Mobile hotspots are great for people who need to access the Internet even if they are somewhere without any Wi-Fi. All it takes is a portable 4G router. It offers a low-cost and readily available connection that your employees can utilize while working on the go.
A mobile hotspot usually provides faster Internet connection and better security compared with public Wi-Fi. But if this kind of mobile networking is not utilized well, it will accumulate expensive data charges. The following tricks will maximize the efficiency of mobile hotspots while lowering their data usage.
Place the router in a strategic spot
For your equipment to offer optimal coverage, put it in an area where it can best broadcast signals. The goal here is to cover as many devices as possible, so you want to carefully plan where the router is placed. Wireless signals reach only up to 100 feet indoors and 300 feet outdoors. The signals can pass through floors, walls and ceilings, but fewer obstructions will result in better transmission.
Less Wi-Fi range for longer battery life
If your settings allow, tweak your mobile wireless network for low-power, shorter Wi-Fi. Users must move closer to the hotspot for better Internet connection, but the router’s battery will thank you for it.
Check for LTE coverage
It’s a good idea to research the area you will use the portable router in. There are locations that do not support cellular 4G/LTE, which means you will still have Internet, but at slower speeds.
Watch out for background apps!
Laptops, tablets, and smartphones may be running applications in the background that are using up Internet bandwidth. The most common examples of these apps are location-based services, social media and email. Minimize the amount of data you use by disabling background apps you don’t need.
Avoid multimedia usage
Loading an email or text on a webpage with your mobile device will consume minimal amounts of data. Streaming videos or music will require more bandwidth, using up more data. Try to avoid using multimedia so your battery and data plan lasts longer.
Mobile hotspots let users remotely connect to the Internet without being dependent on possibly unsafe public Wi-Fi networks. With the ability to connect multiple devices to a single hotspot, these devices are an easy way to increase productivity.
We specialize in hardware solutions that improve your bottom line. Call us today for advice tailored to your business and its industry.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Not too long ago, the thought of being able to access printers from your computer, tablets or smartphones was almost unheard of. But today, it’s a completely different story — enter Google’s Cloud service. Now you can access both regular and Internet-enabled printers through the web. Read on for more information.
First things first, the printer needs to be connected to your primary computer (the one you’ll use to access the printer in the future). Once connected, the computer can be added to Cloud Print. If it isn’t already installed, you need to install Chrome for Windows or Mac. From there, type chrome://devices into the address bar to bring up devices Chrome can work with. Click “Add printer” and make sure the printer you want to link is ticked.
From the same screen, you’ll be able to configure printer settings. Click Manage next to any of the listed printers to upload new print jobs, rename or remove printers, or share a printer with someone else. This allows you to give certain people access to your printer.
If you need to print something off your mobile device, you can do so with the Cloud Print app on Android, where a print option should appear in the Sharing menu. It’s slightly trickier on iOS, but you can still cloud print from Google’s iOS apps using the Google-recommended file management, transfer and printing application PrintCentral Pro to bridge the gap. And as expected, Cloud Print works seamlessly with Chromebooks as well. Just choose Print from the main menu and voila!
If you’re interested in hearing more news on Google’s Cloud Print function or staying up-to-date on the IT world, feel free to let us know.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Having access to high-speed internet is important for people who work, chat, or stream online. Sadly, most WiFi systems are unreliable and unresponsive, and depending on the layout of your office, they can create internet dead zones. For businesses that manage most of their tasks online, this simply won’t do. Ideally, internet connections should be fast and available in every nook and cranny of your office. And with the development of Google WiFi, your business may be able to achieve that.
WiFi everywhere
Google WiFi is able to offer fast WiFi across your home or business. Today, people install WiFi expecting it to simultaneously support multiple devices that might even be engaged in high-bandwidth activities such as VoIP and live streaming. The problem, however, is that the WiFi signal is often affected by the thickness of internal walls and the distance from the router. Google alleviates this problem by developing a WiFi system that’s expandable.
