Is E-Mail Archiving Important?

Email has become the accepted form of communication in business. Market researcher, Gartner Group, conducted a study and found that almost 97% of all business communication was via email. Another survey by Osterman Research found that 79% of all businesses now accept emails as written confirmation of approvals or orders. This means that emails form part of companies' records and must be stored for the same time period that written records would be stored for. In fact, up to 83% of a business's critical data can be found in its email. 

The primary function of  archiving is to extract message contents and attachments from incoming and outgoing emails. It indexes them and stores them in a read-only format, which ensures that they are recorded and maintained in their original state.

One of the benefits of archiving emails is that it creates more space on the mail server. Emails are stored in a compressed format, on a local hard drive which saves a huge amount of disk space for users, not to mention keeps your email program running smoothly.  Developing an archiving standard operating procedure (SOP) can make accessing the information a much easier task than it would ordinarily be.

A business's email system serves as a repository for industry knowledge and email archiving is of considerable importance to the modern business environment.  Archiving allows you to store emails in their original form, in a manner that can't be tampered with.  Developing a SOP that outlines the archiving procedure and retrieval process should be created so that you can retrieve emails easily.

So is email archiving important?  Absolutely!!  

TURNkey IT can handle this procedure and many technical issues with ease.  Call us at 866-928-8208 to learn more about our group.

Understanding Cloud Computing is the first step toward optimum use

The Cloud: Many people have heard of it, some people are using it for 100% of their business, but for the most part, many people don’t understand what it is. Most people think of The Cloud as a magical place where all of an organization’s (or individual’s) data exists, free of any of the perils of storing that data at home.

Companies like Apple® and Google® have done a fantastic job of promoting cloud services. But one problem remains: most people don’t understand what cloud computing is, and they do not know the best ways to use it. To understand, one must start with its definition:

• According to Wikipedia, the cloud (or cloud computing) is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet)
This probably does not sound nearly as magical nor mysterious as one might think. In essence, cloud-based services have been around for years. So, why is there so much interest in cloud computing now, as opposed to several years ago? One explanation cloud computing has gained in popularity has to do with the speed of typical Internet access and the lower cost of disk storage systems. Another reason may be that cloud services companies have managed to find ways to charge by the “unit” for their services, and many more of those companies are offering their systems on a fractional basis.
Amazon® is a prime example of the above scenario. Amazon® offers a cloud-based “disk” system, amongst other cloud-based products, where one can purchase a set amount of storage space on its cloud servers for a set amount each month. If your storage needs grow, you simply pay more for more storage, and the trend continues. Google, specifically Google Drive, is another system that charges by the Gigabyte for “drive” space — basically a virtual disk in the sky.

There are many benefits to using cloud computing. Some benefits include:

• Upgrades are performed regularly and without interruption in some cases, so a company is spared the “upgrade window” problem that many in-house systems require

• New features are introduced almost instantly

• Costs are spread across a number of months or years. This is great for cash flow, but beware - long-term costs can often be much higher than “installed” systems

Obviously, there are many other facets of cloud computing. It can be an extremely beneficial system on which to store a company’s data, provided there is a strong understanding of what that data is and how it is to be stored, accessed and protected. When considering a foray in to cloud computing, a company must:

• Determine what type of cloud computing system is needed (storage, database, e-mail, etc)

• Determine how much data should be moved, and how much that will cost on a monthly or annual basis. If you are measuring overall costs, look at them over a 3-year period at a minimum.

• Determine how the current data is stored, and how secure that data storage is

• Determine how the data will be moved to the cloud computing system

• Determine how the data will be accessed in the future

• Train the people who will be accessing the data, so that they fully understand how their actions translate to potential security of the data

Take the time to consider these cloud computing factors, and then let answers drive your company’s decision on whether or not cloud computing is the best system for your needs.

TURNkey IT has helped small business owners build their technology to support their needs.  No job is too big or small.  Let us help you with finding the right solutions for your needs.  Call us at 866-928-8208.

3 easy technology solutions to protect your business now!

Ahhhh! A brand new year, full of promise, hope and a fresh start. If you’re like most people, you’re making the usual resolutions to exercise more, lose weight, pay off debt, etc. Essentially, it’s a time of year when we momentarily take stock in our lives and think about all the things we “should” be doing more of, but don’t. So while you’re in the goal-setting mode, we thought we would tack on 3 business-related resolutions that probably aren’t on your list, but should be – especially since these all fall into the “important, but not urgent” category.

1. Offsite backups. Can we beat this horse to death anymore? I know MOST of our clients reading this newsletter already doing this, but many still don’t and are relying on undependable (and outdated, I might add) tape drives or other volatile backup solutions. If that’s you, don’t let this be another year where you gamble with everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Get a better backup!
2. Write A Disaster Recovery Plan. Pop quiz: If you woke up tomorrow and discovered that you couldn’t access your office building due to a local disaster or fire, what would you do? Or what would happen if a key executive—one who holds the “keys” to critical processes or applications—fell sick or (God forbid) died? Or what would happen if a disgruntled employee or hacker gained access to your web server, line of business application or file server and deleted everything—particularly if the data was hosted on the 3rd party cloud provider’s web site? These are all very real scenarios, and without a plan in place, you could be facing serious downtime and financial losses.
3. Develop A Stronger Cyber Security System That Goes Beyond A Firewall And Anti-Virus. With more and more information about us being stored electronically, and with State and Federal laws becoming more strict, you MUST take cyber security seriously. Simply having a good firewall and anti-virus isn’t enough these days to keep the highly motivated and technically sophisticated criminals out of your network. The HUMAN element is the biggest threat—employees who accidentally click on links in e-mails or download files that introduce viruses to your network. Employees are also using social media sites more frequently, and they can intentionally or accidentally post something that could harm your company’s reputation or leak confidential information. Therefore, your security plan must also include employee training and policies so they know what is and isn’t acceptable when handling data and using company resources (Internet, computers, etc.).

If you don’t know where to start in creating any of the above, we’re here to help! Call TURNkey IT at 847-808-3990 to discuss how we can do all of this for you and take the work and worry out of these New Year’s resolutions!

2 easy ways to make your PC run like NEW!!

One of the most frustrating things in life is a slow computer!  

            

Every few years, we buy an expensive new PC and love how fast it starts up, runs programs, and loads websites.  Inevitably though, it starts to slow down until eventually we are pulling our hair out waiting for it to do routine tasks.

Why is this?  It turns out the answer is actually quite simple and you don't even need to be "technical" to understand the causes and solutions.

The good news: It's not the computer hardware that's the problem.  In most cases, the hardware you have is perfectly capable of being restored to its original glory and kept in fast running condition with minimal effort.

Rather, the problem lies with changes that occur to the PC's software.  The two most common causes of slowdown (along with easy solutions) are:

1. The most common problem: registery errors:

Every time you (or your kids) load a program, game, or file, your PC's software registery is updated with new instructions needed to operate that item.  However, when the item is removed, these instructions usually remain on your PC.  Every time you run your computer it tries to execute these instructions but, because the related program can't be found, it causes a registry error.  Your PC is doing a lot more work than it should be and the result is a significantly slower computer.

You can typically fix this problem by performing a scan which identifies and fixes registery errors- resulting in a computer that's a lot more like it was when you first bought it.  These scans also scan for junk and checks your PC's baseline security status. 


2. Spyware and viruses

Spyware and viruses are software programs that are loaded on your computer without your knowledge or permission.  They have various purposes, including:

• Changing the default search engine in your browser.
• Tracking your Web surfing habits and showing you targeted advertising.
• Using your email program to send out spam to other email addresses.
• Stealing your personal information.

Most spyware and viruses get onto our computers through files that we download from the Internet or as attachments to emails.  They tend to take up a lot of computing power and, as a result, will significantly slow down your computer.

The simple rule of thumb to follow is to never download any free software programs from companies you do not know and trust, especially screensavers, emoticons, and the like.  In addition, you should never open any attachment to an email unless you are 100 percent certain you know and trust the sender.  In addition, make sure you have a good anti-virus/spyware removal software running at all times.

Follow the above advice and your PC should stay fast and safe.

When running a small business never gamble on technology.  To ensure its running properly all the time so that you can concentrate on your business, call the professionals at TURNkey IT at 866-928-8208 and let us do the heavy lifting for you.  

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) systems-Is your business ready?

VoIP telephony can bring significant cost savings to businesses, and have an especially profound impact on small organizations or start-ups faced with limited budgets. David Kolssak, President of TURNkey IT,  said VoIP can lead to a "game-change" when it comes to saving money and staying afloat.

VoIP phone systems have been known to increase worker productivity and allow for employees to collaborate and communicate more effectively with coworkers and clients. The benefits have helped the integrated communications technology gain attention in recent years, with the market for this technology growing 21 percent in 2012 to more than 30 million VoIP subscribers in the United States.

However, Kolssak listed several considerations companies must make help them choose the best IP phone system.

1.  Do you have a sound network?  Since communications travel over the internet with VoIP, a company needs to determine its network capacity - can it handle the increase of data VoIP will create? Bandwidth, too, needs to be considered. The company's internet connection needs to be able to handle the new VoIP services while also maintaining current internet usage.  Kolssak further says that a company may want to opt for greater bandwidth. This may be a smart decision for any small or start-up company that is expected to grow in the near future, he said.

2.  Consider Scalability.  Future growth of the business presents another consideration: scalability. Picking a VoIP solution that can be scaled as the business grows will be important, the article stated. A scalable system will allow the company to easily add and subtract IP telephony tools down the line. While  considering future growth, business executives need to determine what equipment their employees need at the present time to allow them to use VoIP, the article stated. This includes headsets, software, and business VoIP phones.

3.  Onsite or Cloud based?  A major consideration will be determining if the company wants an on-premise system or one that is a hosted PBX phone system. According to Kolssak, hosted PBX systems may best suit companies with a limited number of users, as  a hosted solution could save those small companies with a limited staff the hassle of managing the system.

If a company does not take the time to consider these factors to find the best solution or provide the necessary infrastructure that enables the system to function properly, problems could present themselves. Issues which are not necessarily the fault of the system provider or vendor, but often have to do with internal operations. For instance, an improperly configured internal network could mean VoIP traffic and call quality can suffer. If a company does not ensure  its current network can handle the increase in communication and data that comes online with VoIP, it will not be able to truly benefit from the technology.

Considering VoIP phone systems for your small business?  Let us do the heavy lifting so you can concentrate on your business.  Contact TURNkey IT for a free evaluation at 866-928-8208.