Tbook - Software and IT Support

The Secret to great B2B social networking

If your business is B2B and you’re not group blogging, you’re missing out on an exceptional opportunity.

Group blogs are a site shared by many firms in the same industry. Some examples: Accounting Software Reviews for ERP vendors and CRM Software Reviews, a Microsoft Dynamics Reseller community.

By banding together to blog with other companies in your field you get a blog with:

• Tons of content updated frequently

• The ability to split maintenance costs many ways

• A forum to establish yourself as a thought leader

• A much higher Google ranking than you could achieve for your own site or a blog with a single owner

• A powerful site to link build from

• Somewhere beyond the confines of your website to self-promote

• Valuable networking opportunities

• An increased chance that your posts will actually get read
 

Group blogs are emerging as dynamic, growing communities that meet online, share leads, split costs and learn from each other. 

For more information about Internet marketing, visit interactivelimited.com.

Routers and Tips. What’s all about?

Internet is one of the greatest discoveries of the century and at the moment almost everyone uses it at home or at the office or even at a home office. We like to call it “surfing the Web”, like we were born doing it and we know everything about it. The thing is that when something wrong happens and can’t go online, the first thing that crosses our minds is restarting the computer and everything will go away. But that’s not the case almost every time and we need to ask for IT Support from a professional IT Company. Let’s think a bit about routers. What’s their purpose in our house? What do we do when we have problems with them?

A router is an electronic device and its role is to connect other devices between them and share information or connect them to the Internet, with the power of radio or wire signals. In order to understand better what a router does, think of this: the reason why you can get online both on your computer and laptop at the same time, is your router; email, surfing the Web, playing games online – your router; having better IT Security, well, it’s all because of your router. So, you’re network is more secure and you have all these advantages because of this IT product and IT Support. So, all data sent between computers or online is handled by your router.

There are two different kinds of routers: if every computer is tied to the router by using wires, then you are dealing with a cable router; if you have a wireless router, this means that you can get online from your laptop and you don’t need to use a cable. There are certain advantages of using one of them: if you are looking for a cheap, portable and safe solution then you would like to use a wireless router, but if you want high-speed, reliability and security then you should better choose a cable router. However we put it, routers have a significant role in IT Connectivity. The thing is that we will always need IT Support when talking about machines.

Now, how about problems which seem to knock on the door when we’re feeling too safe? Well, you need IT Support. One of the most popular issues with wireless routers is weak signal. This means that you could benefit from a great connection but there are some obstacles that make you lose your signal in some parts of the house. There are some great tips that can make you worry less for your connection. For starters, you should try to move your router somewhere in the centre of your house so that signal is the same in every room. Another tip would be to try and keep the router away from walls and metal objects as these are obstacles.

These obstacles that I’m talking about have something to do with the signals of the router. So, in order to have great IT connectivity, keep the wireless router obstacle free. Of course, if you can’t seem to make it work, then hire an IT Company to get professional IT Support. How about issues with cable routers? The most usual problem refers to limited or no Internet connectivity which means that you can see that you are connected to the Internet but you can’t seem to get online. The interesting and simple tip given in this unwanted complication is that you should reset the router. If it still doesn’t work, go for the smart solution and ask for IT Support.

The thing about routers everyone should know is that you have to know what kind of router fits the situation: for wide areas you should probably go for a wireless router, whereas a cable router is perfect for a room where there is more than one computer. Another tip to keep in mind and probably the most important one is that you shouldn’t underestimate a professional team that provides IT Support for your problems. Most of the times it’s not that hard to fix things on your own, but if the situation comes out of hand, then it is best to leave it on the hand of IT engineers. The certainly know how to repair what needs to be repaired.

How Does VOIP Improve Your Business

One of the most significant technology developments that have revolutionized the way we communicate and the business world is VOIP a.k.a. Voice Over Internet Protocol. Our traditional phones are connected to a landline which makes conversations with other people to be weak to interference and expensive. Fortunately for us, VOIP provides us with the opportunity to have great and long distance conversations over the internet with business partners or friends at a much smaller cost. Also, you can call any local, international or even a mobile number. It’s a service that has the best advantages regarding the quality of communication and price.