You can add Google WiFi points in different areas of your office to spread a strong network signal throughout your entire company. Google uses WiFi mesh technology, where every Google WiFi point builds a high-powered signal where all points combined offer the ideal path for data. As a result, high-speed WiFi is built across the house as all points connect to each other to broadcast a strong, high-speed connection. This means your company can say goodbye to slow downloads, poor call quality, and service interruptions.
Automatically optimize your connection
Google WiFi can also keep operating at high speeds. It employs Network Assist Technology, a feature that automatically optimizes your wireless connection, keeping it fast without any fussing or manual adjustments on your end. Just imagine taking your office laptop or your iPad from your desk to the meeting room, without experiencing internet connection problems. Google’s Network Assist feature allows your devices to seamlessly transition between Google WiFi points in real time, meaning no delays or dead spots.
Manage your network with an app
Google WiFi also comes with a companion app for when you want to manage your network. Available on iOS or Android, the WiFi manager app allows you to reduce bandwidth usage for a particular website, or pause the WiFi connection on certain devices when they’re not in use. You can also prioritize bandwidth for specific devices connected to your network so that you can conduct important VoIP conference calls without any interruptions.
Of course, when it comes to WiFi, security and privacy are top priority. With that in mind, the Google WiFi manager app comes with enhanced security and privacy settings that enable easy management of cloud content, user access control, wireless encryption systems, and automatic updates to keep your business safe at all times.
There’s no telling how well Google WiFi will perform in the market, but if your company values advanced security systems, fast internet speeds, and an easy-to-manage network, then Google WiFi is definitely hardware you should have.
Want to stay on top of the latest hardware trends and developments? Simply give us a call today to find out more.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
The internet is constantly tempting us. There’s an endless collection of funny cat videos, memes, and social media statuses to consume. Sure, the occasional three-minute YouTube video never hurt anyone, but if employees waste hours of their working day on these websites, that’s a problem. So how can you, as a business owner, discourage employees from procrastinating on the internet? When it comes to increasing employee productivity, keeping a close eye on your personnel’s internet behavior reaps various benefits.
Time-saving measures
At times, the internet can be very addictive. Internet monitoring software saves employees from the temptation of online videos and games by restricting access to time-wasting sites that you deem unnecessary for business. But internet monitoring software doesn’t even have to be as extreme as denying permission to harmless social media websites. Just letting your employees know that you’ll be randomly monitoring their internet activity discourages them from taking prolonged visits to their Instagram page.
Avoiding harmful websites
The internet hosts plenty of unsavory links and websites. Employees who haphazardly click phishing links or access malware-ridden pornography sites can put your business at risk. Working with infected machines can slow down the entire system and, in some cases, completely halt operations. But by using internet monitoring tools you can restrict access to dangerous websites, and identify reckless employees to remove their internet privileges, if necessary.
Controlling bandwidth usage
Even while using the internet for the right purposes, bandwidth can be used up quickly. Internet monitoring gives you up-to-the-minute reports on your bandwidth usage. Once you have a clear understanding of your company’s overall bandwidth usage, you can then control its expenditure. This feature allows you to prioritize bandwidth for critical business applications and reduce bandwidth for less necessary websites.
Increasing productivity on the internet
Internet monitoring software may be a powerful tool, but it should be used responsibly. As a business owner, you need to walk a fine line between over-surveillance and under-surveillance. What you should do is establish a clear internet policy. Then, explicitly define the disciplinary measures to be dispensed on anybody who goes against the requirements of the internet policy. And deal with time-wasting employees on a case-by-case basis. It’s unreasonable to remove everyone’s Facebook privileges because one or two abused theirs.
