What is Spam Filtering?

Businesses of any size are always at great risk of being spammed. In order to be reachable by potential customers a business must actively promote their contact information, this opens the flood gates to spam.

Spam is not only an annoyance and time waster but it can also have damaging effects on any business. One of the main fears of spam is that if accidentally opened, it will contain malicious software. This type of software can damage or shutdown systems that are vital to business operations. This also can open up the risk of exposing customer information or credit card numbers.

Spam filters are a necessary business tool to protect both you and your clients.

What spam filters do is remove unwanted emails such as junk and malicious attacks before they even reach your inbox. This protects business owners and employees from making any accidents that negatively impact operations.

The most basic level of spam filtering allows for removal of emails with certain keywords. This can help eliminate junk emails and promo offers by removing words such as free, sign up, promotion. The problem with using such a basic approach is that on occasion, emails that you want to receive will not get through

Some other types of spam filter variables that can be applied are:

• Inappropriate language
• Attachments
• Types of Data
• Subject matter

The newest spam filters are a lot more powerful, going more in depth than just keyword filtering. These spam filters can analyze subjects and content to determine if email is spam or legitimate. Spam filters will also compare senders addresses with databases of known spammers for extra protection from threats and annoyances.

Why Choose Cloud Spam Filtering?

As with most IT related business processes, spam filtering can be a challenge to those without dedicated IT resources and man power. Using the cloud allows for professional grade tools and knowledge that protects yourself and customers.

Cloud services are easy to implement, can be controlled by knowledgable users offsite, and allow for constant updates and improvements.

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about Cloud Spam Filtering for your business.

Teleconferences have helped businesses connect for decades. The next evolution in this process was video conferencing, these virtual meetings required expensive equipment and usually transmitted images of stuffy board rooms to each recipient. With internet and wireless speeds constantly increasing, combined with cameras on most devices, virtual meetings are now an essential business tool.

Video conferencing is a great way to connect face-to-face with a coworker, taking the next step in collaboration makes the process even more productive. With cloud collaboration tools such as Ciscos WebEx, employees can work together, in real time, on documents, projects, and presentations.

This isn’t strictly a tool for large global companies to connect their widespread workforce. Small and medium sized businesses can greatly benefit from cloud collaboration. The hardware needed is most likely already part of the tools used for business everyday, things like a smart phone, tablet, and webcam equipped laptop.

A great reason for a business to use cloud collaboration is letting employees chose to telecommute. Telecommuting allows employees to get the same work done from their home office instead of the businesses physical location.

Here are some perks of telecommuting:

For businesses

• Attractive perk for new talented employees
• Cutting office expenses like electricity, equipment, and facilities
• Reduces unscheduled absences

For employees

• Flexible work schedule
• Control over work environment
• Reduced expenses of commuting

Cloud Collaboration can also be a great benefit to small business owners or consultants who work at home and want to give a professional appearance. Setup meetings with potential or existing clients and give your proposals in an interactive setting.

Looking for cloud collaboration (WebEx) or other cloud services? Let us know

No matter what type of business you run, chances are very high that computers are involved. Whether it’s storing sales data or payroll and tax information, all small businesses have data they need safe and secure.

Backing up computer data used to mean having external hard drives or complicated network equipment. With the emergence of new cloud technologies, businesses from 1 employee to thousands can now secure critical data with lower cost and less worry.

Here are 5 reasons that your business should be using cloud backup:

1. Off-Site Backup

Cloud backup is a managed off-site backup solution, this type of service used to only be available to large businesses with big IT budgets. Having data backed up in a location away from your business provides an extra layer of security from things like theft or fire.

2. Simple Expansion

It is sometimes hard to gage how quickly a business will grow. Maybe right now you only need 100GBs of data storage, in 1 year you could need 1TB. With traditional local storage, expanding means buying more storage drives and possibly other IT equipment. Unless you are very tech savvy this might also mean spending additional dollars on IT support. With cloud backup, expansion is as simple as one email or phone call to your provider. Increasing Gigabytes or Terabytes can happen in minutes.