What does VOIP exactly do? Well, when you call someone using this service, your voice is changed from an analog sound to a digital sound which gets compresses and then travels the internet to the person that at the other end. When it arrives, the data is decompressed and converted back to its’ original sound and heard by the other person. This is the most advanced way of communication as you may benefit from audio/video calls at high speed with minimal charge. Regarding these kind of services, some work only on the computer or through a special IP Phone whereas others work even on the traditional phone with the help of an IP adaptor.

How can I get started? Well, first of all you have to choose from the three basic types of phones available for VOIP service. We have PC based Softphone also known as digital or internet phone, Dedicated VOIP Phone and Analog Telephone Adapter. The first one is the cheapest choice and you only need to install a software program on the computer. While making a call you need to be connected to the internet. The greatest thing is that nowadays softphones are designed to work almost like traditional phones. The most expensive type of VOIP phone system is Dedicated VOIP Phone and doesn’t need a computer to give and receive calls.

What about the IT Services providers? Well, you have to be careful before choosing your company. Usually, IT Support companies have this kind of service. So, while you’re at it, think about what else besides VOIP do you need and compare the offers they provide. You can find all this information online. Usually, the provider charges for the initial installation and for the connection or/and per call. In order to use VOIP you have to decide the type of equipment you need so that you can really enjoy the cost saving. To be honest, it is very easy to switch to this kind of phone service and the company provides everything you need.

Talking about the greatest advantages VOIP brings to our world, well, let’s start with clearer and faster voice quality, video/audio conferences, three way calling, caller ID, the cheapest long distance calls, ability to connect the offices spread all over the world so that they can work as one unit, mobility and flexibility for global operations, voice mail, call forwarding and I can go on and on and on. The thing is, this service gets you ahead of the competition. It doesn’t matter how large your company is, VOIP is the most affordable type of phone service and it can bring your company just the flexibility and sophistication it needs.

Just remember, VOIP is managed by the service provider but it’s controlled by you. It involves no capital investment, no operating costs, no management time, no need to take endless messages when people are out. Not missing a call may mean not missing a sales opportunity. While you’re thinking of what IT Support company to use, also think about the IT Security of your business and the level you want to take it to. You might find out that you also need services like Remote Backup, Disaster Recovery, Server Monitoring, good Broadband Service. This way, you control anything that happens to your business without any stress and time waste involved.

More Small Businesses Turn To Remote IT Support

An ever growing trend of remote IT support seems to be here to stay, during a time of intense cost cutting the remote IT department has the edge, with complex software applications smart IT support companies are able to support higher numbers of clients then ever before.

The internal IT Support desk has been there since the first BBC MICRO hit our desk with a thump, programs like the IT crowd epitomise the internal IT support team. Slowly but surely CEO's are seeing the light and support desk outsourcing is on the rise even at enterprise level.

So have we seen the end of the geek room in the office? IT support needs cost managing just like the sales team and a well qualified outsource program can mean the answer, a huge pool of skills is available to the business at a fraction of the cost of full time employment.

According to the recent poll conducted by CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association), IT managers and directors are extremely concerned about their network data security than any other business issues. Among 934 IT professionals who responded the web poll, only 20 percent consider human error as a major worry on most businesses followed by data storage with only 12 percent.

Despite the current economic setback, half of IT directors have decided to increase their manpower over the next 12 months. The research conducted by Rethink Recruitment showed that 49% of IT directors are seriously planning to raise the number of their IT support staff.
The survey depicts the need of more IT Support staff to deliver productivity and help alter today's reeling economy.

However, there are still some firms who never consider outsourcing their services for fear of making more irreparable damages.
There are several reasons why IT outsourcing is shunned by some. For starters, there are outsourcing companies who only provide services worth the price they are being paid for. And they often cut corners to make more revenue which means, good customer service is the least of their worries.

There are numerous horror stories about outsourcing that are apparently true.
Some companies are just not prepared to take the risk even if it means struggling financially to keep up with today's weak economy. They'd rather rely with their own IT Support than save money but have unhappy customers.

 

Why Use Anti-Virus and Anti-Spam

The two things that make us waste precious time and ruin our day are the spam junk that we get and sneaky viruses that take control of our computer. The funny thing is that the unwanted messages don’t just pile up in our inbox but also may bring with them viruses that represent a real threat to our computers. If we look at the problem from different perspectives we can see that viruses show us how vulnerable we are because a properly made virus can disrupt productivity and make damages of billions of dollars. If we look at it the other way we may see that viruses also show us how evolved, sophisticated and connected humans have become.

What’s a computer virus and what does it do? It’s a software that spreads itself by infecting executable files and after that it duplicates itself, interfering with your computer operations. Of course, a virus does all this without you knowing. Viruses are especially designed to do certain operations and so while some damage files others just to try to spread around. It’s important to know that even the ones that just spread around are harmful as they infect files too. Anyway, the actual effect of the virus depends on what it was programmed to do. Note that viruses may corrupt or delete files or even delete the entire hard disk but it may not physically damage your hard disk.

How do you get a computer virus and how do you get rid of it? One of the ways you get them is by those annoying spam messages. It’s extremely important that you don’t open an attachment of an email that you got from a person you don’t know. Also, you might get a virus from downloaded file or from instant messaging messages. Best thing to do is find a good IT Support company and get the best Anti Virus there is. No business can survive without this kind of program. It efficiently protects your files so that viruses can’t touch them. It saves you from all the trouble and you don’t have to lose sleep. Your business is safe and so are you.

What’s spam and what can it do? Spam messages get to you every day and every way. They may hide some interesting viruses that can do anything to your computer.
All they do besides spreading around is losing your time. Your schedule gets busier because of the spam phenomenon that increases everyday and why? Because of the companies who specialize in this kind of under handed marketing. Your inbox gets full and you may have some important email that can’t get to you because of all the spam. You can’t complete your tasks, spend less time with your family and friends because you have to delete those useless spam messages you get.

How can you avoid it? First of all, give a call to that IT Support company and get their Anti-Spam software. The role of any Anti Spam software is to identify and isolate the malicious, unwanted email from the genuine ones. This software is coded in such way that all unwanted emails are collected in a spam folder and you can delete them when you’re sure they’re all spam. After that, it’s really important to keep your Anti-Virus and Anti Spam updated. Avoid publishing your email address on websites or forums because a spammer may get a hold of it and then you’re getting your inbox filled like I said. Do these things and you’ll save precious time.

What’s to Know About Web Hosting Service

Nowadays, every business has its own website in order to be found easily by customers and promote its services faster, to the targeted user. Your website can be seen from everywhere in the world which means you can get easier to your customers. Any curious Internet user that searches for the type of services you offer can see the description that you have posted on your website and decide if your services are the ones that suit him. The first two things to do for promoting your business through the internet is to get a domain name and pay for a Web Hosting service provided by a very good IT company. Then, you’ll be able to start building your website.

You have to know exactly what to do if you want to have your own website and that means that you need to know what a domain name is. Well, it’s the name of your business online. For example, if the name of your business is “Online services”, then your domain name should be www(dot)onlineservices(dot)com. In order to have a domain name, you have to buy it from a domain name registrar that is accredited by ICANN or Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. This is the thing that you must take care of first if you are sure you want to get your business online too. Then, find an IT company that offers Web Hosting service.

If you’re wondering what this Web Hosting service consists of, you should know that all the data that is displayed when you enter your website must be stored somewhere. That’s where the Web Hosting service comes in. This particular kind of services is provided by an IT company and the way they offer it is as simple as: you pay for your data to be stored on one of the IT company servers. An interesting thing is that some IT companies offer a package deal: domain name registration, Web Hosting service and also email hosting service. This is because the customer would be more comfortable to get all in one. It’s easier this way.