Employee productivity can be difficult to achieve, especially with the proliferation of what we would like to call, “procrastination software.” But with web monitoring software, you can truly get your business — and your employees — back on track. Looking for more ways to increase business productivity with technology? Give us a call. We’ll be happy to make suggestions.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
The ocean has a strange way of making you feel so small; so does a Twitter account with virtually no followers. It does become quite hard for your small- to medium-sized business to establish a strong online presence when they are surrounded by singers and supermodels with their own collection of trending hashtags. This is the part where you’d wish you had come across a genie lamp; while waiting for that to happen, take Twitter’s new dashboard app out for a spin.
According to Noah Pepper, Twitter’s product and engineering manager, “For businesses, Twitter is a place to share news, tell stories, and have conversations that support, educate, and delight their customers.” On top of that, he states that “It’s a place for authentic interactions – but we know that creating these kinds of connections isn’t always easy for businesses that are time and resource-constrained.” Because of this, Twitter has developed a brand new application that helps lighten your social media load — enter Twitter Dashboard.
Twitter Dashboard specifically caters toward small- to medium-sized businesses, helping them to establish a fast, efficient and affordable means to manage their online presence. It helps you easily track and engage with audiences. The free app is still in the beta phase but is available to all businesses in the United States via iOS devices. There’s also a desktop web version as well.
With the help of Twitter Dashboard, social media managers can schedule tweets and set up customized feeds with the sole purpose of tracking what’s being said about a particular business. There are tools in the app that aids in tracking keywords as well as brainstorming ideas for potential tweets.
Here are some examples from Noah Pepper:
Say you work at a restaurant. You can come up with something like, “Your team is as unique as your business. Tweet a surprising fact about one of your team members.” This helps remind you to share some of the recent recognition your chef has received.
Or if you are an interior designer, when you see the tweet “Share the love. Like and Retweet kind words from your customers,” you’re prompted you to Retweet the next customer’s reaction to one of your projects.
Twitter Dashboard may not be of much use to savvy online marketers, but for those who have just dipped their toes into social media, it might help build the confidence needed to take flight. And this is exactly what Twitter needs if it’s aiming to increase overall platform engagement.
Small- and medium-sized businesses should seize every opportunity they can to grow. Leverage the power of social media and see your company spread its wings and fly, soaring amidst the chirp of the blue birds tweeting. For further questions about Twitter Dashboard, feel free to give us a call, follow us, tweet us or give us a direct message — we’re always ready to help.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Gamers require an effective strategy to thwart the boss, athletes require constant updates on the latest tournaments to improve performance and businesses require an online community to fully thrive. As the saying goes: ‘What comes easy won’t last, and what lasts won’t come easy’. This is especially true when you embark on building an online community for your company. Allow the following five tips to help you make the process an easier and enjoyable one:
Make sure your customers are passionate
The number one rule of online community is that it should be a place where like-minded people are genuinely interested in your brand and are able to engage, if that’s not the case, it won’t be any different from throwing a party that everyone ignored. Make sure you have brand appeal, pick up on vibes your customers are giving off and figure out what they really want. The size of your online community isn’t what’s important, customer’s annual revenue and genuine passion for your products play a much bigger role.
Loosen the reins
It’s an undeniable fact that you have put copious amounts of time and energy into building and managing your business – so you can’t help but develop an attachment to it. What business owners have to realize is that your company really belongs to your users. This is a difficult obstacle to overcome, but when you are still clinging on for dear life and discouraging open discussion, you’ve basically shot yourself in the foot. Several times.
Another rule to follow is NEVER delete a post (unless it’s spam), under no circumstances would you want to hide negative feedback. Online communities might be the reality check you’ve been looking for, so accept honest feedback with open arms.
Create a rich experience
Thriving communities are the ones that engage in numerous activities, the same can be said for online communities as well. An example to help put things in perspective is bird watching. Let’s say one community only has support forums dedicated to basic subjects whereas the other community offers a feature request area that allow customers to give their thoughts on what they want to see next as well as a visual library on local species. Ensure that there’s always something for your community to do.
Invest in infrastructure
Dedicated team members and the right software are essential components required in taking on an online community – don’t pinch any pennies here. Growing the team and utilizing suitable tech resources are necessary steps that (although nerve-wracking) need to be taken. Entice customers further by tying up all the technological loose ends, make it easy-to-use and devoid of downtime.