3. More Access

Having access to work files while not at work can be a huge competitive advantage. Small business owners work much more than the normal 40 hour work week. With cloud backups, you can access important work information from other computers and sometimes mobile devices. This can mean the difference between making a sale and losing one.

4. Recover from a Crash

One of the most devastating issues that small businesses face is computer crashes. Traditional recovery methods can sometimes be cumbersome and rely on out-dated software that came with an external hard drive or network option. Cloud backup also provides you with cloud recovery. After replacing damaged parts or buying a new computer, restoring is usually as simple as logging into your online cloud account and then clicking to restore all files.

5. Save On IT Maintenance

Local back up options will require spending time ensuring that equipment is running properly and updated. Choosing a cloud backup option takes a lot of this work off your plate. Let IT professionals worry about this maintenance for you. Cloud services also provide you with secure data storage that has multiple redundancies to prevent data loss.

If you are interested in Cloud Backup Services for your business call us at (866) 441-7469 or send us a message here.

Spring has officially sprung.

This is the time that we open the windows and breathe in that fresh air.

Spring cleaning usually means getting your outdoor to-do list ready and cleaning out the attic or garage, but what about your PC?

Reduce Clutter

A good place to start your computer cleaning is on the desktop. If you have icons covering your screen it is a good idea to decide which ones aren’t used anymore and delete them. You can organize and sort docs, images, and other things into new labeled folders to keep things neat.

It is also a good practice to look at your system tray (bottom right icons) and see what is running. In the course of installing programs you might have allowed some to start every time you boot up your PC, removing some of these can boost start up speed.

Uninstall or Update

With the growth of technology such as MP3’s, digital cameras, HD, and smart phones, we are increasingly becoming digital creators and consumers. Storage space becomes even more important and you don’t want to lose any precious memories that you have captured. Uninstalling old programs can free up gigabytes of space on your computer.

Updating programs that you use often such as Office, web browsers, or multimedia software can help protect from security threats and improve performance of your PC.

Defrag the Hard Drive

As you continue to create, download, and use programs and files, pieces of these items can become fragmented and spread around in your hard drive. Running the defrag feature in Windows can help put some of these pieces closer together and reduce the time that your computer will take to accomplish tasks.

To do this click: Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter

Clean Temp Files

As you are browsing the internet, temporary files are being saved onto your computer (cache) to help load pages and speed up navigation. Unfortunately, overtime if these files are not cleaned up, you will see a noticeable decrease in speed when browsing the internet or opening files. There is a simple free tool that can help you remove these files and keep your computer running smoothly. Running Ccleaner once a week will keep these temporary files under control and help you maintain a clean PC.

Reduce the Dust

Just like the air filter in your car, a computer can get filled with dirt and dust which puts unnecissary strain on its components. Most of the individual parts inside a computer need to disperse the heat they create, this becomes harder when dust is caked on top of them. There are also fans on the front and back of most PC cases that circulate air, if these are clogged up with dust, they generally are less effective. If you are comfortable opening your PC case, a can of compressed air can quickly remove dust and debris.

Repairs and Upgrades

If these tips don’t help bring your computer back to normal then it might be time for some repairs or upgrades. Many people throw PC’s away and purchase a new one but it might be more economical to make some updates to hardware.

Increasing memory (RAM) or hard drive space (they are over 3TB now!) can breathe new life into a PC and increase your productivity.

Spaulding Hill Networks offers PC repair services, contact us for details.

Computer Repair Services Brochure

Image Via Flickr

iPad Apple Configurator app

Smart phones have grown to be critical business tools over the past decade. The popularity of these devices combined with the demand for larger and faster solutions have put great focus on tablets for business use. Without question, the most desired tablet has been the Apple iPad. These devices have had great consumer success but businesses have a hard time implementing them into their organizations because they lack easy to set up administrative controls.

