AgniTEK

Balance Of Work And Life Is A Myth

AgniTEK — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Written by Stephen Shapiro Many years back, I led classes on Stephen Covey’s “Principle Centered Leadership” for Accenture’s managers. Over 75 percent of the attendees said that achieving balance in their life was their number one reason for taking the course. This is not surprising given the fast pace of life today. But what does balance mean? Balance implies two opposing forces that reach equilibrium. This is not easy to do. Remember when you were a kid trying to balance with someone else on a seesaw? Either you were up or you were down. But rarely were you balanced. In life, either we are working hard or playing hard at any given moment. But we rarely are in balance. And when most refer to work/life balance being out of alignment, it is typically not because they are enjoying too much play and not enough work. Maybe balance is not the solution. So what’s the alternative? Integration. Find ways of integrating your work and personal life together. In doing th ...

Seven Tips To Establish Rapport With Potential Prospects

AgniTEK — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Written by Michael Halper Being able to build rapport with potential prospects will be a very valuable skill when trying to launch a new business. This is important because not only do people buy from people they like, but also because having rapport will greatly improve an entrepreneur’s ability to control and manage an opportunity through a sales cycle. Below are a few tips that can be used to try to positively trigger rapport with prospects. 1. Display Humility Finding times to display humility can sometimes establishing a friendlier atmosphere when dealing with prospects. This might actually sound counterintuitive as we have always been taught to act very confident and assertive as an entrepreneur and showing humility in many ways is the exact opposite of that as it is showing that you are modest and at times imperfect. You certainly want to be confident in whom you are, in the products you sell, and confident in the company you have built. But to sh ...

Share presentations painlessly with Broadcast Slide Show

AgniTEK — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

The PowerPoint Broadcast Slide Show makes it easy for PowerPoint 2010 users to share a presentation on the fly with anyone, anywhere. Just send a link, and in one click everyone you invite will be watching a synchronized view of your slide show in their Web browser, even if they don’t have PowerPoint 2010 installed. To broadcast your slides to an audience, follow the directions below. Starting a broadcast To start a broadcast from PowerPoint 2010, click Broadcast Slide Show on the Slide Show tab. Ensure the PowerPoint Broadcast Service is selected and click Start Broadcast. Sign in with your Windows Live ID. (If you use Hotmail, Live Messenger, or Xbox LIVE, you already have a Windows Live ID. If not, it only takes a minute to sign up.) PowerPoint will provide a public link that you can send to up to 50 remote attendees. Anyone who receives a link to the broadcast may watch it. Keep in mind that if an attendee forwards the link to someone else, that person ...

The Future of Screen Technology

AgniTEK — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Paper computer shows flexible future for smartphones and tablets

AgniTEK — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Nancy’s Talk from TEDxEast: You Can Change the World

AgniTEK — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

10 insider's shortcuts for Outlook

AgniTEK — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Shortcuts are generally good: When training to do heart surgery? Not good. When developing software that helps people be more productive? Not good. When using software more efficiently? Good. These last two are obviously related: When the developers of Outlook created the program, they did not take shortcuts so that you, as the user of aforementioned software, could. And Outlook has a bevy of really great, really easy to remember keyboard shortcuts that you should know if you want to speed up your everyday interactions with it. (Keyboard shortcut: individual keystrokes—or combination of keys pressed at the same time—used to execute commands.) 10 favorite Outlook keyboard shortcuts from some people who use the program all day, every day Switch between Mail, Calendar, and Contacts Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, Ctrl+3: (Mail is Ctrl+1, Calendar is Ctrl+2, and Contacts is Ctrl+3) Create a meeting request Ctrl+Shift+ Q Move a message from one folder to another Ctrl+Shift ...

Adding ID Protect to your Domain Name

Andrew Palmer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:47:00 GMT

Log into http://register.agnitek.com Click on the Domains header in the left menu Click on the Manage Domains link Click the [M] icon just below the domain you want to add ID Protection to Click on the green ID PROTECT button Check the box to show that you understand that ID Protect order are non-refundable, then click on the Order Now! button Click on the Proceed to Payment button Complete the order by filling out your billing information.

ManageIT Patch - Defintion 2.06.030

Andrew Palmer — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:22:00 GMT

We have just pushed out ManageIT definition update 2.06.030 from testing to stable on the distribution server. Your next ManageIT CheckIn should pick up this new version. This update includes: • Update Mozilla Firefox Rapid Release branch from v8.0.1 to v9.0 • Update Mozilla Firefox 3.6.X branch from v3.6.24 to v3.6.25 • Java Run Time 7.X branch from v7 update1 to v7 update2 • Java Run Time 6.X branch from v6 update29 to v6 update30 • Update iTunes from v10.5.1 to v10.5.2 • Update Safari from v5.1.1 to 5.1.2 Look for updates for Adobe Reader 9.4.7 and a build of Thunderbird yet this week. If you have any questions on the changes in this version or anything else with ManageIT please feel free to contact support or call 888-4-AGNITEK.

BYOD, Are You Prepared? Questions You Should Ask

AgniTEK — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:41:00 GMT

No, I’m not talking about having a party but rather one of the hottest topics in technology today. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is becoming an absolute factor in almost every business today. Your employees, vendors, and guests all probably bring some type of personal communication device or their own notebooks to your workplace every day. Many employees are using their own devices to connect to your business networks, if for nothing more than the receipt of your corporate email. So why is BYOD a hot topic? Many companies provide their employees laptops and smartphones to serve as their business computing and mobile communications devices. The business owns those devices, and as a result, the business can control the security of those devices and any business data that the user had downloaded to them. When Blackberry was a standard, Blackberry server handled many of the business security concerns present in mobile devices. Today, we see that burden of security falling back on the business and their IT d ...

When Subscription Lists Go Bad: e-Marketing TLC

AgniTEK — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:39:00 GMT

Be honest with me. When was the last time you looked at your e-marketing statistics in Constant Contact, MailChimp, ConnectWise Marketing Manager, or whichever email service provider you use? If you said "yesterday" or "this week" or "every time I send out a campaign," you get a gold star. But here's your next question: When was the last time you analyzed your statistics and acted on them? E-marketing has an illusion of simplicity about it – maybe because it's digital, maybe because there are so many services and tools that claim to make it easy as pie. With a few clicks of a button you can send an email campaign to thousands of people, and then never look at it again. And if you never look at it again, you might miss the fact that most everyone who got it isn't looking at it either. I’ve run into this issue a couple of times in the last few weeks, both from working on cleaning up our own subscription lists and from talking to clients. It takes effort to review your sent emails, campaigns, and e-inv ...

The Future of Windows

AgniTEK — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:38:00 GMT

Microsoft held their first ever Build Conference in Anaheim in September. It’s a new annual event for Windows developers to gather and learn about building applications for the Windows platform. This one was special not only because it was the first, but also because leading up to it, all the buzz was about how much of Windows 8 Microsoft would show and what details we would learn about the next version of the most popular operating system in the world. Microsoft did not disappoint. They have showed demos, talked about features and functions, and even made an open beta immediately available to all who are interested to download, play with, and Microsoft hopes develop applications for. The buzz leading up to the conference has grown into a fever pitch with partners, developers, and customers all extremely excited about the next Windows release. What is it about this platform that Microsoft is doing right, and why is everyone so excited? First off, Windows has a new look and feel. The next interface, du ...

