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April 22, 2011

Why Mobile Broadband is a necessity for business on the go

Filed under: Lean, Teleworking, smartphones — Tags: , , , , — Administrator @ 11:22 am

Are you someone who does a lot of business on the go? Being prepared is essential for meetings or appointments on the fly and so is the right connectivity. Today’s advancements in technology make it easy to mix business with travel. No longer are the days of making sure you’re around a Wi-Fi hot spot, with mobile broadband you can be worry free about your Internet connection.

What is mobile broadband? Mobile broadband is the use of devices that allow wireless connection to the Internet using a mobile device such as a cell phone, tablet, MP3 players, Netbooks or laptop. The devices can be in the form of Mi-Fi, USB modems, and PC Cards.

Why not just use Wi-Fi? Wi-Fi is a type of technology set up for Internet café’s, hotels, restaurants, airports and other public areas. This limits your ability for productivity, as you now have to look for a place providing such “hotspots” and sometimes pay a fee. With mobile broadband technology, Internet is available wherever your cell phone is. Enhance productivity and reduce paper waste by being able to take down client information while at an appointment. With one device, you can access Internet anywhere and because of technologies such as Mi-Fi you can connect up to 5 users at once – now that’s a power lunch!

When upgrading to a mobile broadband plan, it’s best to consider factors like time spent on the road and budget before making purchases on products and plans based on your business needs.

Maximizing efficiency on the road requires more than Wi-Fi “hotspots”. With mobile broadband you don’t have to wait to find a hotspot – whether you are in a hotel or in a taxi you can be conducting business with anytime, anywhere access to your data.

March 27, 2011

Set your business free with Cloud Collaboration

Filed under: Cisco, Cloud, Lean — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Administrator @ 12:38 am

Collaboration can be defined as a group of people coming together to work towards a common goal. In the Cloud, collaboration can be defined as using technology such as instant messaging, email, web conferencing, blogs, private and public social networks, wiki’s and VoIP to create a more lean and profitable business. With Cloud Collaboration you can make the most out of your employees and reach out directly to your customers.

Just think of the costs you can save on travel expenses by using online video conferencing software such as webex to conduct business meetings with remote employees and clients in a distant area. According to a study conducted by Bernstein Research in March 2010, “10 percent of external travel could be replaced over the next 10 to 15 years, resulting in an aggregate reduction of 21 percent in corporate travel spending.”

Along with cutting down the costs of business travel, Cloud Collaboration allows you to get answers and make decisions on the fly. Getting speedy well-informed answers to the right people via instant messaging, email, and web conferencing increase productivity and cuts down on cycle times. Cloud software such as SharePoint and salesforce, has helped coworkers share information in ways that weren’t previously possible. Being able to connect with employees in different locations allows employees to tap into more information sources that would otherwise not be available due to location limitations.

Location and distance are no longer an issue with Cloud Collaboration. Breakthroughs in mobile and internet technologies allows you to conduct Cloud Collaboration anywhere – your home, office, the airport or anywhere else that has internet access. You’re also not limited to just your computer, you can use a tablet or your smartphone for collaborating. When you empower your employees to choose to make responsible choices about where to work you can improve morale and efficiency..

Cloud Collaboration is a necessity to reducing travel budget, building teamwork among employees in different locations and creating relationships with consumers. If you’re looking to lean your business and reduce budgets, Cloud Collaboration is an essential investment.

December 14, 2010

Smartphones – Tips for buying

Filed under: Uncategorized, smartphones — Tags: , , , — Administrator @ 12:48 pm

Smartphones had a big year in 2010, with sales of tablets, the iPhone and the Droid driving wireless sales. It is expected that in 2011, half of America’s cell phone users will be on smartphones. Businesses can benefit from supporting smartphones and tablets at work. With smartphone and tablet support you can answer an email or use an application from virtually anywhere – without having to be at your office. Smartphones and tablets allow access to emails, Web browsing at high speeds, ability to run business applications and the capacity to keep your projects, contacts and calendar nearby at all times. Looking to purchase your own smartphone for the first time? Here are some tips when looking for that perfect smartphone.

Try to stay within your wireless carrier. If you like the Droid but you have months left on your Sprint contract it’s best to either stick out your contract or pick a smartphone within the realm of Sprint. Termination fees from providers can be pricey and run as high as $350 (Verizon), $175 (AT&T) or $200 (Sprint and T-Mobile) per phone line.

Buy a new or second hand smartphone on the internet. Buying a smartphone on the internet allows you to bypass lengthy contracts and can save you money. You can also find smartphones that are hard to get or out of stock from retail outlets. Be sure to investigate seller feedback when purchasing online via sites such as eBay.

Chose a phone that suits your needs. Take the time to think of what features matter most to you. Do you want the ability to be able to multitask while talking on the phone? The iPhone is ideal for surfing the web while making phone calls. Do you text message and email a lot? Phones a QWERTY keyboard such as a BlackBerry may be more ideal than a touchscreen phone.

Compare smartphone features. As soon as you figure out what your needs are compare phones you like. There are a variety of magazines and websites that breakdown smartphones by what they offer. Consumer Reports is an impartial and reliable source. Compare not just the phones but also the operating systems themselves. Smartphones run on a variety of platforms, with the big hitters being iOS (Apple), Windows Phone 7, Symbian, Android, RIM (BlackBerry).

Look for compatibility. Will your smartphone be easy to configure to your business infrastructure? Make sure your smartphone is compatible with your work computer and works well with your email client. Many IT companies can help set up configuration for phone and workstation.

Make sure the battery life can fit into your lifestyle. Smartphones can have a battery span from 3 to 10 hours before requiring a charge and time can be lessened from running the internet and apps. If you get a smartphone with a short battery life look for accessories that provide charge boosting, such as the Energizer Inducter.

There are a variety of smartphones and operating systems available today. By doing the right research into price, compatibility and features, smartphones can make business life easier and add a solid return on investment.

September 5, 2010

Break fix or Managed Services?

Filed under: Managing Systems, network security — Tags: , , , , , , , — Administrator @ 12:37 am

Your network infrastructure is a critical part of your company’s success. When it comes to handling IT you have a choice-wait till something cripples your system and then call in a professional to try fixing the problem-or take a preventative IT solution by daily monitoring via Managed Services and stop most problems before they start.

Break-fix monitoring is pretty much what its name implies-waiting for your technology to break and then fixing it. This option seems a cheaper route to go, especially if your business requires minimal network support. The only problem is when something breaks you end up suffering from network downtown while waiting for someone to come to fix it. A response time for a break fix customer tends to be slower than a managed service customer. Factor in any employee who relies on the network for phone or computer support and the money loss ads up quickly.

Managed Services is a proactive approach of handling your network. How Managed Services works is you have a monthly fee that would include any proactive monitoring, service calls, software upgrades and help desk support. A nice feature about managed services providers is the predictability of a fixed fee every month and reduced risk of network downtime, which equals more productivity for your business. An added bonus is Managed Services customers are always a priority-a necessity in the event of an emergency IT situation.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both models. IT problems are bound to happen-it is up to you to decide which option will maximize your profitability.

May 8, 2010

Small Business Solutions: Ten Tips to Help your Small Business make Big Business

Filed under: Cisco — Tags: , , , , , , — Administrator @ 9:35 pm

Businessman before a choiceWhen it comes to small business ownership-it’s the little things that make a big difference. Here are 10 tips for using network technology to help your business work more efficiently, cut costs, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition.

1. Give employees secure, consistent access to information. You have an advantage over larger competitors because you can react quickly to business changes. But you can quickly lose this edge if your company network is frequently down, sluggish, or unsecured. A secure, reliable network based on intelligent routers and switches lets your employees access the information and tools they need to keep ahead of competitors.
2. Deliver anytime, anywhere access to employees on the go. To stay productive on the move, your employees need to be able to reach the people and information they need—anywhere, anytime. With tools like virtual private networks (VPNs), your employees can work outside the office and still enjoy safe access to the business network.
3. Create effective business processes with partners. Some large companies make efficient, secure business processes a prerequisite for doing business with them. To meet the business needs of your partners, you need a secure, reliable network.
4. Make it easy to work together. Smooth collaboration between employees, partners, suppliers, and customers is a sure-fire way to boost efficiency while also reducing costs. An intelligent network lets your business take advantage of interactive calendaring, videoconferencing, unified communications, and other technologies for easy collaboration.
5. Enable employees to take their phone systems wherever they go. Missed calls create project delays, wasted opportunities, and lost revenues. With a networked voice and data solution, your employees can have one phone number that rings simultaneously on multiple devices, so customers reach the right person the first time. Your staff can access all their communications from anywhere, checking for e-mail, voicemail, and faxes from just one inbox.
6. Streamline customer communications. Delivering fast, knowledgeable service is the best way to keep customers satisfied. Linking your network phone system to a customer relationship management (CRM) solution is a great way to enhance customer communications. When a customer calls, a pop-up window with their records appears on an employee’s IP phone screen, computer screen, or both.
7. Reduce unproductive travel time. All too often, time spent on the road is time lost. A networked phone solution that offers video calls and Web conferencing can help reduce the time and expense of traveling to offsite meetings and training sessions. Instead of spending time traveling, you can use the time to get work done with technology.
8. Employ a managed service provider. Is managing a network the best use of your employees’ time? In some situations, it is advantageous to hire a managed service provider for network administration. Working with a managed service provider can free your IT staff to focus on other IT tasks and use their time more effectively.
9. Improve employee satisfaction. Aging phone systems and slow networks can frustrate your employees and annoy your customers. In some cases, an employee might become burned out and decide to move on. To help ensure that employees are productive and satisfied, your business needs a secure, reliable, and fast network.
10. Develop a long-term technology plan. The process of replacing obsolete hardware can interrupt your employees and bring the office to a standstill. You can minimize such disruptions by carefully determining short- and long-term business objectives and working with your network vendor to deploy technology that matches them.

Cisco can help you with these tips with the powerful 500 series power driven for small businesses.  The ESW 500 Series are cost-effective, easy-to-use switches that provide the foundation of your small business network. It provides voice and data communications, voicemail, automated attendant, video, security, and wireless capabilities while integrating with existing desktop applications such as calendar, email, and customer relationship management (CRM) programs. This easy-to-use solution supports up to 32 users and provides flexible deployment options based on your needs, supporting a wide array of IP phones, public switched telephone network (PSTN) interfaces, and Internet connectivity.

As well as having a state of the art product line, Cisco also provides 0% on financing for 36 months enabling you to make a sound investment.  If you would like to know more about how Cisco can help you give us a call at (866) 441-7469.