With the announcement of the new iPad last week, Apple also released a new tool to help solve the problem that was preventing more iPad’s from being used in organizations. In the Mac App Store you can now find a utility called Apple Configurator, a tool that simplifies the set up and distribution process of iOS products. The application can be used to configure iPads, iPods, and iPhones with the ability to handle thirty at a time. Now schools, businesses, and institutions will be able to take advantage of these powerful devices with more ease and control.

Apple Configurator has three simple workflows that will help with: preparing devices, supervising settings, and assigning devices to employees or students. One of the clearest benefits is the ability to outfit your workforce with devices that are optimized for your business and have all the right tools. Before issuing a device, an administrator could set up an iPad with a sales CRM solution, presentation apps and documents, and meeting software like Webex. On the education side, a device could always be kept current with the newest class resources and reading material.

Apple gives a breakdown of each workflows features:

Prepare devices

• Configure up to 30 devices at a time
• Update devices to the latest version of iOS
• Create and restore a backup of settings and app data from one device to other devices
• Import apps into Apple Configurator and sync them to new devices*
• Use the built-in editor to create and install iOS configuration profiles
• Enroll devices with your Mobile Device Management solution for remote management

Supervise devices

• Organize supervised devices into custom groups
• Automatically apply common configurations to supervised devices
• Quickly reapply a configuration to a supervised device and remove the previous user’s data
• Import apps into Apple Configurator and sync them to supervised devices*
• Define and apply common or sequential names to all devices
• Restrict supervised devices from syncing with other computers

Assign devices

• Add users and groups manually or autopopulate via Open Directory or Active Directory
• Check out a device to a user and restore the user’s settings and data on that device
• Apply custom text, wallpaper, or the user’s picture to a device’s Lock screen
• Import and export documents between your Mac and Apple Configurator
• Sync documents between assigned devices and Apple Configurator

Having an in-house fully managed IT system might work for big corporations but for most small businesses outsourcing to a MSP is the way to go. An increasingly popular option for many small businesses is to include cloud storage and cloud applications into IT operations. As the concept of ‘cloud’ becomes more popular, developers are finding new ways to make business processes simple and connected. One of the best features of most cloud applications is that you can access them from any computer, anywhere. Applications are also available on mobile devices like an iPhone or iPad through either a mobile app or a web browser. This is becoming important because small business owners can spend more time out of the office with customers and clients.

Cloud based apps can help in almost all aspects of small business including scheduling, online payment, accounting, managing documents, CRM and much more. Cost is a huge reason these apps are popular to new companies, in many cases you can start using them for free and then pay as your needs grow. Accessibility is also a cost factor of the business decision to utilize a cloud application. If your small business uses a cloud app, when you hire a new team member, chances are they can use their own technology to access your business app.

Fortunately for the small business owner, cloud apps are generally easy to use and learn. Like any other internet technology, it is important to understand the impact your applications will have on the business and the return on your investment. Security can also be a concern when allowing critical client and company information to be transferred and stored online in the cloud. A best practice is to read the privacy policies and disclosures from the application developer and find reviews by other business owners online for the product.

This infographic shows some of the most popular cloud applications available today.

The infographic below shows some powerful information about how small businesses are using IT services. A huge majority of small businesses are utilizing in-house resources for IT support which means this 78% is missing out on cost saving benefits of out-sourced IT technology and services. These in-house resources can get stretched thin and also have a hard time staying on top of new technology. While 52% of small businesses cited their reason for outsourcing IT as cost-effectiveness, having access to better resources was also a large factor in the decision.

IT support is critical for a small business to have a competitive advantage and outsourcing is a great way to ensure you optimal support. Test your in-house IT abilities by asking yourself a few questions:

• How much time are IT staff spending on non-IT activities?
• When have we looked into new technologies for productivity?
• Are we using any of the new cloud technologies?
• What advantages do our competitors have in the IT field?