks.
For advice on designing the right backup system for your business, please contact us.
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Product Focus: "Away from Your Desk" Features for CRU Hosted Enhanced VoIP Clients
CRU Hosted Enhanced Voice over IP (VoIP) clients enjoy several features for call handling when "away from the desk". Included at no extra charge are: Simultaneous Ring, Find-Me/Follow-Me, and Remote Office.
Simultaneous Ring: Rings a another number (e.g. cell number) at the same time your office number rings. If you don't answer your cell phone, the call returns to your office voicemail. This is transparent to the caller. They have no idea that you are answering the call remotely. The drawback to these is that it is always on. So, if you get a call at 7 p.m. on your office phone, your cell phone will ring too. Caller ID follows to your cell phone, so you can decide to take the call or not.
Find-Me/Follow-Me: This option rings your office phone for x rings, then a second number (e.g. cell) for x rings, and so on for up to 3 alternate numbers. While the ringing is happening, an automated voice periodically says "Please wait while we locate the person you are calling." If you do not answer, the call returns to office voicemail. This can be put on a schedule. For example, we can automatically activate the feature from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Outside of that time, calls will roll to your office voicemail as they do now.
Remote Office: Rings an alternate number (e.g. cell) instead of ringing the office phone. If you don't answer, calls roll to office voice mail. This feature is either on or off - there is no scheduling. |
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CRU Solutions delivers managed IT services and complete technology solutions
to create worry-free computing environments for small to medium-sized businesses.
We provide peace of mind by making technology easy.
CRU Solutions Update provides information about relevant issues in IT
and is e-mailed monthly, without charge. Visit us at www.crusolutions.com.
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