• 21
  Oct

Tips for a Paper-Free Workspace

Is your desk cluttered? If you are swimming in papers and post-it notes, perhaps it is time to embrace a green workspace.  Adopting a green office strategy is not just about conservation or saving money, but can also save you time and improve your organization.  If the papers are piling up around you, some green solutions can cut down on your anxiety and streamline your work day.

Here’s why:

1. Did you know that desk clutter can cost a business up to 10K each year?  Between searching for lost files, or creating new documents when old ones are misplaced, we lose about six weeks of productivity.  That’s a lot of lost time and money… not to mention misplaced files.
   By getting into the habit of creating digital files, or digitizing hard copies, we can recoup this time.  It is far easier to enter in a search term in Google docs than to remember where you last saw that important manila folder!
2. A clean-looking desk may make you more productive! A clean desk creates less anxiety.  Less clutter creates the perception that your work day is under control and you are less likely to feel overwhelmed.  If you feel panicked by the amount of work you have to do every day, using this psychological trick may help!
3.  Taking time off becomes easier!  Worried you can’t take a vacation because no one else would be able to take over your workload?  Creating a paperless office allows your temporary replacement to easily find your important documents and locate client information without having to contact you while you are away.

Help us help you create a stress-free work space.  Ask us about our Green Solutions today!

• 23
  Sep

Real-Time Ways To Upgrade Your Office Security

You don’t have to be an IT guru to keep your office safe from information theft. Upgrading passwords and updating your network security are great steps to keeping your data safe from the inside out. But even if you aren’t tech savvy, there are several ways that you can keep both your office hardware and files safe and sound.

1. Lock Your Office at Night. If a thief steals your computer, you may be losing more than just office equipment. You may be compromising your data as well!
2. Take Your Laptop Home. A thief cannot steal what’s not there.
3. Confiscate Keys Should an Employee Leave Your Company. Even if your employee is leaving on good terms, keeping track of your keys and pass cards can only enhance your reputation for security.
4. Check References of New Hires. Make sure you can trust your employees from the start by making sure they have acted with integrity throughout their careers.
5. Dispose of Your Hard Drives Properly! Throwing your hard drives out in the trash makes your data fair game to anyone who walks by.

Looking for more high tech ways to protect your and your clients’ information? Let our Security Solutions Team help you out!

• 25
  Aug

4 Ways to Save Energy at Work Right Now

Your energy bills add to your business’ overhead. By making a few simple changes around your office you can reduce your costs and free revenue to build and strengthen your business. Going green never felt so good! Here are a few simple tips:

1. Update Your Tech. This not only includes energy saving computers and printers, but your whole office. Do you have a microwave or a refrigerator in your break room? It might be time to upgrade to an Energy Star model!

2. Sayonara Screen Savers. Screen Savers may prevent damage to your screen but often use as much energy as a computer fully in use! Try setting your computer to sleep mode when you are away from your desk. And if you are leaving your computer overnight, shut it off completely.

3. Work From Home. Can your employees adequately do their jobs from offsite? If so, it may be a great cost-saving initiative to be flexible about work-from-home days! Think about this: if your employees work from home just one day a week, you could reduce your energy costs by as much as 20%! Your employees may appreciate the flex time as well, creating a better working environment overall.

4. Call It A Day. Staying late at the office and burning the midnight oil might seem like a good idea… until you get the oil bill! Sometimes the best business decision you can make is to call it a day.

Looking for more ways to build a greener office environment and save money along the way? Allow our green solutions experts help you out! Why not give us a call?

• 29
  Jul

Top 5 Reasons Your Electronic Files Need to Be Backed Up

Are you regularly backing up your files? You should be! You owe it not only to yourself, but to you clients to make sure your files and information are secure and accessible. Here are a few reasons why just saving your files on your desktop may not be enough.

1. Hard Drive Failure and Computer Crashes. Raise your hand if you have ever seen the dreaded Blue Screen of Death!

2. Viruses. It just takes one wrong click to compromise your data! Make sure you aren’t keeping all your hard work in just one place.

3. Fire, Flood and Other Acts of God. Everybody thinks it can’t happen to them. If you spend the money to insure your business and property, you can spend the time to back up your files.

4. Forgotten Passwords. We’ve all done it! Don’t get locked out of your files; back them up in more than one place so that you always have access.

5. Accidental Deletion. Ever delete a file folder without considering first what was in it? Don’t let this happen again! Back up early and often.