Don’t stress over measurements
We live in a time where numbers hold immeasurable power and people expect dashboards to show trending activity constantly. It’s a fact that measuring the ROI of an online community is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There is one way of measuring your community’s value, not with a measuring tape, but by looking at the number of posts.
If you’re aiming to establish higher brand credibility, corporate integrity and customer loyalty but aren’t exactly sure how to go about it, just give us a call! We’ll help you with any questions you may have about building an online community for your business.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
With the advent of cloud computing, more and more people are choosing Google Chromebook for their next laptop purchase. However, many business owners are still on the fence as to whether or not this new 21st century laptop will satisfy their needs. If this is you, here’s a quick guide to figure out if a Chromebook is a smart choice for your business.
Buy a Chromebook if you…
Are on a budget: With a range of models available between the prices of $199-$500, Chromebooks are incredibly affordable. That is far cheaper than any Apple laptop and more competitively priced than most PC offerings. So if budget is a concern, then consider a Chromebook.
Want a high-powered laptop: Just because Chromebooks are affordable, doesn’t mean they’re of less quality. In fact many Chromebook features are better or on par with their PC and Apple counterparts. Here are a few notable ones worth mentioning.
Long battery life: When it comes to battery life and laptops, Chromebooks are among the best of the best. On average, a Chromebook can supply anywhere from 6-13 hours of battery life.
Speed: Chromebooks boot up remarkably fast. Once you press the power button, your Chromebook can be ready to go in 8-20 seconds.
Lightweight: While weight varies among the various Chromebooks on offer, most are incredibly lightweight and easy to pack with you when you’re on the go.
Security and auto-updates: Not only is malware and virus protection baked into the Chrome OS, but with a Chromebook you’ll never have to worry about updates as they’re all taken care of automatically – silently in the background.
Are mobile and heavily internet reliant – With its long battery life, light weight and internet-friendliness, the Chromebook is perfect for the mobile workforce who need an easy to carry laptop to use primarily for staying connected to their employer’s business while away. Better yet, if your business is integrated with Google Apps for Work, you and your staff can even create documents and access your business’s data with a Chromebook.
Avoid a Chromebook if you…
Rely on desktop applications – As mentioned above, Chromebooks are meant to be used with the internet. Because of this, powerful desktop applications like Photoshop and advanced video editing apps are incompatible on it.
Work mostly without an internet connection – We’ve mentioned it several times already, but it’s worth mentioning again, DO NOT buy a Chromebook if most of your work is done offline. Even if you bought an entry-level Chromebook for $200 and feel like you got a great deal, it will be a useless piece of metal if you need it to complete offline work.
Are a Microsoft junkie – If you are heavily reliant on Microsoft products you may want to look elsewhere for a laptop. Google promotes the use of its own online suite of Office-like applications. And while they are similar to Microsoft products, they do lack some of the features you may love.
For those still on the fence about whether or not a Chromebook is the right choice for their business, it’s also worth noting that just last month Google announced they’ll be adding Android apps to Chromebooks. So if you’re already an Android phone or tablet user, later this year you’ll be able to use those same apps on your Chromebook.
Want to know more about Chromebooks and other laptop options? Our experts are here to help you make an educated purchase. Call us today, and we’ll be happy to share our wealth of information.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
There comes a point in the life of every laptop where its hard drive slows and it begins to function at a snail’s pace. At this point, many people either toss it or retire it to the back of a closet. If you’re one of the latter, then this Spring you may be able infuse life into it. A new software available has been making waves with its ability to revive old laptops, and make them run faster than you could believe.
A New York City based startup known as Neverware has developed a dual-boot system that essentially turns your old laptop into a Chromebook, and even uses the same operating system as a Chromebook: Chrome OS. The software that enables this is called CloudReady and, once installed on your system, you can switch between your old OS and Chrome OS at startup.
How does CloudReady revive your old laptop?
Because the Chrome OS operating system is lightweight, it frees up your laptop from its old, sluggish operating system. With CloudReady installed, your old laptop can boot up more than twice as fast, and you can browse the web twice as fast as well. However, it should be noted that these times vary, and in some cases, you may see no difference in speed.
Does it work for all laptops?
Most, but not all. CloudReady can be installed on many different models of the Macbook Pro and iMac. As for Windows, it will only work on PCs preinstalled with Windows 7 and up, and installed in UEFI mode. While that last bit may sound a bit confusing, if your laptop is ten years old or younger, CloudReady will likely work.
How to install CloudReady
To get started, you’ll need the following two items:
A laptop with internet connection
A USB drive with at least 8 gigs of storage
Everything else you’ll need to install the software can be found at Neverware’s website. Once you’ve got all your tools handy, here’s how you install it:
Download the OS
Install OS on a USB drive
Insert USB into your old laptop and reboot it to CloudReady drive
Install the OS on your laptop’s internal drive (make sure to backup your files first).
Depending on how tech savvy you are, the installation process can take anywhere between 45 minutes, to well over an hour.
So is it worth trying? Well, besides maybe an hour or two of your time, you don’t really have much to lose by giving it a shot. If you’d like more ideas on how to improve the life of your hardware or are interested in buying some new tech gear this Spring, get in touch with our experts today.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Employees are one of your biggest security holes. There is no foolproof prevention method for human error, and this is why employee mistakes are one of the most common causes of a security breach. So what can you do to prevent it? Well at the very least you need to include policies in your employee handbook, and ensure your employee reads through it and signs off on agreeing to abide by them. Having measures in place drastically reduces the chances of a security breach. Here are four areas to keep in mind when developing your own.
Internet
In today’s business world, employees spend a lot of time on the Internet. To ensure they’re not putting your business at risk, you need a clear set of web policies. Here are three important ones to keep in mind:
Employees should be using the Internet for business purposes only. While this is undoubtedly hard to avoid without blocking specific websites, having a policy in place should at least cut back on employees spending time on non-business related sites.
Prohibit unauthorized downloads. This includes everything from music to games, and even data or applications.
Accessing personal email should not be done on business devices. If employees must access their own email account during the day, they can do so on their smartphone or other personal device.
These are just a few Internet policies to get started, but you should also consider including information on your recommended browsing practices and your policies for using business devices (such as company phones) on public wifi.
Email
Just like with the Internet policy mentioned above, company email accounts should only be utilized for business use. That means your employees should never use it to send personal files, forward links or perform any type of business-related activities outside of their specific job role. Additionally, consider implementing a standard email signature for all employees. This not only creates brand cohesion on all outgoing emails, but also makes it easy to identify messages from other employees, and hence helps prevents spear phishing.
Passwords
We’ve all heard the importance of a strong password time and time again. And this same principle should also apply to your employees. The reason is rather simple. Many employees will create the easiest to crack passwords for their business accounts. After all, if your organization gets hacked, it’s not their money or business at stake. So to encourage employees to create strong passwords, your policy should instruct them to include special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, and numbers in their passwords.
Data
Whether or not you allow your employees to conduct work on their own device, such as a smartphone or tablet, it is important to have a bring your own device (BYOD) policy. If your employees aren’t aware of your stance on BYOD, some are sure to assume they can conduct work related tasks on their personal laptop or tablet. So have a BYOD policy and put it in the employee handbook. In addition to this, make sure to explain that data on any workstation is business property. That means employees aren’t allowed to remove or copy it without your authorization.
We hope these four policies have shed some light on best security practices. If you’d like more tips or are interested in a security audit of your business, do get in touch.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Communicating via social media is a way of life for many of us, and these days it’s almost unheard of to not have a Facebook account, but what do you do to stay in touch with friends and family if you don’t have access to one of the popular social media platforms because your government has banned them? This post takes a look at how a country like Iran stays connected despite Facebook and Twitter being blocked – and why the instant messaging app Iranians do use is so wildly popular.
While China is probably the most well known country for restricting their population’s ability to view certain websites, whether through a desire to restrict access to information that might harm the country’s image or because of industry competition, there are other nations which also exercise strict control over what their people can and cannot see online.
Take Iran for example. Its citizens are denied access to Facebook and Twitter while Instagram is partially blocked due to the fact that it is possible to block individual accounts whilst leaving other parts of the platform online. Of course, anyone wanting to update their Facebook status, send tweets or upload a risqué selfie can do so using a VPN. But most VPNs charge a monthly subscription for their services and even then the access can be sketchy at best. However there is one social media platform in Iran that is freely available and that is Line, the instant messenger chat application. Unlike China which has blocked Line (something that is more to do with it being direct competition to the homegrown chat app WeChat than freedom of speech), in Iran Line is big news. In particular its social media function, called Timeline, is connecting people throughout the country, and in some surprising ways.
Texting someone is yesterday’s news, and messaging apps are the primary form of quick communication for people everywhere. And in Iran the app of choice used to be Viber – at least it was until it was blocked by Iranian officials at the end of last year. In its place came Telegram, a Russian chat app which has almost 60% of its total users in Iran. Line doesn’t currently compete with Telegram when it comes to messages, but that could change at any time, mainly thanks to some users of the latter’s penchant for spreading pornographic content.
In direct contrast to that, the Japanese owned Line is intent on maintaining its wholesome image – and Iranian companies are recognizing that and using Line as a platform to market themselves. And it’s no great surprise when you look at the numbers: well known for being one of, if not the, biggest blogging communities in the world, Iranian citizens are devout readers and creators of online content. What is particularly attractive to marketers in Iran is that a staggering 90% of people in Iran who use Line are actually active on a daily basis on Timeline.
But using Timeline in an official capacity is not as simple as merely opening an account and updating your status as it is on say, WeChat, Twitter or Facebook. Line stipulates that anyone who wants to open an ‘Official Account’ – be they a corporation or a celebrity – must apply to be a Line Partner. Line can decide whether or not to accept their ‘partner’ and, if deemed a good match for the platform, the company or person in question will then be made to sign an agreement and pay a subscription – and periodic fees. Harsh as this may seem when compared to free platforms, it is precisely this which enables Line to ensure its content is continually updated whilst also being of a permissible standard. And it is this policy of control and moderation that allows Line to operate unfettered in Iran.
So who are the Iranian celebrities who have signed up for an official Line account? The country’s first adopter was AlireSaa, a viral celebrity famous for humorous musical clips and anecdotes. At the time of signing up with Line he had around 320,000 Instagram followers – a number which took him two years to build. But after just five weeks on Line he had already beaten this – and his number of followers doesn’t show signs of abating any time soon – his fan base is already tipping the 500,000 mark.
So why is AlireSaa so phenomenally popular on Line but less so on Instagram? The answer lies in the fact that, aside from being partially blocked in Iran (although AlireSaa’s account was not) there are a number of features that Line offers to its official account holders that other social media platforms do not. One of these is Line’s ‘On Air’ sessions which uses live chat. AlireSaa used this feature to run a video contest for followers. His fans were treated to a two hour long live chat with their hero and were able to submit videos of themselves performing one of AlireSaa’s musical clips.
A staggering amount of people engaged with AlireSaa, who let’s remember is not a global superstar – 50,000 of them in fact and 10,000 of them submitted videos during the two hour window. When he announced the live chat, AlireSaa had 215,000 Line followers – a number which exploded as news of the contest spread like wildfire on the app’s Timeline feature.
If you’re still of the opinion that social media is a waste of time and can’t do anything for your business, maybe it’s time to take another look. If you want to follow in AlireSaa’s shoes and become a viral success, why not get in touch with us today. We can’t promise to make you an Internet superstar but we can help point you in the right direction.
Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.