How to photograph holidays and special occasions

AgniTEK — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:36:00 GMT

The problem with most photos taken during the holidays or other special celebrations is that they don’t capture the special feeling of the season or event. That’s why most holiday, anniversary, birthday, and graduation pictures seem so average. Why settle for ho-hum photos? With preparation and just a few simple tips on photography techniques and photo effects, you can turn your digital photographs into unique works of art that you and your family and friends will enjoy looking at for years. 1. Plan ahead for special occasion mailings The classic problem with holiday photos that you want to use for cards, your annual family letter, or other special mailings is that they have to be taken weeks in advance. Some decorations, like Christmas trees, might not be available, or you might not want to take your menorah or other once-a-year holiday decorations out of storage so far in advance. Or maybe there’s no snow on the ground. It's never too early to think about the perfect image to accompany your specia ...

When Disaster Strikes - The Big Bad Wolf

AgniTEK — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:34:00 GMT

It may be superstition, but many of us still believe that catastrophes come in 3s. In the case of a catastrophic loss of business facility (i.e. hurricane, earthquake, waterlogging of fire hoses), many businesses get to experience all three of these catastrophes within the span of a few short days (or even hours). Firstly, one must endure the physical and emotional trauma of experiencing the actual disaster. Secondly, one must pick through the pieces and assess how bad things really are. Thirdly, and the most delicate, will be communicating with employees and customers, having to tell them what’s happened, how bad it is, and what uncertainties the future holds. A Backup System Alone is Not a Disaster Recovery Plan Most small business managers rise to their positions because they have the vision and drive to succeed. For them, planning for a disaster can feel like planning to fail. They don’t like to think about what a disaster would do to their business continuity, so they don’t. Of course, they appr ...

Are your emails falling into a black hole?

AgniTEK — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:31:00 GMT

It’s so frustrating: you regularly send out emails and then sit staring at your computer, waiting for some sort of response. Don’t you sometimes get the feeling that you’re just sending words out into a black hole? Of course, you can never "ensure" that emails are going to be read or acted upon. It’s a sad result of the information overload we suffer from. People who sit working at their computers for hours every day might have the time, energy and interest to open the numerous messages which fill their inbox—or they might not. So what is it exactly that tips them over the delicate, crucial line between “read” and ”leave for later/delete”? The answer is that most recipients of emails often decide whether or not to read them because of two things: the “subject” line and the “from” line. They must recognize who the email is coming from They must see a benefit or reason to open it So consider these useful tips before you send your next mail: 1. Keep it short Would you immediately open and read an em ...

Domain Registry of America Scam Alert

AgniTEK — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 04:22:00 GMT

(Click the letter above to enlarge.) AgniTEK wants to remind you to stay vigilant against scams during the upcoming holiday season. We have received a few reports of our clients receiving ‘phony bills’ relating to domain names they have registered. The scam comes in the form of a letter from the “Domain Registry of America” or “Domain Renewal Group” urging you to pay them to renew your domain name. However, the agreement included in the letter is actually a contract to transfer the domain name from your current host to the Domain Registry of America (at an inflated price and without hosting). If you receive a letter to this effect, don’t worry and don’t send them your money. Luckily, no AgniTEK clients have been taken by the scam. However, please do not hesitate to contact AgniTEK at 979-260-TECH(8324) if you receive any suspicious correspondence regarding your website or IT system.

ManageIT Patch – Definition 2.06.029 - Mozilla & Adobe Updates

Andrew Palmer — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:10:00 GMT

We have just pushed out definition update 2.06.028 from testing to stable on the ManageIT distribution server. Your next patch window should pick up this new version. If you do not see this definition version after your next scheduled window please contact support. This update includes: • Update Mozilla Firefox Rapid Release branch from v7.0.1 to v8.0 • Update Mozilla Firefox 3.6.X branch from v3.6.23 to v3.6.24 • Update Mozilla Thunderbird from v7.0.1 to v8.0 • Update Adobe Flash from v11.0.1.152 to v11.1.102.55 • Update Adobe Shockwave v11.6.1.629 to v11.6.3.633 If you have any questions on the changes in this version or anything else with ManageIT please feel free to contact us at www.agniteksupport.com or by calling 888-4-AGNITEK.

3 Steps to Streamline Your Next Project

AgniTEK — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center Have you ever had a project "go sideways" on you? When it happens to you, it feels like you are treading water. You're working hard, but going nowhere. After building a beautiful coordinated project plan in Microsoft Project or Microsoft Excel, your dates start slipping. You can see that too much time is being wasted on unnecessary communications, but how do you take back control? Typically, the problem isn't in the upfront planning, it's in the ongoing communication and collaboration. Follow these three steps to ensure all team members are on the same page, making progress to your mutual goal. 1. Create a collaboration site. Endless hours are wasted and bandwidth consumed from circulating documents via email. The larger the project, the worse this problem becomes. Because the document isn't centrally stored, multiple versions are created, and that's where questions and confusion pop-up. "Is this the latest version? Has John reviewed this? ...

3 ways to convert documents to PDFs

AgniTEK — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

PDF is a file format that allows text (including fonts) and images to be embedded into a non-editable document. This file format is great for documents that you do not want changed or that you want to make sure anyone can open. There are multiple ways that you can convert your non-PDF documents (such as Word files and Excel spreadsheets) into PDFs. Using Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 If you have Microsoft Office 2010, you can easily save documents as PDFs in Word, Excel, and other programs by going to File > Save As > Adobe PDF. (In Office 2007, you an also look for the Acrobat tab on the ribbon and click Create PDF.) Simply save the PDF with the name and location you want it to have and the PDF will generate. Using CutePDF CutePDF is one of many free programs that allow you to convert documents by "printing" them. You can download CutePDF online at http://www.cutepdf.com. Install the program that you downloaded. Now, when you go to print a document, in the list of printers you can print to, you’ll ...

5 ways to win the PC security battle

AgniTEK — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center by Heather Clancy Yes, as you've doubtless heard umpteen times, even the smallest business is vulnerable to a PC or network security breach. But you can find some peace of mind simply by taking some preventive measures. Better yet, by taking action before an incident occurs. IT consultants believe that the most effective data security policies are those that treat security not just as an IT problem but as an underlying business process. What good are firewalls, for example, if you don't have a way for trusted business partners to access your network from a remote location? How effective is a software patch management service if telecommuting employees who are rarely in the office aren't encouraged (or forced) to update? Step one for any security strategy means getting your entire organization involved in the discussion. If you're an IT type, find yourself a champion who has line-of-business responsibilities; someone who understands your c ...

Remote working is no longer an employee perk, it's a business necessity

AgniTEK — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center The kind of office most of us are familiar with is a building with four walls and a roof that we probably drive to 40 or so hours each week, Monday through Friday. Today, many companies still maintain traditional offices, but the decision makers are also discovering that to compete in the current economy, employees must be able to do their jobs anywhere, anytime. Microsoft recently commissioned a survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs among more than 4,500 information workers in 15 U.S. markets to better understand opinions and attitudes related to mobile and internal business technologies and capabilities. The survey results further underscore the growing requirement for mobile work solutions - more than half of respondents (57%) report that their company has a formal telework policy and more than three quarters of information workers (77%) say their company provides access to technology support for working remotely. Working without wal ...

Protecting your wireless network

AgniTEK — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Reprinted with permission from the HP Small Business Center Why wireless security? When you have a wireless network, you need to make sure it's kept secure. An unencrypted network presents the potential for security breaches. Wireless technologies that provide long-range connectivity can't be contained within an office. When you use a network that's not secure, hackers could potentially "capture" the information you're sending back and forth. This means passwords, records, and more. Isn't my network already secure? With some older wireless technologies, like Bluetooth, access is limited by physical proximity to the corporate network. However, wireless technologies that provide long-range connectivity, such as 802.11n, can't be contained within an office space. That means anyone within range of a non-secure network can gain access. What happens if I don't secure my network? It may seem harmless to offer your network's access to outside users, but it's more than just letting people surf the Internet for ...

How Smart Is Your Phone?

AgniTEK — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Millions of BlackBerry users around the world had their work, business, and social lives severely affected recently after a server crash that disconnected smartphone users across the globe. The three-day outage interrupted email messages and Internet services for customers spanning five continents. In today's world of continuous communication, a network disruption can be detrimental to your business. Below are some simple tips to keep you and your employees connected during an outage. SMS Text Updates: Regardless of the severity of the interruption, it is important you have a way to notify employees, clients, and stakeholders. SMS text messaging has proven to work when other mobile functions are down. Backup Contacts: Keep your contacts updated across all channels, including phone, email, and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to the right people quickly. Update Your Website: Know how to quickly update your website to address the situation. Consider having a pre-populated webp ...

Employee Spotlight - Linda Grasley

AgniTEK — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:00:00 GMT

As AgniTEK continues to grow and develop into an influential regional technology firm, we take pride in showcasing some of our stellar employees. Linda Grasley, our Administrative Assistant, has been working for AgniTEK since March of this year. Originally hailing from Canada, Linda handles the dispatch of service tickets to our technicians. She is also the point person for the invoicing and processing of payments made by clients. Most importantly, Linda is usually the smiling face greeting you when you come by our office! Linda enjoys how the work pace at AgniTEK is "thankfully busy”. She states, “I love the interaction with our clients and trying to help them. In this job you hit the ground running, shortly after 8 A.M. the phone starts ringing as people get to work and start up their computers." As a member of the AgniTEK team, Linda enjoys most "The people I work with and the variety of things I do each day. There is never a dull moment!" When Linda isn’t working, she enjoys antiquing, reading m ...

Bugs in Your Java

Andrew Palmer — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:42:00 GMT

Last week Oracle posted a new update of Java version 6 Update 29. Here is the information from Oracle related to that release. ==================================================================================== Advisory: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/javacpuoct2011-443431.html Due to the threat posed by a successful attack, Oracle strongly recommends that customers apply Critical Patch Update (CPU) fixes as soon as possible. This CPU contains 20 new security fixes across Java SE. Note: There was no Java 6 Update 28 released to the public. So, this update skips an update number. All but one of the fixed vulnerabilities are remotely exploitable without authentication. I have not found any information on whether or not any of the fixed vulnerabilities are being actively exploited or the details of the vulnerability are publically available. If anyone finds information to help evaluate the criticality of this patch, please let ...

How About We Eradicate Breast Cancer…and Computer Viruses While We’re At It!

Andrew Palmer — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:35:34 GMT

As you're probably aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. My name is David Ohendalski. I'm the President of at AgniTEK, a technology firm here in Bryan/College Station. We've created pink mousepads with computer shortcut keys and we're using them to raise funds for local residents who are battling this deadly disease. You can get one of these mousepads for free. All we ask is that you provide a donation in any amount to The Pink Alliance, Brazos Valley Cancer Support group. All the money raised will stay locally in Bryan/College Station. As a special incentive, the first 10 people who donate at least $25 and request a mousepad are entitled to a free virus vulnerability check (normally a $249 value). We'll come to your site, "look under the hood" and let you know how protected you are against rogue attacks. We'll provide you with a recommended set of actions you can take to secure your network against these sorts of attacks. Hurry up this offer is only valid in October and we have a limit ...

ManageIT Patch - Defintion 2.06.025, support for iTunes 10.5

Andrew Palmer — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:11:00 GMT

Austin Texas area IT Services Management. ; Bryan / College Station area IT Services Management. ; Dallas / Ft. Worth area IT Services Management. ; Houston area IT Services Management. ; IT Support Services ; This update provides support for the release of iTunes 10.5. Along with security patches, this version of iTunes supports the Apple iOS 5 release on Wednesday. Also iTunes 10.5 no longer requires Quicktime to be installed to run iTunes. Quicktime has been removed from the iTunes install process, but will still be updated as a separate application in ManageIT. If you have any questions on the changes in this version or anything else with ManageIT please feel free to contact us at www.agniteksupport.com or by calling 888-4-AGNITEK.

ManageIT Patch - Release Definition 2.06.023 Adobe Flash 32bit Update

Andrew Palmer — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:51:52 GMT

We have just pushed out ManageIT definition update 2.06.023 from testing to stable on the ManageIT distribution server. Your next ManageIT Client CheckIn should pick up this new version. This update provides support for the initial release of 32bit Adobe Flash 11 for both Internet Explorer and other applications which use the Flash plugin. Flash 11 now supports 32 and 64bit versions just as Java does. The 64bit flash modules are only useful if you are running an 64bit browser. Most people are still running 32bit browsers even on 64bit OSes, as up until this moment there has been no flash plugins available for 64bit browsers. Our immediate focus is to deploy potential security updates to your existing 32bit flash installs. If you have any questions on the changes in this version or anything else with ManageIT please feel free to contact us at www.agniteksupport.com or by calling 888-4-AGNITEK.

Tablets & Smartphones: Business Tools or Toys?

AgniTEK — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Is this the year of the Tablet? Has the mobile Internet finally arrived? What business purposes are served by using mobile Internet devices, and how can they help us better serve clients? Whether you are working with products from Apple, Motorola, BlackBerry, HTC, Samsung or a myriad of other providers, access to the Internet, and applications or "apps" drive the mobile world. Today, you can use apps that give you access to paperless documents from your office, provide clarification of a business rule from a quick check of research, have the ability to take a note to jog an idea, or to take enough notes for an entire draft memo. You can initiate a print job from anywhere to shared Internet printers, read a document that has been synchronized to the mobile device after being scanned, read books, publications, news sources, email, and consume content from almost any popular source. Apps make it possible to listen to and see news feeds, video conferences, record video, take and view pictures, and access multime ...

5 Productivity Tips for Windows

AgniTEK — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Print more easily, find files faster, and send email right from your desktop! 1. Print from Windows Explorer If you need to print a document, let’s say a Microsoft Word document, there’s no need to launch Word first. Browse your hard drive for the file that you want to print, right-click its icon, and then click Print. This will automatically send the document to your printer without launching Word. 2. Pin programs to the Start menu Want to add your favorite programs to the Start menu? From the Start menu, click All Programs. Locate a favorite program, right-click the program’s icon, and then click Pin to Start menu. That’s it. You can also pin an application by dragging and dropping its icon from All Programs to the Start menu. The program is now “pinned” to your Start menu. To remove it, right-click the program icon on the Start menu and then click Unpin from Start menu or click Remove from this list. Pinning a program to the Start menu in Windows 7 3. Use small icons on ...

4 Ways to Make Sure Meetings Are Not a Waste of Time

AgniTEK — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Meetings can be a big waste of time or the biggest time saver. It all depends on your skills of keeping the meeting on track and engaging your staff. The challenges that keep your meetings from being productive include going on way past the allotted time, getting off track, and meetings that turn into gripe sessions. Here are four basics to running an effective meeting that keeps you completely in charge and engages your employees. 1. Set the expectations 2. Acknowledge the elephant 3. Beat the dead horse 4. Engage them Set the expectations One reason meetings get off track is due to negativity. It could be just one drama queen who always has something negative to say, but my bet is that she is speaking for the tribe, and she gets some sort of glory from her peers for having the courage to say what everyone else is thinking. Whether it’s everyone or just one person, the way to eliminate the complaining is to set the expectations before the meeting begins. This starts with a good agenda with a time allot ...

Take Control of Information with an Intelligent Archiving Strategy

AgniTEK — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Such a strategy can help enterprises confidently store, manage, and discover critical business information across multiple content sources. If your organization is like most, you’re probably retaining much more information than you should. According to one study, too many enterprises today are saving information indefinitely rather than implementing policies that would enable them to delete unimportant data with confidence. Increasingly, the price to pay for this “packrat” approach is becoming harder to justify. As data continues to grow exponentially, trying to keep everything just consumes larger and larger amounts of storage space and makes too many demands on IT resources. Spending more time and money on poor information management practices can’t continue indefinitely. To regain control of their information, organizations need to deploy an intelligent archiving strategy. Recent research from Gartner Inc. shows that such a strategy can dramatically reduce storage costs, improve backup times, and stream ...

Find Out How To Get An Extra Hour Every Day

AgniTEK — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Time pressure is acute and frustrations such as commuting, inflexible working hours and tedious meetings make it worse. To get things started here are ten sure-fire ways to get an extra hour a day. Do emails on the go. With an notebook with 3G Mobile Broadband, you can get ahead of your emails before you even get to work. (Broadband connections require separately purchased wireless data service contracts.) Work from home. Instead of commuting to work, why not stay at home and put the journey time to better use? Using technology, you can still stay in touch with your colleagues and access all your email and work files. Virtual meetings. The majority of office professionals reckon they could save up to six hours a week simply by not traveling to off site meetings. Video, web or phone conferences can reduce the amount of time you spend traveling to meetings. Get up earlier. An hour before work is more productive — mainly because it is quiet — than any other time of the day. Changing sleep habits takes ...

Employee Spotlight - Nick Menor

AgniTEK — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:00:00 GMT

As AgniTEK continues to expand as a regional information technology firm, we take pride in showcasing some of our stellar employees. Nick Menor, a member of the AgniTEK IT Team for almost a year, graduated in 2006 with a degree in Television Communications from Central Florida Community College. Nick uses his knowledge of telecommunications to help clients with their IT problems. He enjoys meeting new challenges every day and finds fixing complicated problems to be especially rewarding. “I love when I can impress a customer with my service,” Nick says. Nick’s favorites: Color: Color-blind Band: Chevelle Movie: Ironman Food: Shepard’s Pie Hobbies and pastimes: Football and Basketball

Virtualization for Dummies

AgniTEK — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:56:00 GMT

Virtualization is the latest innovation made in the field of IT; it allows users to tie together increasing levels of computer efficiency and performance. The immediate advantage that Virtualization gives you is a cost effective system of connecting two or more computers, running two or more different environments on a single machine.

The Benefits of Disaster Planning

AgniTEK — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:54:00 GMT

To some people a disaster would mean the end of the world; they lose everything, their name, money, and means of livelihood but to some people a disaster would make no difference. Yeah, that is very much possible these days, thanks to disaster planning. This kind of planning is very familiar to contingency planning where businesses set aside a sum of money monthly or annually to pay for any kind of product guarantee or failure or just to secure them from any unexpected harmful situation

Featured AgniTEK Resource: The New ManageIT Icon

AgniTEK — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

AgniTEK is excited to introduce a faster way for you to get the help you need when you need it: the AgniTEK ManageIT Icon. The button to use this new resource may be found at the bottom right of your computer screen on the taskbar. The blue 'A' button in the middle of your Tools Tray is the new ManageIT icon.

The Data You Save May Be Your Own

AgniTEK — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

by James Dempsey, Owner/Partner ITSolutions|Currie Technology can be almost insidious in the way it creeps in and changes your life. Don’t get me wrong, I am a technology advocate. Yet, time and again, I see where people and businesses implement fancy new tools and gadgets without thinking about the potential liabilities they may create. Take digital cameras, for instance. My home computer now stores more than ten years of family photographs, all digital. There they are: grandma and grandpa, family vacations, Christmas mornings, and the kids when they were tiny little things... If that computer were to crash, my wife would look at me with raised eyebrows and say, “You have a current backup, right?” I think most of us can relate to that sickly, knotted feeling in the chest that accompanies the combination of doubt and fear. When a business server crashes, the concern can be palpable. People begin stewing over the potential lost receivables and job bids, years and years of client histor ...

Disaster recovery solutions -- more accessible, and more necessary, than ever before

AgniTEK — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

used with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Site Very few of us would hide our life savings under our mattress with confidence that those funds would remain safe and sound. Financial institutions provide us with a plethora of options for the safekeeping of our money, so it's crazy to think that we'd opt for hiding all of our cash in the bedroom. The equivalent of hiding cash under a mattress is actually fairly commonplace in many businesses. Companies frequently store all of their data and information in just one place, leaving them vulnerable to dire consequences should catastrophe, whether physical or technical, occur. Unfortunately, few companies that undergo significant data loss resulting from a disaster can pull things together quickly and effectively enough to survive long-term, further underscoring how imperative it is for businesses to have effective disaster recovery solutions in place. Businesses have a number of options for preserving business continuity in the ...

The Great Password Reset

AgniTEK — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

The scene: A narrow, poorly lit inner-city alleyway. You turn the corner and face an old wooden door entrance to a Prohibition era speakeasy. Your hand reaches out to give an assertive, yet discreet, knock. A small porthole opens. A grimly looking face appears and asks you for your password. You think for a moment and respond “pass1234,” he frowns and slams the porthole closed. “No . . . wait . . . that’s the password for the speakeasy down the street. Try ‘QWERTY67.’ What’s that? Oh, right, we’re on the East side of town, I need at least one special character. Computer passwords were invented ~50 years after this scene. They have been in play for 50 years since. They will probably be existence for 50 years more. Passwords never used to be so complicated, but then again, they’ve never been so potentially dangerous. Passwords are the keys to our private kingdoms; kingdoms that are now accessible from anywhere on the globe with an Internet connection. These days there’s very little information we wish to kee ...

System Updates and Patches- The Dreaded Terror!

AgniTEK — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

We all know that ghoul- the System Update. Oh, how every user dreads the rearing of its ghostly head! Ok, maybe it isn’t that bad, but when that icon appears in the bottom of our screen our reaction is always the same, “Are you kidding me? Do I have to update my computer? It’s going to keep me from working. I don’t have the time or energy for a reboot right now. Surely I don’t need it that badly. Everything is working just fine!” When computer technicians first examine a unit in trouble, they look to see if the updates are current. If the company and/or computer are not being monitored and maintained by an IT firm, many times the tech will discover that the machine suffering from a virus or spyware has not been updated in a while. It’s not a coincidence. Most often, Microsoft and Apple send updates to close security loopholes, provide critical updates, and protect against a variety of online threats. The severity and necessity of these updates vary from minor to quite critical. So what ...

Get Spam Out of Your Diet

AgniTEK — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

How to Stop Spam (and Viruses) at the Door Spam is like an uninvited houseguest with a runny nose. Both take time away from what you'd rather be doing and can bring viruses into your domain. Spam is a problem for everyone. Spam—or unsolicited bulk email—accounts for roughly 90 percent of email sent, or nearly 200 billion messages each day. Spam wastes employees' time. And when it carries viruses or links to phishing websites, spam can take down your network and result in stolen passwords and information theft. Fortunately, you can now find cost-effective firewall appliances that stop spam, viruses, and phishing at the door, without blocking legitimate email in the process. Or you could try to stop spam with an antispam service. At Your Service? If you subscribe to one of the stop-spam services offered by an Internet service provider, beware their limits: ISP services typically have a poor "catch rate" for spam because image- and PDF-based spam slips through the filters. ...

5 Steps Toward Hurricane Preparedness

AgniTEK — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:00:00 GMT

1. Understand what data and systems are critical to business continuity Many governments have mandated the remote replication and storage of financial, medical, and certain other kinds of data. Businesses have realized that their data and applications are their life blood. Make sure you know where all of your company's critical data and applications are located and that they can be integrated into a remote backup solution. 2. Identify and fix single points of failure in your network, business processes, and people In network design, redundancy eliminates single points of failure. Make sure that network elements — including switches, routers, and other components — are redundant and enabled with software failover features. Review business processes and job responsibilities to ensure that there are similar "failover," should a process or employee become adversely affected in a disaster. 3. Create a workforce continuity plan If employees can't get to their offices for days, weeks, or longer, it is important ...

Upcoming: Household Hazardous Waste & Computer Collection Event

AgniTEK — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:59:00 GMT

On Saturday, October 1 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University Services Building, residents from the Brazos Valley will be able to dispose of household hazardous waste and computers free of charge.

Common examples of household hazardous waste include pharmaceuticals and medical waste, solvents, pesticides, caustic cleaners, used motor oil, batteries, oil, paint and computers.

Please keep in mind that televisions, household garbage, 55-gallon drums, ammunition, explosives and tires will not be accepted.

Small businesses and municipal departments will be able to dispose of computer components but will not be able to dispose of other hazardous wastes at this event.

Visit the City of College Station events page for more information.

Disaster Recovery Planning

AgniTEK — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:49:00 GMT

There a few large firms in the world that actually think about disaster planning and consider it an integral part of their business; most small and medium business tend to think small and ignore these vital issues. Irony of the matter is that big businesses that are already stable and successful happen to save themselves when a disaster strikes and poor small and medium businesses are the ones suffering the major loss- to the extent that the business might shut down. But all that can change; you can save yourself millions of dollars if you just think smart and act fast-engage in a disaster recovery plan.

15 Reasons to Consider Virtualization

AgniTEK — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 21:44:00 GMT

The latest innovation in the IT industry is virtualization, everyone seems to be talking about, researching it on the internet and looking into ways that can help install virtualization in their offices. Now, why is that? What is the sudden hype all about? For people who are new to this concept let me start from scratch- virtualization provides a computer environment for multiple virtual machines to exist and work on single computer hardware.

Are You Ignoring Customers?

AgniTEK — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:00:00 GMT

used with permission from the HP solutions Site Customer Feedback Want to respond to your customers' needs instantly? Learn more about becoming an Instant-On Enterprise Out of frustration, a team of gardeners wanted to fence a flowerbed after visitors repeatedly cut through it. But one visionary saw things differently and had a path installed instead. After all, it wasn't just any destination—it was Disneyland. Founder Walter "Walt" Disney understood that guests knew where they wanted to go, and it was the staff's job to give them what they wanted. Just like those guests, customers—both in business and the public sector—seek the easiest path. If you don't help your customers get there, your competitor will. Unfortunately, many organizations are losing supporters by ignoring customer feedback on a daily basis without realizing why. High Tech vs. High Touch Technology can be one of your greatest assets—as long as it's used appropriately. Technology usage is the most critical differentiator. Leaders mu ...

Virtualization Trends

AgniTEK — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:59:00 GMT

Every New Year brings along with it many new things and so would 2011; speaking precisely of the IT sector, it is expected to change too. So what are the kinds of anticipated changes in this sector? Well, first of all it is going to grow; It is one of those few things in life that have and will continue to grow, so far a threshold for its growth cannot be seen.

Office 365 Password Policy

AgniTEK — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 GMT

Office 365 supports two types of identity: 1. Microsoft Online Services cloud IDs: Users have cloud credentials that are used to sign in to Office 365 services. These credentials are separate from any desktop or corporate credentials. Office 365 issues these identities and hence also authenticates users. In this case the password policy is stored in the cloud with the Office 365 service. 2. Federated IDs: Users use their corporate AD credentials to sign in to Office 365 services. In this case a user’s corporate AD authenticates the users and password policy is controlled and stored in the on-premise AD. This article describes the password policies and options for Microsoft Online Services cloud IDs. Password policy Property Description Password restric ...

Fortis Webinar: Tips & Tricks Part II

AgniTEK — Mon, 09 May 2011 21:15:00 GMT

Agnitek would like to announce the hosting of a Fortis Webinar on Friday, June 3rd at 1 pm ET by Westbrook Technologies. This invitation-only webinar will provide customers with advantageous tools with interaction between the Fortis experts at Westbrook Technologies and their much-valued clientele. "Tips & Tricks Part II -- Focus On Query and Edit" will inform and instruct customers on how to search text found in annotations, run a search right from the desktop without having to access the Fortis client software, and more time and money saving tips that can be utlized in order to streamline your office processes. Learn how to use various Fortis shortcuts in action in this resourceful Webinar on Friday, June 3rd at 1pm by simply following this link.

Disaster-Proof Your Business

AgniTEK — Sun, 01 May 2011 19:05:00 GMT

If you're a business owner, you need to know how to protect your business. Try as we might, there's often no way to skirt disaster — whether it's national, personal or weather induced. But there are strategies to cope with it as best we can, no matter if its source is a burst river levee, a thoughtlessly discarded match, or the deranged actions of others. Knowing what to do in the event of a disaster is crucial for anyone, of course, but particularly for a small-business owner, whose livelihood may depend on a small storefront or home basement office. Start with some strategies.

Support Bryan/College Station Kids

AgniTEK — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The much anticipated BCS Lemonade Day is nearing! Please join in with the Bryan/College Station area in supporting our local kids as they operate their lemonade stands around the community this upcoming Sunday afternoon. Lemonade Day aims at fostering business leadership, entrepreneurship, and community involvement in the hearts and minds of our local children. AgniTEK would like to encourage everyone to visit at least 5 lemonade stands this Sunday, May 1st 2011. Show our young entrepreneurs your support by purchasing their lemonade! Locations are listed below, or you can keep up-to-date as the event nears by following our Facebook and Twitter updates. Partial List of Known Lemonade Stand Locations: Emerald Parkway & Highway 6 Frontage Road at Dr. Elm's office Shanandoah Subdivision at Southern Oaks Park Indian Lakes Community Pool Area FedStar Credit Union on Harvey Road Copy Corner on Texas Village Foods on Briarcrest Walmart in College Station Bry ...

Help! I've Spilled Coffee On My Laptop

AgniTEK — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:47:00 GMT

It’s late and you’re struggling to stay awake at your desk, so you decide to make yourself a cup of coffee. A few more hours of work ahead and the coffee will perk you up. Then, oops, there it is, all over your laptop, ruining your evening. The coffee has drained into the machine. The damage could be irreparable.

AgniTEK is Hiring!

AgniTEK — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:00:00 GMT

AgniTEK’s Technology department is hiring a network engineer intern. AgniTEK offers students the opportunity to participate in the evolution of a growing technology firm. Participation in the Network Engineering program provides the hands-on experience students need to develop technical expertise and a better understanding of emerging technology. Upon completion of the program, select students will be asked to participate in subsequent summer sessions to build upon their achievements. To apply for the Part-Time Technician position, please submit your resume online by clicking HERE.

Bryan/College Station Hazardous Waste Collection

AgniTEK — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Do you have an old computer that needs to be properly disposed? Join AgniTEK on April 23rd for the biannual BCS Hazardous Waste Collection event, and dispose your computer properly. The cities of Bryan and College Station are teaming up with the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Agency to sponsor the biennial Household Hazardous Waste Collection. The collection takes place once in the fall and once in the spring, and is a great opportunity for our local citizens to safely dispose of household hazardous wastes. Common Household Hazardous Wastes include, but are not limited to: Cleaners Aerosols Batteries Herbicides Pesticides Corrosive Wastes Ignitable Wastes This FREE collection is taking place on Saturday, April 23rd from 7am-2pm. For more information, visit www.cstx.gov/hhw or call the Brazos Valley Solid Waste Agency’s 24-hour hotline at 979-764-3809 for more information. AgniTEK is proud to go green with the BCS Hazardous Waste Collection.

Have you Filled out your Tournament Bracket?

AgniTEK — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:44:00 GMT

AgniTEK's IV Annual March Madness Bracket Tournament is officially underway. If you have not yet registered and completed your bracket, go to http://NCAA.AgniTEK.com and click on the "Register" link to sign up. If you played in previous years, you can use your username and password from before, there is no need to re-register. The Bracket Entry Cutoff is on Thursday March 17th at 11am Central so the sooner the better! There is no cost to fill out your bracket, so have fun and happy picking!

IV Annual March Madness Tournament Challenge

AgniTEK — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:15:00 GMT

It's time to start preparing your brackets! Join in this challenge individually, or double team this tournament and start constructing your bracket. Simply select the team that you think will win each of the tournament games that begin March 17th. For each game that you or your team predicts correctly, you will receive the corresponding point value. The point values for correct picks increase with each round of the tournament, ending with the largest point value with the championship game on April 4.

Start small, get big results with business analytics

Becky — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:51:00 GMT

used with permission from the IBM website How does your organization make business decisions? Do you go with a "gut feeling" because you lack accurate and complete data? Or do you have visibility into your processes, performance, offerings and customers to support smart, fact-based decisions? With business data today growing at exponential rates, the need also is increasing to gather, analyze and use data wisely. In a highly instrumented, interconnected and intelligent world, business analytics can help your midsize organization achieve valuable insights and build competitive strengths. Using business analytics, a smart organization can enhance opportunities for profitable growth, optimize the allocation and deployment of resources and capital, and proactively manage risk. A company using business analytics is not overwhelmed by today’s vast amounts of data and instead can turn that data into a business advantage. But where does a company begin? Know when you're ready In business planning and operations ...

Five Essential Elements of Business Recovery

Becky — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:13:00 GMT

The article re-printed courtesy of IBM ForwardView eMagazine In the current business environment, the old adage "time is money" applies now more than ever. So what happens when everyday operations are disrupted? According to the U.S. Labor Department, more than 40 percent of all companies that experience a disaster never reopen - and more than 25 percent of those that do reopen after a disaster occurs will close down for good within two years. But even if your company doesn't go through a major disaster, chances are high that it will experience the negative consequences of unplanned outages that make business as usual impossible. The problem is amplified in challenging economic times, says Warren Sirota, a segment executive with IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Services. "If the business is already suffering from lower revenue because of the economy and a significant outage occurs, the impact can be much more dramatic than during good times," he says. Downtime quickly becomes revenue loss Ev ...

5 Essential Keys to Successful IT Projects

Becky — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:33:00 GMT

Despite being a hot topic in business for many years, the truth is that project management still isn't well understood among many businesses. And the success rate of projects appears to be lower than ever. According to The Standish Group's April report, "CHAOS Summary 2009," 44 percent of all projects are late, over budget, and/or have less than the required features and functions. Even worse, 24 percent fail altogether – either cancelled prior to completion, or delivered and never used

Never Lose Another File: Four Reasons Why the Time Is Right to Adopt Document Management

AgniTEK — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:29:00 GMT

If you're like most small to midsize businesses today, you can recall a time when you had to rummage through thousands of files -- just to get your hands on the one you needed. And if you're a company in the highly regulated accounting, finance or healthcare world, you may encounter this frustrating scenario almost every day. Worse yet, the amount of data produced and retained by companies continues to soar -- with no real end in sight. So how can your company become more effective at organizing and locating important documents and files -- while reducing the headaches and risk associated with lost documents? One great place to start is with an automated document management solution -- a solution that dramatically increases accessibility, security and cost savings.

7 Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet

AgniTEK — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:25:00 GMT

In business, the key to survival is not a secret. Your customers have to be able to find you. Most of us spend a great deal of time and money looking for the perfect way to attract prospects. I have spent the bulk of my career looking for the perfect marketing mix. We try direct mail, networking, pretty flyers, telemarketing, web site search engine optimization (SEO), and a million other things.

Business Continuity Tip

AgniTEK — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:39:00 GMT

We talk about the importance of creating a comprehensive and actionable recovery plan. It will come as no surprise, that most plans are built with the worst-case-scenario in mind. But the reality is that most business interruptions are not major "smoking hole" events. Employee illness, transit strikes, religious holidays or even scheduled events like the recent G20 in Toronto are just a few examples of the many things that can keep people out of work throughout the year.

The Elephant Named Sharepoint

Becky — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:36:00 GMT

Many of us have heard the fable about the blind men and the elephant. When the men were asked to describe what an elephant looked like the descriptions ranged from a snake to a tree to a fan depending on whether the blind man had touched the trunk, the leg or the ear. What does an ancient fable like this have to do with technology? It's the same problem we have when we try to explain to you how useful a tool Microsoft SharePoint can be to your business. SharePoint is so flexible and has so many uses; we often have trouble describing it in a way you can get the whole picture.

AgniTEK Receives Award

Becky — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:40:00 GMT

On Thursday December 16, 2010 AgniTEK Technology Solutions was honored alongside two other prominent Bryan businesses for their work and dedication in downtown Bryan. This award was received with great esteem by AgniTEK owners David Ohendalski and Antonio Ortiz, who made the move to historic downtown Bryan in 2009.

The 11th Annual Mayor’s Downtown Impact Award honors businesses that put forth an “extraordinary effort” toward revitalizing historic downtown Bryan. Antonio and David look forward to both a forthcoming prosperous and revitalized downtown Bryan and a successful 2011 with continued growth.

5 Essential Keys to Successful IT Projects

Becky — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:33:00 GMT

Phishing Warning - Ups.com Users : Important Customer Service Alert

David — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:02:00 GMT

Recently an email came through that looked to be from UPS Customer Service. At first glance it looked legit. It had the brown and teal color scheme, corporate footer, and all. Here's a screenshot of the email...

Critical Product Vulnerability - (Out-of-Band) Microsoft Security Bulletin Release

AgniTEK — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:34:00 GMT

We wanted to make sure all Windows users are aware of this critical update. All ManageIT client machines have either already been updated or are currently being updated. For clients that are not on our ManageIT proactive support, please manually update your computers accordingly. Please contact us at http://www.myagnitek.com or toll free 888-4-AGNITEK if we can assist with anything.

Is Your Office Copy Machine a Serious Security Risk?

David — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:49:00 GMT

A copier may seem like old school paper-based technology, but there is a lot more to it, and the way your office uses it could cause a serious security leak in the future. According to a report from CBS News, many office copiers...

Support is ending for some versions of Windows

David — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:08:00 GMT

If you're running one of these versions after support ends, you won't get security updates for Windows...

Vacation Checklist: Prepare your PC

David — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:56:00 GMT

Whether you're leaving the office for the holidays, going on vacation, or taking a business trip, there are a number of things you can do to prepare your computer for your time away. Canceling appointments and letting people know you'll be gone are just a few of the things you can do to make sure...

Missed Manners

David — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:12:00 GMT

5 Beliefs that Limit Productivity

David — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:11:00 GMT

3 Ways to Recover a Corrupted Excel Workbook

AgniTEK — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:06:00 GMT

It's your worst Excel nightmare: a damaged or corrupted workbook. This can happen for a variety of reasons -- and the good news is that there is a variety of ways to retrieve your damaged file. If a file is corrupted, Excel should normally perform an automated recovery. However...

Smile - You're on the Phone

David — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:04:00 GMT

Forget the research evidence, the dozens of pages of documentation and the years of prodding by communications consultants. Do your own survey right now. Pick up your telephone and call ten companies or businesses in your area that provide some sort of customer service, such as banks, brokerage firms, business equipment or insurance companies. Ask to speak to “a manager.” If you get through, explain that you called to evaluate their telephone techniques. Then give the manager...

What a VAR Can Do for Your Business

AgniTEK — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:51:00 GMT

Technology can go a long way in helping your business stay competitive, meet customer expectations and improve operational efficiencies. But most small businesses simply don’t have the resources to evaluate technologies and aren’t sure where to find the right technology partner. That’s where a value-added reseller can help...

Emailing Documents, More Securely

David — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:09:00 GMT

Recently I was working with some CPAs and I was amazed at how freely their office would simply attach a regular PDF of a tax return and fire it off in an email. Wow. Without going into all of the specifics, all internet technologies are not the same. Simple yet effective ways to safeguard data include encryption and passwords...

Winner Winner Bag of Pennies

David — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:20:00 GMT

OK, so it doesn't rhyme as well as "chicken dinner" but it's true none the less. What a great game last night! Duke was up by two at the half and at last check there were around ten ties with lead changes in the teens. The buzzer beater winning shot...

Free PowerPoint Skills Session

David — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:21:00 GMT

Confused with the new tool bars in Microsoft PowerPoint? Do you feel like your business presentations could handle a few changes? We can help! AgniTEK is conducting a FREE Lunch While You Learn session for Microsoft PowerPoint 2007...

3 Ways to Recover a Corrupted Excel Workbook

AgniTEK — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:55:00 GMT

Missed Manners

AgniTEK — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:52:00 GMT

Some tech junkies tend to neglect etiquette in the office. E-mail is still one of the leading culprits, but newer arrivals like BlackBerrys and wireless earpieces are causing their share of social snafus. "Technology should not be an opportunity to multitask conversations," says technology etiquette expert Laurie Puhn, president of Laurie Puhn Communications . "Anytime you're [doing that], it is rude and unacceptable."

Smile - You're on the Phone

Becky — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:50:00 GMT

Used with permission of Joel H. Weldon & Associates, Inc. Forget the research evidence, the dozens of pages of documentation and the years of prodding by communications consultants. Do your own survey right now. Pick up your telephone and call ten companies or businesses in your area that provide some sort of customer service, such as banks, brokerage firms, business equipment or insurance companies. Ask to speak to “a manager.” If you get through, explain that you called to evaluate their telephone techniques. Then give the manager a brief report, hang up, and record your findings. Chances are your research will prove that the most common errors you encounter in telephone answering are among the “dirty dozen.” Here they are: 1. Letting the phone ring too long. 2. Not identifying the company name or department. 3. Inability to transfer calls properly. 4. Disconnecting calls. 5. Asking the caller to repeat requests more than once. 6. Leaving the line without an explanation. 7. Not using the caller ...

5 Beliefs that Limit Productivity

Becky — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:49:00 GMT

When I work with people in my business productivity practice, the first question I ask them is, "What's stopping you from being more productive?" The answers that keep coming up are pretty much the same from everyone. 1. There's too much information coming at me too fast Belief: My e-mail is overwhelming me. I can't keep up with it. Reality: The volume of e-mail isn't the issue. How you process and organize the volume is the issue. Learning how to better manage your e-mail by using McGhee Productivity Solutions' "Four D's for Decision Making" will transform this belief. Each year we receive more and more data from a growing array of devices, which can be accessed from an increasing number of locations. If you're not careful, the quantity of data starts to drive you instead of the other way around. Learn 4 ways you can take control of your e-mail Inbox. And when you do, you can reduce the number of messages in your inbox by as much as 80 percent. 2. I have to keep everything Belief: I have to kee ...

Technology that Impacts your Bottom Line

Becky — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:46:00 GMT

When you're running a business, success depends on your company operating as efficiently as possible. We can show you a wide variety of ways to increase your productivity and that of your employees, and share the easiest ways to cut IT costs for your business. The demands on your IT systems never stop: better performance, more security, increased reliability. Whether you are considering Windows 7, Office 2010, or a slew of new technologies from Microsoft, you don't need to spend all your time playing catch up. That's why it makes sense to get help from the specialists here at HTS. Are you still debating whether Windows 7 is right for you? With so many new features, the answer is a resounding "yes". Windows 7 simplifies the desktop and makes navigation so much easier. Documents are snap to find because Windows 7 keeps a list of your recent documents that will appear when you hover over the Program Icons for Word, Excel and other Office applications. A right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on the task ba ...

Computer makers selling hype or help?

David — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 03:19:00 GMT

One of our friends (also a fellow IT service provider in Toronto), was recently featured in a report. Andre is known for his matter of fact wording. Typical of this, he has common names for fly-by-night IT service providers like "Linksys Larry" or "Tommy the Trunkslammer"...

3rd Annual AgniTEK Bracket Challenge

David — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:07:00 GMT

March Madness is upon us! The team is scrambling to get the website ready, but I assure you that we are hosting our now 3rd Annual AgniTEK Bracket Challenge for the 2010 NCAA Tournament for men's basketball. Things you need to know...

California IT Service Shout-Out

David — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:26:00 GMT

Many businesses are complex that compete in industries that are equally complex. The IT industry is no exception. It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been in the business for over 10 years already. We have seen a lot of change over that time and it’s not just in the products. Our conference room display is a reminder of how far the products have come, but the more challenging changes have been in the business models. For example...

The Importance of Thank You Notes

AgniTEK — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:44:00 GMT

The importance of writing thank-you notes was reinforced to me years ago when I was on a Delta Airlines flight to New Orleans. I fly a lot, usually a couple flights a week -- so when it comes to the service provided by flight attendants, I'm sort of an expert. On that particular day I received exceptional service from the moment I boarded the plane. The flight attendant hung my coat up, got me some lemon water, which is what I always drink, and provided excellent meal service. She smiled easily, had a positive attitude and just seemed so happy to be of help.

How Big is Your Mailbox?

Becky — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:42:00 GMT

We have spent a lot of time recently (which translates to a lot of extra expense for our customers) troubleshooting, managing, and working with VERY large mailboxes. From a purely technical standpoint, once a mailbox gets over a GB in size, it starts to become a minor challenge in terms of supporting it, speed of access and search, and management in general. Once a mailbox gets to be over 2 GB in size, we start to run into some very serious limitations that will manifest in support, management, and disaster recovery scenarios. Believe us when we say we are VERY heavy Outlook users, but using a few simple techniques, it is not much of a challenge at all to keep our own mailboxes under the 1 GB limit we need to keep us ‘light on our feet’ with our own mailboxes. First: archive! Outlook has a built in archive feature that will remove things from your mailbox and put them into a long term storage file. Our technique is to add to that archive file daily until it gets to be between 1 and 2 GB in size, then burn ...

5 Ways to Make Your Keyboard Easier to Use

AgniTEK — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:40:00 GMT

For most people, the keyboard is the main way to enter information into and control their computer. But are you controlling your keyboard, or is your keyboard controlling you? If you make typing mistakes or find your keyboard a bit uncomfortable, it's not hard to correct those problems. Here's how to quickly and easily change your keyboard settings and comfort options.

Life Without Internet

Becky — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:33:00 GMT

Reprinted with permission from the HP small and medium business website When the Internet first came about, it was simply a source of knowledge and entertainment. Now, however, many people rely on it for everyday activities such as banking, doing business, storing information, mapping locations, communicating and more. This puts a huge strain on businesses, data center operators and web-hosting service providers as they seek to make web services available around the clock. But being available 24/7 is not even something the Internet’s biggest businesses—Amazon, Google and Yahoo, for example—can promise: even their sites have suffered from “unplanned downtime” in recent months. The causes of these and other web outages can vary widely: glitches during system upgrades and migrations, human error, electrical failures or even hacking or hijacking. How does this impact me? For the average user, finding that a site you frequent is down can result in minor annoyance. However, with the popularity of such servi ...

Thinking About Hiring Your Own Internal IT Staff?

Becky — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:31:00 GMT

Outsourcing your IT brings additional business value By Stuart R. Crawford, V.P. Businesses today wrestle and grapple with the thought of hiring their own technology support staff to support their daily need for IT support without fully understanding the risks and the costs associated with having their own team of technology professionals. Business owners, C level execs and Managers are attracted to the idea of having a team or a consultant readily available within shouting distance down the hall, basically having an IT resource committed to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, many of today's business owners across the country are not aware of the total risks their business is exposed to by electing to bring their technology support in-house. More often than not it is purely a cost based decision, on the surface it may appear to be more cost effective to hire a consultant or employee who is committed as a full time employee. CFOs and Accounting Managers often look only at the cost of having the ...

Is your PC ready for Windows 7?

David — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:17:00 GMT

Windows 7 has been a big hit not with our associates, but also with our clients. So in case you're wondering if you are a good candidate for Windows 7, start by downloading the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to do a quick check.

Windows 2000 Server Approaching End of Life

David — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:08:00 GMT

One of our technicians (Alan) sent me this alert for publication. It's reprinted from Microsoft's TechNet blogs. For anyone out there managing your own old installs, this is your warning of upcoming end of life support. For clients who are clinging to their old servers, we'll be talking soon. Start budgeting now so we can have you migrated in the next five months.

Phishing Alert for QuickBooks Customers: Security Plug-In or Digital Certificate

AgniTEK — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:01:00 GMT

IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR QuickBooks Customers. Intuit is receiving reports of individuals receiving fraudulent emails from QuickBooks or QuickBooks Online. The two separate emails ask customers to either download a plug-in to assess their security or download a Digital Certificate.

Real Life, I'm a Managed IT Services Provider

David — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:43:00 GMT

We often talk about what-ifs in our business. I wanted to share some specific experiences from the last year. We will start with Company A. They are a small operation of five office users. They deal in large projects scattered around Texas, and everyone on the team is an important cog. We implemented a managed IT service plan to...

Non-Compliance to New Regulations

Becky — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:30:00 GMT

In the past 10 years, over 10,000 new regulations have been placed on the books by local, state, and federal agencies pertaining to the handling, storage, and disposal of confidential client, patient, and employee documents and information. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for example, recently enacted one of these privacy laws and is requiring anyone who has business in that state to comply by March 2010. Basically, ANY company that holds social security numbers (your employees’ SS#’s, for example), credit cards, or financial statements needs to comply with these regulations or the fines for not doing so can be hefty. Want to make sure you stay on the right side of these laws? Here are a few tips that will go a long way in making sure you don’t end up fined, sued, or with a bad reputation for not securing client or employee information: 1. Get The Facts- If you think you are holding confidential information that should be secured, ask a qualified attorney who specializes in data confidentiality ...

7 Ways to Organize Your Email

Becky — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:28:00 GMT

With meetings and the general chaos of a normal work day, your e-mail Inbox can quickly get cluttered. An unorganized mailbox can make it difficult to find the e-mail you need and know where to get started. This messy situation can be remedied. Microsoft Office Outlook offers great tools that help you organize your messages in meaningful, easy-to-control ways. Whether you're already using Outlook 2007 or still using Outlook 2003, you'll be able to stay on top of your mail. Not using Outlook at all? Maybe you have Windows 7 and have downloaded the new, free, Windows Live Mail. Or perhaps you're using Outlook Express, which comes as part of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Both programs have an interface that's similar to Outlook, but don't offer the same breadth of tools for e-mail management. Find out more about Windows Live Mail and Outlook Express. This article shows some tools in Outlook that you can use to manage your e-mail. You can use one of these tools—or a combination of tools—to help shrink your Inbox ...

Need Security Help? Enlist a Partner

Becky — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:26:00 GMT

Sometimes it’s okay to ask for help — especially if you are a small or mid-sized business that doesn’t have the time, staff, or expertise to properly manage your IT security and availability. Security help is available — you just need to know how to find the right partner for your business’ unique needs. Partners don’t just sell hardware and software; they also offer strategic planning, design, implementation, training, and consulting services. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of enlisting a security partner, and some factors to consider before you make your decision. Partner benefits IT security partners are trusted professionals whose job it is to stay on top of the current threat landscape, employ the right data protection and recovery measures for your business, and do so within your budget constraints. This is a win-win situation for many businesses whose in-house IT staff is stretched thin and/or isn’t able to stay on top of current security technology and threats, which can change from ...

Ideas to Help You Use SharePoint

Becky — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:24:00 GMT

by Andrea Kalli I’ve found that people have a general idea of what SharePoint is, but many have no idea how to apply it to their own business. I’d like to share with you the top 20 ways that SharePoint can solve your common business needs. And I want to emphasize that these 20 are only a few of the many ways to utilize the SharePoint Services. Once you start using it, you will begin to realize the many other valuable benefits that can easily be accomplished by the everyday user. Shall we get started? Let’s see if you can find a few productivity solutions here that you’ve been trying to find for your own organization. With SharePoint you can: 1. Store all your emails on a secure and centralized Website for easy archive. 2. Keep a central task location for assigning tasks to team members. These tasks will automatically show up in your team’s Outlook 2007 To-Do List. Those tasks will also link to your projects so you can easily find out what tasks are still open for each project. 3. Organ ...