We offer several great methods for protecting your files. Ask us about cloud storage, disaster recovery, network security and more! We’ll be happy to help.

Do you have a story about losing a file? Share your lessons with us on social media or in the comments below!

• 15
  Jul

How To Track Printing Costs

Each business’ printing need is different. Which is why keeping track of printing costs is so important. Don’t settle for a one-size-fits all printing solution: keep track of your printing costs so that you can best evaluate your specific needs and find a printing solution that works best for you. Here are some of the expenses you should think about when keeping track of your printing output:

1. Ink – How often are you replacing your ink cartridges? Do you depend mostly on black and white printing or are your presentations, advertisements and projects more colorful?
2. Paper – How much paper do you use? What weights and sizes do you go through most often?
3. Repairs – a printer is as cheap as its maintenance costs! How often are your printers breaking down? Is it worth it?
4. Replacement – Has your old printer had it? Is it time for an upgrade? Compare your need to the more efficient models on the market.

If your printing load is too large to keep track of manually, you may want to look into a software solution that will allow you to digitally monitor your output. Still need help determining your costs? Or are you ready to find a printing solution that matches your specific business? Contact our Printing Solutions team and let us help you streamline your company!

• 1
  Jul

Five Reasons to Go Green That Have Nothing To Do With The Environment

Fourth of July weekend is almost upon us! Many of us are getting outside with our families and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. But even if you don’t appreciate the great outdoors, there are still some great reasons to “Go Green” in your office.

Here are a few savvy, self-interested reasons to go green at your place of business:

1. Reduce Clutter. Forget all the files and file boxes clogging up your space. Once you go paperless,  you’ll be surprised how much extra space you have!
2. Save Money. Save a stapler and go green! Green offices not only save on paper, but paper clips, staples, binders and everything to go with it!
3. Better Organization. Hard copies can be lost, misplaced or damaged. Once you go paperless, all your files are at your fingertips. A back your files up on a cloud service for extra security!
4. Ease Transition. You may know where everything is in your office, but will your replacement? If you have to leave a job, or take some time off, make it easier for someone to take over your duties and files!
5. No More Paper Cuts! Save your poor hands some grief.

What’s your favorite reason to go green? Share your ideas with us on Facebook and Twitter!

• 17
  Jun

Internet of Things: A New Era for Smart Printing

The following piece was written by Louella Fernandes of Quocirca

Fueled by machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, the Internet of Things (IoT) is all about connecting a wide range of internet-enabled devices – from cars, lighting, smart meters and more – that generate actionable data. Thanks to innovations in smart sensors and RFID chips, devices are becoming more intelligent assets that can be connected, monitored and managed remotely. In the enterprise, this networked world of smart devices has the potential to improve business efficiency, reducing operating and maintenance costs.

In the print industry, proactive maintenance and support is nothing new. Today, many smart printers and MFPs (multifunction peripherals) are equipped with embedded technology to enable remote management. This enables automated meter readings, automatic supplies replenishment and remote diagnostics which provide a business with better uptime and greater productivity. For instance, devices may send alerts when service is required or when consumables, such as ink or toner, need replenishment.

Automated monitoring and proactive management is the foundation of a managed print service (MPS). Quocirca estimates that over 40% of enterprises are using some form of MPS to better control and manage their printer and MFP fleets. Due to the lack of standardization between printer brands, MPS providers typically need to use either a combination of tools, or a centralized brand-agnostic tool that can track and monitor usage and device status across a mixed fleet.

So could print management across a heterogeneous fleet be simplified with the addition of smart sensors which are standardized across devices?

IoT/M2M technology has the potential to make a profound change in the evolving print industry that is having to adapt to the proliferation of mobile devices and ubiquitous connectivity. Smartphones and printers are already talking to each other via near-field communications (NFC) – and future innovations could use M2M communications to ensure standardized mobile printing regardless of mobile OS or printer brand.

The print industry is already taking the lead in respect to smart connected devices. Printer hardware is already becoming more powerful, most offer cloud connectivity and increased document processing capabilities and intelligence. By adding sensors and networking technologies to printers and MFPs, businesses can gain valuable real-time insight into print usage.

