Archives 2013

Improved Outlook for Office365

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Office 365 has recently improved the user interface as well as, the included social and communication features.  Outlook starts in the now-familiar three-pane view, but without the ribbon menus of the full Outlook 2013.  

Navigation pane is located on the left of the screen.  To create, rename, empty or delete folders can be done with a right-click on the specific folder.

Tasks can be accessed through the Task tab at the bottom of the Navigation Pane.  Using color-coordinated icons can easily categorize tasks.  Also, flagged e-mails will show up in the general task list.

The View Pane is located on the right side of the screen.  In the view pane there are options to Reply, Delete and more options (…).  Deleting, printing and creating simple rules are located in the ‘More Options’ drop down menu.  For full control of creating/editing rules, setting automated replies or creating retension policies select Options in the Settings menu.

Your IM status will show next to the account name at the top of the screen.  The IM that is offered as part of Outlook is different than Microsoft Lync.  Microsoft Lync is used for chat, audio/video chat and meetings with anyone, within or outside of your organization.

For more information on Hosted Services & Office365

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Implementing BYOD

BYOD

Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) is permitting employees to bring personal devices (laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to their workplace, and use those devices to access company information and applications.

Create a Private App Store

Designing a private App Store provides the ability to manage custom and purchased apps.  Businesses can manage apps by pushing mandatory apps, approving recommended apps and blocking rouge or unrelated apps.

Policy Compliance

Policies ensure security, productivity, protection of resources and reduce risks.  Implementing a location-based service (LBS) such as Geo-Fencing and GPS will set limitations on access to data based on location.

Strong Security

There are many layers of security for a BYOD environment.  Device enrollment can be a one-time passcode and/or Active Directory credentials.  Applying user profiles will distribute policies, restrictions and Apps based on logical groups (department/location/device type).  Other types of security are tracking device locations, Remote Lock, Complete Wipe and Corporate Wipe.

Track Usage

Usage thresholds can be monitored based on talk, text, data and roaming for each user.  Setting up alerts and reports for misuse, excessive bandwidth, additional charges and security exposures will help track usage appropriately. 

Banning Rouge Devices

Compromised devices such as “jail broken” iPhone or a rooted Android should be restricted from accessing enterprise data and resources.  Compromised devices are susceptible to virus attacks.

For more information on Mobile Device Management

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Microsoft – What went wrong?

ET83-screen[1]Touch 10 MonitorMicrosoft has always been key player in the Technology world.  In 2009, Microsoft released Windows 7, for many users it became the best operating system yet.  Not too long after the release of Windows 7, Microsoft predicted that “touch-screens” were the future of technology and focused all of their resources in one place.

On October 26, 2012, Microsoft released their Windows 8 OS and their first tablet, the Surface RT.  Shortly thereafter, on February 9, 2013, Microsoft released the second tablet, the Surface Pro.  For more information regarding the Surface RT or the Surface Pro, click here

“A Windows 8-based PC is really a new kind of device, one that scales from touch-only small screens through to large screens, with or without a keyboard and mouse,” said Julie Larson-Green from Microsoft.

Apple and Android touchscreen devices have been very successful because they are useful on-the-go.  Trying to compete with Apple and Android, Microsoft developed Windows 8, a touch-oriented OS.  Many desktop and laptop users have had problems adjusting to the new OS.   Also, the Surface Tablet users are having trouble adjusting to this device and OS because it is a touch-enabled laptop.  Using the touchscreen features on a laptop is not convenient and very uncomfortable.

How long will it take for Microsoft to regain its position in the technology world?

 

Apple: Larger Screens for iPhones & iPads

Apple-LogoApple, Inc. offers innovative products that continue to grow its customer base.  Testing new designs for current products is a consistent task for Apple, Inc.

“Apple has been slow to react to consumer desire for larger smartphone screens, [and] entry level price points on new phones,” said BGC Financial’s Colin Gillis. “Waiting and waiting, for the new products to launch, has become painful,” he wrote.

Currently, Apple is testing various sizes for iPhone and iPad screens.  Samsung has become the world’s largest smartphone maker because Samsung offers a variety of smartphones with display sizes that range up to 5.5-inches.   Continuing to compete with Samsung, Apple is testing for a 5-inch iPhone screen expected to be released in 2014.

A new tablet design is also being tested by Apple with a display that is a little less than 13-inches.  This would be a great addition to the iPad that has a 9.7-inch display and the iPad Mini that has a 7.8-inch display.

Lastly, Apple has been developing an iPhone that would be cheaper than the current iPhone.  According to many articles, the cheaper iPhone will be made from plastic instead of the traditional metal casing that will be available in different colors.

Apple, Inc. could climb back to the top of both smartphone and tablet sales by releasing a larger display for the iPhone/iPad and releasing an iPhone that is reasonably priced.

 

5 Ways to Prepare for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is from June 1 through November 30.  On October 29, 2012 the East Coast was hit with Hurricane Sandy.  Many businesses are still recovering and rebuilding from the largest Atlantic Hurricane on record.  Power outages, high winds and flooding affected many areas in New Jersey and New York.

The Small Business Administration and Agility Recovery hosted “Protect Your Business This Season” webinar.  

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Below are five steps to protect your business before a disaster like Hurricane Sandy:

Evaluate Risks

All types of risks exist such as environmental disasters, organized disruption, loss of service, equipment failure and many more.  Assess your company building for risks (inside and outside).  Also, assess business losses during and after a disaster strikes.

Calculate the cost of interruption

Calculating for  “post-disaster”  consists of many different scenarios.  Creating a plan for up to six months of interruptions for your company.  Another major concern is to design a backup plan with secondary vendors in case all primary vendors cannot provide their specific services. 

Insurance Coverage

Consult with your agent and an insurance expert when buying insurance for your business.  Insurance policies vary, it is important to design a policy that best fits your needs.

Create a communication plan

Gather primary and secondary e-mail addresses for all employees, contractors, vendors and customers to put an e-mail alert system in place.  Businesses could also use Social Media to alert public before and after a disaster.

Telework Policy

If a disaster strikes, employees may not have the ability to travel to the office.  Setting up a Telework Policy will grant employees access to work from home.  This policy can be for all employees or specific employees.  

Need help preparing for Hurricane season?

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Microsoft Office Mobile

ios-office365-hero2Microsoft released Office Mobile in the Apple Store for free to all Office 365 users on June 14, 2013.  Office Mobile has a lot of stipulations and only provides the basic document editing capabilities.  Integrating Office Mobile with SkyDrive and Office 365 is a smooth process.

The first stipulation is Office Mobile is designed for iPhone.  The app is not optimized for iPad use; older iPad(s) receive errors.  The second stipulation is Office Mobile requires an Office 365 subscription.  A large percent of businesses have not switched to Office 365 which excludes potiential Office Mobile users.

For Office 365 subscribers, Office Mobile is a free app that provides the ability to view, edit and save Office documents.  All users that are not Office 365 subscribers can continue to use Office-compatible mobile apps that provide the same functionality.

Office Mobile has a similar interface to Windows phone.  After installing Office Mobile, users can view, edit and save Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents.  Users may be surprised with the limited editing abilities.  SkyDrive, SkyDrive Pro and SharePoint are ways to access documents.  ”Recent Documents” tracks the most recent documents that you viewed or changed and makes them easily accessible.

For more information on Hosted Services and Office 365

 please contact us 856-745-9990 or click here.

 

RingCentral’s New Pricing Editions

RingCentral is a company that specializes in providing business VoIP services, fax services and mobile communication solutions. RingCentral is moving from one (1) Office product to multiple Office editions with differentiated feature or functionality.

New Pricing Editions

Effective July 4th, RingCentral Office has changed to an editions pricing model (US Only).  Each edition now includes specific feature sets and is priced differently.

PricingEditions2

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do existing Office customers get moved to new editions?

No.  Existing customers or users will continue to be granted a special exception on their current plans: Entrepreneur, Office Metered Toll-Free (MTF) and Office Unlimited.

Q:  Can existing users be upgraded to the new editions?

Yes.  They can use the upgrade wizard.

Q:  What are the benefits of these new Office editions?

The new editions offer the following:

      • Offers you flexibility to select the best feature or functionality set based on your business needs at a low monthly price.
      • Enables your large business to move up the market through enterprise level capabilities.
      • Provides one complete solution for any location and any number of employees.
      • Enables advanced call management and phone system administration.
      • Lets you manage, access, and use on smartphones and tablets.

Q:  What are the differences among the new Office editions?

There are various differences among the new editions, namely:

Standard:  Cloud PBX with call management features and mobile apps, unlimited calling/faxing/texting/conferencing and 1000 toll-free minutes.

Premium:  All Standard edition features, Salesforce CRM integration, Automatic call recording, Premium support for 10+ users and 2500 toll-free minutes.

Enterprise:  All Premium edition features and unlimited toll-free minutes

Refer to the table below for more information:

PricingEditions3

For answers to more frequently asked questions, click here.

For more information regarding RingCentral,

please contact us at 856-745-9990 or click here.