It's Only A Small Leak...

Diana Johnson, Wood Networks

Technology is advancing. It is no longer a matter of “I am not sure if we need technology in our business.” but rather, “How much technology do we need?” IT is happening all around you and as the manufacturers make software, products, and applications easier for your employees to use, it is getting more complex for you to manage. So maybe you have come to the place where you know that to be effective you need to have a certified professional involved in the process. It’s like the old story of dad trying to fix the leaking water pipe, only to find himself soaked with a torrent of water pouring out. Mom knows he might be able to fix it- eventually, but she picks up the phone and calls the plumber. Even though the plumber might cost more than doing it themselves, it will be far cheaper in the long run!

Don't let this video happen to you:

The kitchen sink is leaking and many companies are trying to fix it themselves. The only problem is it isn’t water leaking out (or pouring as the case may be) it is your hard earned dollars. Successful companies know that allocating and then managing an IT budget is a normal part of doing business.

Employee downtime due to system failures, slow networks, virus and malware downloads, or information lost due to a lack of data security are all very real problems businesses face every day. Partnering with a knowledgeable, certified, experienced Technology Management Firm is a smart way to straighten out those lingering problems, stabilize your IT environment and proactively manage your network. A good IT partner will actually save you money in the long run. Monitoring your systems and fixing problems before you know they are a problem. Securing your data and your network; protecting you from viruses, malware, and spyware. Consulting with you to determine your needs and working within your budget. These are a few of the things a good IT partner should be able to bring to the table.

Now if you could only get the plumber to show up at your door, before the leak even starts!

At TeamLogic IT we can prevent costly downtime before it happens.  Our SystemWatch managed service practice is designed to keep your computers and networks running at the highest levels of performance and availability every day.  With 24 x 7 monitoring and daily maintenance procedures, your business will be running more efficiently.  So if you are tired of being your own IT plumber and want to focus more time on growing your business, call us at 650-204-3150.

A Message From The President....

The IT industry is shockingly young compared to oil, transportation and some other industries, yet it may have gone through more variations than all the others combined. In the early 80s personal computers were stand-alone devices that through software and an operating system took over tasks previously done on pad and paper. Technicians were called on to repair defective units and keep them tuned up in much the same way the typewriter repairman had done in the past.

Enter rudimentary network operating systems and devices began to be connected to each other and to locally stored resources and data stores. In the mid-1990s the Internet exploded on the scene and made it possible for information to be shared across discrete disconnected local area networks.

The Internet is the most powerful communication tool of all time. We’ve recently seen its power in bringing down the regimes in the Middle East. Without Twitter and Facebook, the recent revolutions may not have been possible; revolutions that were a direct result of oppressive governments restricting their people’s access to information.

On the other hand, the Internet is a wild frontier filled with excesses that can pose a material threat to the ability of schools, libraries and businesses to provide safe, comfortable environments for the people they serve. These organizations are responsible for regulatory compliance as well as ensuring productivity.
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According to a recent computer industry trade association survey, nearly 7 in 10 respondents indicated that the severity of security threats their organization faces is on the rise. 34% of survey respondents believe the internal security threat at their organization has increased and businesses stated that their greatest concern comes from departing employees having knowledge of logins, access points and other vulnerabilities.

Security is a continuous process for your business. It is not something you implement today and forget about tomorrow. At TeamLogic IT, our customers are asking us to help them understand their risk and build a security program that makes sense. This means we have to first understand their business and we do.

Call us today to learn how we can help your business.

Jon Simms

President, TeamLogic IT

650-2040-3150

Ten Tips For Making Your Business More Efficient

To keep pace in an increasingly competitive world, your business needs to run as efficiently as possible. "Sooner or later, any company not operating efficiently will be out of business," says Laurie McCabe, vice president of small and medium business insights and solutions for research firm AMI-Partners. Efficiency is even more important for small and medium-sized businesses, McCabe adds, because their resources are limited compared to large global companies.

Here are 10 tips for using network technology to help your business work more efficiently, cut costs, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition.

1. Give employees secure, consistent access to information. You have an advantage over larger competitors because you can react quickly to business changes. But you can quickly lose this edge if your company network is frequently down, sluggish, or unsecured. A secure, reliable network based on intelligent routers and switches lets your employees access the information and tools they need to keep ahead of competitors.

2. Deliver anytime, anywhere access to employees on the go. To stay productive on the move, your employees need to be able to reach the people and information they need—anywhere, anytime. With tools like virtual private networks (VPNs), your employees can work outside the office and still enjoy safe access to the business network.

3. Create effective business processes with partners. Some large companies make efficient, secure business processes a prerequisite for doing business with them. To meet the business needs of your partners, you need a secure, reliable network.

4. Make it easy to work together. Smooth collaboration between employees, partners, suppliers, and customers is a sure-fire way to boost efficiency while also reducing costs. An intelligent network lets your business take advantage of interactive calendaring, videoconferencing, unified communications, and other technologies for easy collaboration.

5. Enable employees to take their phone systems wherever they go. Missed calls create project delays, wasted opportunities, and lost revenues. With a networked voice and data solution, your employees can have one phone number that rings simultaneously on multiple devices, so customers reach the right person the first time. Your staff can access all their communications from anywhere, checking for e-mail, voicemail, and faxes from just one inbox.

6. Streamline customer communications. Delivering fast, knowledgeable service is the best way to keep customers satisfied. Linking your network phone system to a customer relationship management (CRM) solution is a great way to enhance customer communications. When a customer calls, a pop-up window with their records appears on an employee's IP phone screen, computer screen, or both.

7. Reduce unproductive travel time. All too often, time spent on the road is time lost. A networked phone solution that offers video calls and Web conferencing can help reduce the time and expense of traveling to offsite meetings and training sessions. Instead of spending time traveling, you can use the time to get work done with technology.

8. Employ a managed service provider. Is managing a network the best use of your employees' time? In some situations, it is advantageous to hire a managed service provider for network administration. Working with a managed service provider can free your IT staff to focus on other IT tasks and use their time more effectively.

9. Improve employee satisfaction. Aging phone systems and slow networks can frustrate your employees and annoy your customers. In some cases, an employee might become burned out and decide to move on. To help ensure that employees are productive and satisfied, your business needs a secure, reliable, and fast network.

10. Develop a long-term technology plan. The process of replacing obsolete hardware can interrupt your employees and bring the office to a standstill. You can minimize such disruptions by carefully determining short- and long-term business objectives and working with your network vendor to deploy technology that matches them.

At TeamLogic IT, we understand how technology can imporve the efficiency of your business. We've been helping other business owners and CEOs with their technology planning for years. Whether it is installing a phone system that is configured for your companies needs or providing anytime, anywhere access to critical information, TeamLogic IT can help your business move fast and spend less. For a free 1 hour consultation, plaese contact us at 650-204-3150.

Technology Solutions from professionals you can trust...

Cool Tricks You Should Know

Did you ever wish you could create Keyboard Shortcuts to Open Programs You Use Often?  Well, now you can!

For instance, if you often need the calculator, you can create a keyboard shortcut to open it.

• Right click on the Calculator application
• Select Properties
• In the Shortcut Key field type “C”, or whatever key you want to use.
• The System will enter “Ctrl-Alt-C”.

Now you can use this shortcut to bring up the calculator whenever you want to use it.

Taking the worry out of your technology

At What Point Does Your Data Become Critical?

When was the last time you asked yourself

"What would I do if I lost all of my critical customer data that I used to run my business"?

On behalf of the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce and the Star 2 Networking Group, Jon Simms, President of TeamLogic IT, be giving a talk on the importance of having a backup and disaster recovery strategy for you business.  Join us to learn what you should do so you can rest easier that you are using best practices to protect your critical data and therefore your livelyhood.

At What Point Does Your Data Become Critical?

Los Altos Chamber Star 2 Group

April 20, 2011 @ 1:15-2:30pm

First Republic Bank in Los Altos

(in the Board Room)

400 South San Antonio Road

Los Altos, CA 94022

Seating is limited so try to come early

5 Reasons To Go Wireless

used with permission from Cisco

Every minute counts in a small company and wireless networks are a powerful tool for boosting productivity and encouraging information sharing. With untethered access to documents, emails, applications and other network resources, employees can roam where they need to and have constant access to the tools required to do their jobs.

Here are some of the ways businesses are taking advantage of wireless LANs:

Increased mobility and collaboration
►Roam without losing your connection
►Work together more effectively

Employees who use your wireless LAN can roam around your office or to different floors without losing their connection. Imagine everyone in a team meeting or in small conferences having access to up-to-the minute communications, and all documents and applications on your network. Similarly, using Voice over Wireless LAN technology, they can have roaming capabilities in their voice communications.

Improved responsiveness
►Connect to the information you need when you need it
►Provide better customer service

Customers want quick response to queries and concerns. A wireless network can improve customer service by connecting staff to the information they need. For example, a doctor in a small medical office can access online patient files while moving between exam rooms, or a retail sales person can check on available inventory necessary to write up orders on the showroom floor.

Better access to information
►Connect hard-to-reach areas
►Improve your processes

Wireless LANs allow a business to bring network access to areas that would be difficult to connect to a wired network. For example, adding wireless access points to a warehouse can make it easier to check and manage inventory, providing the company with accurate inventory figures in real time.

Easier network expansion
►Add users quickly
►Grow your network cost-effectively

Companies that need to add employees or reconfigure offices frequently will immediately benefit from the flexibility wireless LANs provide. Desks can be moved and new employees can be added to the network without the effort and cost required to run cables and wires.

Enhanced guest access
►Give secure network access to customers and business partners
►Offer a value-added service

A wireless network allows your business to provide secure wireless access to the Internet for guests such as customers or business partners. Retailers, restaurants, hotels and other public-facing businesses can provide this as a unique value-added service.

At TeamLogic IT, we help businesses with all sorts of networking issues.  Whether it is securing the corporate LAN, providing VPN access to the fileserver or installing an 'always connected' wireless network, we help our customers keep their employees connected to critical data no matter where they are.  Let us help you convert your company to the wireless age by calling us at 650-204-3150.

Taking the worry out of your wireless networks.

How Routing & