Smartphones benefit companies because they improve productivity. Providing protective cases to employees with Smartphones reduces liability to replace damaged devices.

Many businesses all over the world issue Smartphones to their employees. While they can seem expensive for many small to medium-sized business owners, with the greater amount of work done at a faster pace, Smartphones are an ideal business solution.

However, since Smartphones are lightweight and portable they are carried around everywhere, making them very prone to accidental drops. Despite the advances in technology, some Smartphones are more prone to damage than others. Touchscreens are generally more susceptible to damage because they usually don’t have an extra layer of plastic on their screens. And when these devices are damaged, not only do you incur the cost of repair or replacement, you also risk losing valuable data that’s stored in them.

So, should you spend more to protect your employees’ Smartphones? Some people think it depends on your industry. According to Tim Doherty, research analyst for small to mid-sized business markets at research firm IDC, most blue-collar employees should be provided with protective cases for their Smartphones since their work environments are more likely to be physical in nature. Equipping these employees with cases like the OtterBox or rugged devices such as those being offered by Motorola is a good move.

Meanwhile, according to Doherty, white-collar employees using Smartphones only have “a moderate risk of drop or damage” because they usually put their devices inside their bags or pockets. Still, providing these employees with “a basic rubberized case makes a lot of sense,” adds Doherty. He also adds that providing cases lessens “the company’s liability to replace damaged devices.”

Some analysts think, however, that cases citing damaged Smartphones due to accidental drops have been exaggerated. Analyst and Partner Michael Gartenberg of Altimeter Group believes that cases can protect and personalize your Smartphone, but he does not agree that these cases are essential accessories.

Gartenberg claims that, “Most phones are rugged enough to handle the usual bumps and abrasions of everyday life and most screens are quite scratch resistant.” He adds that normal maintenance will ensure that most Smartphones work well. In addition, Gartenberg believes that if users are aware that their Smartphones have additional protection, they may tend to be less careful when using their devices.

Still, Tim Bajarin, President of Creative Strategies, a firm that provides industry analysis for the technology sector, believes that a Smartphone case “isn’t much of an investment . . . yet it can go a long way.”

As Bajarin says, we should treat these cases as insurance. With just a little extra expense, you not only protect a $200 to $300 Smartphone, you may also save your business from a loss of thousands of dollars worth of data stored in a single device.

Turnaround times are accelerated with the use of electronic signatures because you don’t keep your customers waiting while you search for contracts or forms. Additionally, adding an electronic signature to a document is just like signing on paper. There is no need to change your customers’ habits and they are assured that even with remote handling, all their documents are secure.

Signatures have been the most accepted means of authentication since ancient times. During the Roman Empire, a combination of seals and signatures were recognized as the primary source for document and legal contract authentication.  In the 1830s, electronic communications became legally recognized “electronic signatures” when the telegraph and Morse Code were invented. In 1976, Martin Hellman and Whitfield Diffie introduced public key cryptography, wherein cryptographic keys were first distributed over an unprotected public network. The first electronically signed document was an agreement between two nations – a Joint Communique signed by Ireland and the United States in 1998.

What is an electronic signature or e-signature?

There are different definitions for this term, but for the purpose of US law, the US Code defines it as “an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.”

Why are businesses using electronic signatures?

1. Electronic signatures help cut costs.
   Studies show that among US companies alone, 30 billion paper documents are copied or printed every year. The associated cost for each document is estimated to be $6.50. Five hundred documents are signed by the average authorized employee each year, which means that the total annual cost of using paper documents per employee is $3,250.
2. Electronic signatures are good for the environment.
   The reduction of paper usage will not only cut down operational costs, but will also help save our environment. For every person who uses e signatures, the savings is equal to ¾ of a barrel of oil, ½ of a tree, or 150 pounds of carbon emissions per year.
3. Electronic signatures help reduce fraud.
   When documents are signed electronically, the integrity of the content is guaranteed. E-signatures also enable real-time verification of the handwritten signature as opposed to a pre-defined biometric profile. Any manipulation within a document that involves an e-signature will automatically result in making the signature invalid.
4. Electronic signatures help increase customer satisfaction.
   Turnaround times are accelerated with the use of electronic signatures because you don’t keep your customers waiting while you search for contracts or forms. Additionally, adding an electronic signature to a document is just like signing on paper. There is no need to change your customers’ habits, and they are assured that even with remote handling all their documents are secure.
5. Electronic signatures give entrepreneurs more time to increase sales.
   Because workflow is much faster with the use of electronic signatures, processing times are reduced and sales people and consultants have more time to spend on getting new business. This can significantly increase the company’s revenue.

E-Signatures and Mobile Devices

Many business owners have come to realize the importance of using e-signatures in business. In fact, some businesses have even adapted this signing process for the smaller screens of mobile devices. If the transaction involves straightforward, simple sales contracts, a mobile e-signature is ideal. The customer sees and agrees to what exactly what is being purchased on the spot, and this allows salespeople to work more efficiently. For lengthy documents however, especially those that have several form fields that require considerable interaction with the client, a PC format is more suitable.

How Legitimate are E-Signatures?

As for the legitimacy of e-signatures, you need not worry. In 1999, the European Union passed the EU Directive for Electronic Signatures, and on the 30^th of June, 2000, US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN), which signified that all signed electronic contracts and documents are as legally binding as a paper-based contract.

Back in the day, only big companies were eligible to use state-of-the-art IT solutions and enjoy 24/7 security. Thanks to Managed Services, superb yet economically priced IT is now readily available to small and medium-sized businesses.

Like a lot of small to medium-sized businesses these days, you perhaps have become greatly reliant on Information Technology (IT). You certainly want your own IT department to offer the functionality and security that huge organizations benefit from. But cost is most likely holding you back—the large amount of money needed to design, install and maintain such a setting is usually too expensive for smaller organizations.

Fortunately, today you can have both the best IT and the most cost-efficient solution—because in Managed Services, they are one and the same.

Managed Services is an IT model that provides IT management and security remotely. Utilizing the latest and most sophisticated technology, we can readily monitor and manage your network, determine possible issues, and solve them before they harm your business.

These are the 2 major advantages:

Superior IT – With Managed Services, you can accomplish the functionality and security that previously was only available to large companies.

Inexpensive Price – Enjoy better IT without costing a fortune. Because of economies of scale, Managed Services enables you to create an infrastructure that delivers essential IT services to staff and clients without having to build or maintain these services internally.

Contact us now to learn how our Managed Services can help improve your IT and save you money.

Incidents especially alarming in many emerging markets. A poll of over 800 senior executives around the world showed that companies for the first time are losing more from the theft of their electronic assets than from physical assets. This was recently revealed by Kroll, a risk consulting firm.

The incidents were especially alarming in emerging markets such as China, Colombia, and Brazil—where more than 9 out of 10 businesses report victimization. Most susceptible are firms that deal in information, such as businesses in professional services, media, technology, and finance. Often, according to the respondents, the perpetrators are the company’s own employees.

Companies today should closely examine how information is managed within the organization. Appropriate levels of control should be provided, and policies, procedures, and tools need to be implemented to make sure access is carefully controlled and monitored and information is secured.

Are you confident that your firm is safe from attack not only from outside the organization but also from within? If not, contact us today to find out how we can help.

Since disasters are erratic in nature, any forward-thinking company knows that it cannot survive one unprepared. With a disaster recovery plan in place, you’ll have peace of mind and the confidence that your business can continue after a disaster—and without much interruption.

Simply put, organizations that suffer data losses generally fail as a consequence.

In fact, that statement is based on study by the Department of Trade and Industry, which discovered that 70% of small businesses that experience a major data loss eventually go out of business within 18 months.

This statistics shows that a majority of small businesses have failed to protect themselves against a number of problems. According to Ontrack, data loss is due to the following:

• Human error – 44% of the time
• System or hardware breakdown – 32% of the time
• Software malfunction – 14% of the time
• Computer virus – 7% of the time
• Site disaster – 3% of the time

Data loss is very catastrophic—because your data is critical to your business. To illustrate this, just imagine the outcome if you lost access to your IT systems, including:

• Client databases
• Supplier information
• Financial reports and documents—from invoices to tax records
• Product catalogs
• Marketing materials
• Emails and correspondences
• Document templates
• Employee records

Like insurance to your business assets, the same idea is applicable to your data. Regardless of its location, your data needs to be constantly protected from every potential danger.

The good news is that with a strong disaster recovery plan and an efficient backup solution, you can easily resume business in just minutes or a few hours in most instances.

With these crucial things in mind, it’s best to protect your data to secure your business. Ask us how today.

More and more people these days are looking to geolocation for directions in the same way people looked at yellow pages years ago. The thing is, things aren’t so simple anymore, so you need something more than a generic description to put yourself on the map and make yourself felt.

There’s a boom in geolocation platforms these days. Geolocation is a means through which people can track various locations through their mobile phone devices. Experts see a continued rise in the relevance and effects of geolocation, especially for small and medium-sized businesses who are looking for good but cost-effective ways to put themselves on the proverbial map.

“When you’ve expanded the ability to track geolocation data from the 200 to 1,000 large businesses that could previously afford it to 26 million small businesses, you’re bound to see a bunch of creative experiences built around that data,” says Yan-David Erlich, CEO of Morpho, a new geolocation firm.

The potential is vast, and there is little to lose. Especially considering the success of geolocation-enabled social network platforms such as Foursquare, putting yourself on the geolocation map might just be more than worth your while. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Be a direct part of the community.
  Create an account, participate, and make yourself (or at least someone to represent your online presence) regularly felt.
• Customization is always key.
  Share something unique about your business – don’t make your profile generic and ordinary. You have to stand out, so choose a particular trait of your business you are particularly proud of, or something that sets you apart from the rest. Make sure to utilize as many keywords possible – but only within the bounds of practicality. And don’t forget links to your own website.
• Know what the competition is up to.
  There’s nothing wrong with checking out what competitors are doing to establish themselves in the geolocation map. Who knows, you might even learn a thing or two, and then be able to apply improvements and adjustments to your own strategies.

Read the whole article at: http://technology.inc.com/telecom/articles/201007/geolocation.html?partner=newsletter_Technology

If you are looking at taking some concrete steps to establishing yourself and making your presence much more significant, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to sit down and develop a customized geolocation strategy that works for you.

How many people have become rich and famous because of YouTube? Without batting an eyelash, you’d probably remember at least one celebrity who was discovered this way. The same holds true for small businesses.

Pocket Video Cameras are arguably one of the best gizmos out in the market today. Perhaps its appeal lies in being lightweight, portable, and affordable. They are almost as small as a regular cell phone, making it fit easily into one’s pocket.

People use pocket video cameras to record just about anything. But did you know that you can earn money with the help of these pocket video cameras? You’re probably thinking – paparazzi. Well, that is a given. Paparazzi earn top dollar for controversial pictures of movie stars, politicians and royalty – but that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Why Buy a Pocket Video Camera?

If you’re an entrepreneur with a startup business, you’re still probably asking, “Why should I put a video on my website?” Ask yourself this:  how many people have become rich and famous because of YouTube? Without batting an eyelash, you can probably think of at least one celebrity who was discovered this way. The same holds true for small businesses.

We live in the hi-tech age. Almost every activity involves the use of technology, and almost everyone uses the internet. It’s only logical that if you want to go into business and be successful, you should have maximum exposure – and the best exposure that you can have is to make a video and take it online. Sure, you can have the best web designer create your website. But plain text and graphics can sometimes be boring, and nothing beats embedding a dynamic video in your site.

A Success Story

A great example of successfully using a pocket video camera for business is Aquatic Fitness Concepts, a Southern California-based company that fits its 16 foot by 8 foot swim spas into backyards. Potential customers could not figure out how the company could do such a task. According to Paul Roberts of West Coast Marketing, the company that handles marketing for Aquatic Fitness Concepts, “It’s surprisingly easy using a crane, but everyone is terrified of and fascinated by the process. So, John Trzcinka, the owner, has started using his Flip camera to film these crane installations. It’s quite something to see.”

Trzcinka posted the video on his company website and potential clients are reassured by the safety and ease of the installation process. This has brought on increased sales for the Aquatic Fitness Concepts.

How to Benefit from Using Video

Follow these tips for maximizing your use of your pocket video camera for your business:

1. Establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
   Shoot a short video of yourself giving tips or a how-to tutorial to show how knowledgeable you are about your business. You’ll be surprised at how many people will try to make contact with you.
2. Tell your story.
   Most people are interested in what goes on behind the scenes. Videos about how a product is made, how a service is done, or how a project progresses are particularly interesting to most audiences.
3. Provide quick feedback to your clients.
   The pocket video camera is very useful in giving feedback, especially when you want to demonstrate a point to a client. For example, a business development consultant hired to develop a business on a particular site, shoots a video of the site to prove to the client the feasibility of the site.
4. Create real-life testimonials.
   With your pocket video camera, you can easily take videos of your clients’ testimonials. Because of its small size, customers are less intimated to share their stories on camera.
5. Use videos to enhance your press releases.
   Pyxl, a marketing firm in Knoxville, Tennessee mails Flip cameras to its clients whenever they have news to share about their companies. They shoot videos with the camera, return the cameras to Pyxl, and the marketing firm edits the videos and embeds them in online press releases and social media releases.

One of the most popular pocket video cameras in the market today is the Flip Ultra HD. Priced at $150 to $200, it’s a small investment compared to the revenue that maximum exposure for your business will generate.

Its 8 GB of internal memory allows the user to shoot about 2 hours of video. It has rechargeable batteries that you don’t have to remove from the camera when you’re charging. Just connect the camera to the USB port of your computer. You can also use 2 AA alkaline batteries as backups.

Fortunately, these days you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get publicity for your business. Just use your handy pocket video camera and you’re all set for success.

Did you know that an average office keyboard and mouse can contain as much as 400 times more germs and bacteria than a toilet seat? That’s pretty disgusting, especially when you start to imagine opening a bag of chips and eating from it – after using your keyboard.

Ingesting such dangerous bacteria can cause any number of ailments and illnesses, ranging from mild to seriously life threatening. The solution: regularly cleaning your workspace, especially your keyboard and mouse.

Cleaning your workspace and workstation also has the added benefit of making your computer work more efficiently. Dust, dirt, and grime stuck in your keyboard and mouse make them sticky and uncomfortable to use, while de-dusting and cleaning the inside of your CPU enables better ventilation that increases its life span and performance.

Cleaning materials don’t cost much (especially when you consider the cost of hospital and medicine bills), and cleaning isn’t all that time consuming – so there’s little reason to put it off. Disinfectant wipes – which can kill about 95 percent of existing bacteria – are available at any grocery store, and you can buy compressed air at most office supply stores to clean the spaces between and under the keys of your keyboard. It takes less than 5 minutes of your time each day.

So why risk the chance of infection and sickness when you can simply take a few minutes each day to disinfect and clean your workspace? It might be terribly trite, but the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” still holds true.

You may be running a business of your own and are using Managed Services, but you’re asking yourself, “Do I really need this? Is it worth all the costs?” With the very competitive nature of today’s market, Managing Services serves a vital role on your company’s function and progress. The answer is “yes” – it’s very much worth it.

As a user of Managed Services, you are aware that with the IT consultant you have on hand, IT problems may be largely minimized or halted even before they occurs. When you have someone who constantly monitors your network, problems are minimal, and problems that do arise are addressed right away – even before they disrupt your operations.

But even so, many companies still tend to shy away from Managed Services. They believe it’s an extra expense that they are better off without, since it typically involves monthly or annual fees. What these companies don’t realize is that without Managed Services, they may be spending more than what they think they save.

Fortunately, you yourself have availed of this service and are enjoying its benefits. Below are three reasons why your choice to use Managed Services is a good one, and why you should continue:

No surprise IT-related costs that would disrupt your budget plan – Fixing IT problems will cost you, and more often than not, it’s a considerable amount. You’ll be forced to shell out money unexpectedly so that you can address the problem as soon as possible to minimize the effects of it on your work. With your subscription to Managed services, you have no IT-related expenses that aren’t part of your budget plan.

You are provided with trained personnel – Filling in IT staff positions is often much more expensive, not to mention more tedious, when compared side by side with Managed Services. Training costs add up, too. You’re paying a lower cost with your already-trained personnel provided by Managed Services, rather than with a newbie you’d need to get up to speed.

Increased operations efficiency – With no network problems occurring, the efficiency of your operations is increased. You do more and serve more; in effect, your customers are happier and your employees are free from frustration. All of this adds up to higher revenues for you.

How good is your current backup solution? Having a reliable backup solution is the first step to accomplishing a successful disaster recovery plan. These guidelines will help you evaluate and improve your current backup solution.

It’s impossible to have a disaster recovery plan without first having an efficient backup solution. So, the question is:  Is your backup solution truly efficient – or just good enough?

Traditionally, backup processes use a tape storage method. But unfortunately, tape has many limitations.

Tape-based backup systems involve high costs. This is especially true with large capacity backups. Additional problems include complicated upgrades, degradation over time, and sluggish backup and restoration.

Traditional backup procedures only capture a single snapshot of your information each day. This means that if your backup is programmed to occur at 12 midnight, you jeopardize losing the entire next day’s work if disaster strikes.

Backing up traditionally requires rigorous manual labor. Someone has to make sure that the proper media is in the drive. Someone has to evaluate the backup results to ensure completeness, as well as periodically execute data restorations. Once the backup is complete, someone has to take it offsite for security purposes.

Although some companies are equipped to perform all of these backup-related tasks, most aren’t—and many are unsure whether their backups will be available when needed.

However, during the last three to five years, the standard backup method has shifted to digital solutions that provide greater capacity and quicker backup and restoration.

Here are some ways that you can improve your backup system:

• Ensure that every bit of your data is backed up several times per day.
• Remove the human factor from the backup equation. (This reduces the possibility of error as well as operating costs.)
• Choose a restoration process that is fast yet flexible, so you can easily re-instate your entire data set or any part of it if needed.
• Ensure that your system has very little impact on your business operations. It should be transparent to you and your employees that the backups are even taking place (that is, until you need them, of course!).

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more details. We can help you put together and manage an efficient backup solution that’s ideal for your specific requirements.