There are different types of services that can be used with Website Hosting services. So, we have Dedicated Hosting service which means that the client has the possibility to have exclusivity when paying for a server and he can also control it. Then, there is the Virtual Private Server that makes possible more servers to work on one physical server. We also have Shared Hosting services which give the customers the possibility to host more websites on one server and share the costs. Then, Free Web Hosting service is the type of service that allows the customer to have a sub-domain on their server for free. You can choose the type of service that suits you.

When choosing Web Hosting service from a certain IT company, you have to consider some important factors before. One is bandwidth which refers at the amount of traffic your website can support and you must be sure that you have the amount of bandwidth you need. Then, IT support provided by the IT company is also important because you need them to be at your disposal in case different problems arise. If your website goes down and you don’t resolve the problem at once, you might lose potential customers. Ask around for an IT company that offers excellent Web Hosting service. You might find a Web Host you wouldn’t have considered else way.

It is important to remember that you need a domain name and a Web Hosting service from an IT company if you want to display your own information on a website. By letting an IT company handling your website, you have more advantages like lower costs, professional help and easier ways to handle some IT functions. When hiring the services of an IT company, don’t forget other important issues like IT Support, data recovery, disaster planning, remote backup – they’re all vital IT services that help your business survive and avoid unwanted occurrences. Do your search thoroughly and don’t stop until you’re certain that the chosen IT company suits your needs.

What Could a Good IT Consultant Service Do for You

Every business need is different. So, it needs a special solution and not the “typical plan” as some call it. Even though sometimes things get complicated, there is always someone to call to be there for you and your company. That is why you need to get the best IT Support company on the market. To be sure you get the most efficient services in order to help your business growing. This IT Support company can give you assistance in every situation. While you’re searching for the best, look at the services they provide. See if remote backup, disaster recovery, IT security, server monitoring are on their list. This can make your life much easier.

A consultant is the trained and skilled person that focuses on advising you in order to meet your business objectives. There are three ways on getting consultancy service: you have the professional services firms which have high bill rates, staffing firms which take care of temporary skill shortage and technical projects and independent consultants who work at a company or as independent contractors. Their efficiency results from their ability to integrate and support technologies and also determining products and brands. While searching for an IT consultant you should compare and contrast the services from the IT Support companies on the market.

Think about the advantages. As long as you can’t manage the technical part of your business, then the hired help is the way you should go. An IT consultant has a lot of experience and knowledge and he’ll know what to do to your system. Also, if you use different software applications for your business, then the IT consultant has the power to make them run smoothly together and avoid system breakdown in the event of software conflicts. Another important thing is that your company evolves and with its’ evolution there will be more complex needs that must be handled with care by experts that can take care of your business.

There are some other advantages that make you think about it from another point of view. There’s the fact that even though your company doesn’t work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there are IT Support companies that offer their services round the clock. This means you can call them whenever you need it and solve whatever problem you have. Also, an IT consultant can train your staff to work on the system you have had installed so there won’t be any problems with their job responsibilities. Another important problem is the fact that an IT consultant can get you the best antivirus for your system so that you won’t have any security problems.

By hiring the help of a good IT Support company you’ll make a good deal. They can help you with whatever you need, whenever you need it. They can give you their best consultants. They can stay with your business as it develops and becomes more and more complex. If you choose the best, then you won’t have to always hire another IT consultant because your IT Support company will send you one when you need it. They save you money and time and give you the insurance that everything works as planned. When specialized IT professionals perform tasks for your business, you can see the service that makes the difference.

Unfortunately, new problems, viruses, hackers that may affect your business appear every day. You need a good IT consultant that can manage the optimization and development of your company. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes and expert help for your IT infrastructure gives you just that. If you have any problems from SQL issues on a web server to not managing an Exchange upgrade, then pick up the phone and hire the best. As wide as the area of IT is, so are the problems that may appear. You have to know that you and your company are safe and an IT consultant is there when you want him to be. So, what are you waiting for?

What About IT Security on the Internet

First, the Internet amazed us with all the things we could do online, but as time passed by, threats started to appear. Nowadays, we’re getting scared and scared of the fact that at any time when we’re surfing the web, we can be attacked by a hacker or a malicious virus. We have to be aware of the risks we face all the time when clicking on a link or typing our password. There are so many people –hackers- that just can’t respect people who just want to surf the web or buy something online or verify their bank accounts. Hackers are making our lives harder and unsafe. That’s why we need to have the best IT security system set up.

Let’s talk a bit about the threats that come with the every day use of the Internet. IT security is the key word when you don’t want to face such threats. We have the Trojans that infect our computer and leaves us without our data. Then, there are adware and spyware, the kinds of threat that are strictly for commercial gain – by going through our web history and display targeted advertisements. Also, there is the kind of malware that you get installed on your computer knowingly or not and that makes you pay for fake software. You can’t even imagine what things hackers come up with in order to get money from innocent people.

Think about IT security every time you check your email and don’t open the ones that come from someone you don’t know. If you do open one of them and see a link in the message, by all means, don’t click on it. Before clicking on the link think of the fact that you don’t know where it’s redirecting you and there is a big chance that you might get into the hands of a hacker. This hacker has the possibility to get into your system, control your computer, even take some personal data like your bank account number and password or get some work related data. Where do you go from there? Well, don’t get there. Get an IT security system properly installed.

If you think you can handle your own IT security, then don’t hire professional help, but I advise you to look up an IT company. Anyway, if you don’t want too, get a good antivirus, two way firewall software, IP address hiding application and monitor them every day. They can get their own free updates every 15 minutes if you want them to. It’s time consuming to monitor your IT security, but if you keep off spam emails and dangerous websites, then you’re much safer than not having IT Support security at all. Just think about all the risks you’re taking when having weak IT security system or no IT security at all. Are your files and work data worth it?

Data and work files are worth a great IT security system from a professional that knows what he’s doing. Also, IT companies have package deals that can save you a lot of money and we’re talking about hundreds of dollars. I think the right choice is to hire an IT company, have your IT security handled by them and save money. What more could you want? And you don’t just get an antivirus, you can also get round the clock IT Support, data recovery, disaster planning, remote backup and server monitoring. It’s easier to have all these IT services delivered with efficiency, promptitude and reliability. All you have to do is makes a phone call.

The trick here is to find the IT Support provider that offers the best IT security that suits you and your company’s needs. Making a decision is rather hard considering the fact that there are so many IT companies on the market and so many special offers. First of all ask yourself how important is the IT security of your files, work. There’s only one way to get the most efficient IT security and that is to let professionals handle it. They know what they’re doing because keeping their customers satisfied keeps their business running. So, if you’re happy, they’re happy. Either way, you have to be prepared for the unexpected so start looking for your choice in IT companies.

 

Network IT Security – Problems and Solutions

It doesn’t matter if you have a small business with just a few computers to keep it running or a big company, you still need to have proper IT security. This is because of the fact that even though the internet came with a lot of advantages and great technologies that keeps the world closer it also brought some very dangerous threats to our work and personal data. Viruses can make us lose all our data in a matter of seconds and also, unwanted intruders can take advantage of our breaches in IT security and use our data in illegal activities. I’m sure you’re not just realizing just how important are the contact details of your customers.

By implementing proper multiple layers IT security with usernames and passwords that get changed very often, you can keep unauthorized persons hack into your system and compromise your data as well as your entire business. You have to keep strict rules for your employees such as never revealing their personal identification data to anyone outside the business. If they do, there’s your security breach that makes your system vulnerable. There are different types of software like firewall software, antivirus, data encryption and many others that have the ability to get the best IT security to your system. To be sure it’s working, hire professional help.

You need to have a planned approach in order to manage issues caused by low IT security as efficient as possible. The best way to implement an IT security system is to do it with an IT consultant by your side or better, have him do it. There are different reasons why an IT company is the safer way to go: great protection against all types of malware, great updates to the system that makes is less vulnerable, fast scans that see all threats, great firewall that blocks the threat faster than the hacker can’t even see it coming, great protection even if you’re using a wireless connection, safely stored passwords and many others. These are skillful persons that do this for a living.

When looking for an IT Support provider look for the one with great reviews, great package deals and accessible prices. Also, see if they provide on the spot IT Support and other significant IT services like remote backup, data recovery, disaster recovery, disaster planning, server monitoring and get a package deal. It could save your hundreds of dollars and also, you would be getting great IT security for your company. Every time there is a threat, your system will block it and you get full report about what, when and how it happened. This way, you know that your business is in good hands and you don’t have to worry about IT security anymore.

Before you get your IT security implemented, the IT consultant has to track down your employees’ web surfing habits in order to know what to do. Hackers can get into your system by using your IP address and if you use an IP address hiding application, you know that you are not being exposed. Even though employees are not expected to surf the web for not related to work things, they might do it, without thinking of the consequences of clicking on an apparently harmless link that exposes your system. You don’t have to take extreme measures. Just hire the best IT Support company in town and have an IT consultant help you with your IT security.

Before turning off your computer, think of the fact that many of the work tasks are done online. Just how many threats are there? Well, between viruses, Trojans, sophisticated hackers and other types of malware, we can’t even realize just how vulnerable our data is. That’s why IT security is a must if you want to be protected from outside threats and have your company develop as it should, without unwanted complications. After considering how many advantages you get by hiring professional help to handle your business, go ahead and start looking for the IT company that suits you and your needs. Don’t waste precious time and start your search now.

IT Security – Something to Think About

The internet has opened many doors for business development, doors which send us to rooms full of knowledge and answers but also it has given hackers great opportunities to make millions of dollars on the work of others. IT security is a matter of concern for all of us because our data, our personal information, our work files – are all in danger all the time. The type of software developed by professional hackers has the power to hack into any computer, to find IT security breaches and use any of our data for their benefit. We need to find the best ways to secure our computers, applications and our data if we want to be safe in this cyber world.

Our problem is that normal, passive means of protecting our computer give us just a layer of IT security which experienced hackers can break with no problems what so ever. That’s why we need multiple layers of protection, not just firewall and data encryption. With the new viruses and different types of malware spreading everywhere on the Web and threatening businesses and data all over the world, we need new applications and software to protect our systems. IT security plans need to be updated and renewed as often as possible in order to keep hackers out of our computers. It’s not an easy task but it’s obviously worth our time.

Nowadays we do everything online: shopping, bank transactions, book tickets for our holiday. But all these, need personal information which is a type of weakness hackers can exploit. The best IT security applications are easy to use and their cost matches their performance, but finding the one that fits you and your needs is a bit time consuming and sometimes frustrating because of the many products on the market. If your research is accurate and you know exactly what you need, then every time you’ll have a worm problem, you’ll receive an alert and your multiple level of your IT security would have done its job well, protecting you against hack attacks.

There are different types of IT security problems you may encounter: adware, malware and spyware. Adware represents a kind of software that makes unwanted advertisments appear on the screen and annoy you. Malware harms your computer and the most known types are Trojans and viruses – if your computer is infected with malware, you might lose important data. Spyware is a kind of malware that gets installed on your computer to spy on your web history and redirect you to unwanted websites for commercial profit. Anyway, it is important to know that all three of them harm your computer and that malware is the most aggressive one.

There are solutions to these problems of IT security. You can find the types of software required for the best IT security of your computer by hiring the services of an IT company. You have software that protect your data like firewall software – it’s the first layer of computer protection, then antivirus, Pop-up blocker and others. You have IT security provided by the free updates these types of software find online and by the fact that threats are blocked and deleted as soon as they are detected. It is best to get a complete IT security package from a certified IT company than installing free software from the internet because it may contain hidden malware.

To know how to ensure IT security for your computer means, first of all, to know what harms may appear in time to your computer data. Second of all, you need to know all the ways to protect it. Then, you have to go on the safe side and get the best IT security package from an excellent IT company. And, while you’re at it, you should look for remote backup, disaster recovery, IT Support, because these IT services are also for the protection of your data. You have to keep your computer safe from malware and everything that may harm it so search for qualified help. Keep close the phone number of the IT company as you don’t know when you might need it.