Using IoT/M2M technology can offer a range of benefits, including:

• Operational efficiency.  Remote monitoring and analytics can minimize the need for “routine maintenance” visits as problems can be identified and fixed before they have an impact on the business. Also, accurate, timely delivery of information leads to less device down-time and better usage. Information can be collected automatically and in certain cases systems maintained and repaired remotely so engineers and service staff can manage their time more effectively.
• Improved service quality: M2M allows businesses to collect data from assets that can be used to provide more accurate billing. M2M also allows for proactive maintenance models rather than ‘repair breaks’. Data collected (such as usage patterns) is an input for development of new products that meet changing customer requirements.
• Sustainability. Real-time data can so be used to optimize energy usage for devices, reducing environmental impact and related carbon emissions. For instance, machines can be put into a light or deep sleep mode, or completely powered off based on the usage of the device.

The enterprise print, IT and mobile environments are far from homogeneous. As M2M technology evolves and costs fall, it will play a wider role in both the business and consumer environments. Managed Print Service providers stand to gain enormously from the growth IoT, unlocking the potential of information-driven, value-added service opportunities.

Ultimately, smart embedded device automation will help manufacturers and their customers reduce costs, optimize processes and improve efficiency. Harnessing this growth requires new levels of innovation through partnerships between vendors, technology and communications providers.

Certainly, as the market evolves, leveraging the intelligence of smart  connected printers and MFPs  will be fundamental to both the service delivery and the insight that businesses gain from their next generation print environments.

• 3
  Jun

Get the Most Out Of Your Printer

Tired of running out of ink too soon? Getting poor copy quality? Here are some quick tips and tricks to help you extend the life of your printer and ink cartridges:

1. Print in “Draft Mode.” If you are printing out hardcopies of documents for your own personal use, it might be a good idea to print the document out using “draft mode.” “Draft mode” is usually an option offered to you in your printer dialogue box. By selecting this feature, you will get a lower quality document that will still be perfect for your own records, but will use far less ink!
2. Edit email and websites before you print them. Emails and websites can contain images or banner ads that will deplete your colored ink supplies. If you don’t need a record of these images, try cutting and pasting the text you need into a word processing program before printing the documents.
3. Clean your printer heads. If you are noticing streaks in your printing jobs, it might be time to invest in a good cleaner!
4. Shake, shake, shake! If a cleaner isn’t resolving the problem, something as simple as taking out the cartridge and shaking it can be enough to break up some of the dust or particles clogging your printer heads.
5. A printer is as cheap as its ink cartridges. Don’t be fooled by “bargain printers.” Check to see how much its cartridges cost in comparison to how long they last before you buy.

Need more help extending the life of your printer? Our print solutions team is here to help you out!

• 20
  May

How Strong Is Your Password?

The easiest step you can take to protect your computer and your files is coming up with a strong password. You owe it to your clients and your business to secure your computer and your network. An un-crackable password is a free and simple first step to safe-guarding your information.

1. Think of a password longer than six characters. You may want to use something that you can remember, but be careful. The more obvious your password is to you, the easier it is for someone to break. Try splitting the difference; think of something catchy but not an obvious choice.
2. Mix uppercase and lowercase letters. Some password platforms are not case-sensitive, but if it is, take advantage of this extra security feature!
3. Throw in some numbers and/or symbols. Relying solely on one set of characters weakens your password. Throw in some numbers and symbols into the mix to shake things up.
4. Using letter or symbols to replace letters may be too obvious. Replacing “E” with “3,” or “L” with “1” might seem like a natural choice, but remember… it may be too obvious!
5. When in doubt, use a random character generator.
6. Repeat. Don’t use the same password more than once! Create several so that you have multiple levels of security! And remember… change your password early and often!

Still worried about your computer’s vulnerability? Let our security solutions experts help you out!

• 6
  May

Why Is My Computer Running So Slow?

We have all been there: you are running up against a deadline and trying to work as fast as you can. But suddenly your computer is not cooperating.

You may experience it as a word processor lag between when you type and when the words actually show up on the page. Or maybe a new browser or application is taking its sweet time in opening. These small frustrations can add up to big trouble if time is of the essence. They may also indicate that your computer may be in need of a tune up.

Here are a few reasons why your computer may be running slow:

1. Too many applications are open at once. Try closing a few down, or checking your Task Manager to see if another program is running in the background.

2. You are running low on memory or hard drive space. It may be time to upgrade! As a temporary fix, you may want to delete any applications, files, or games you no longer use to free up space.

3. You may have a virus! Spambots and viruses may have infected your computer. If you don’t have anti-virus software, this might be a good time to invest in some. If your anti-virus software isn’t locating any problems, it may be time to get it checked out by a professional!

If you need help getting things “up to speed,” our IT Solutions service is here to help you out! You can reach out to our Help Desk 24 hours a day!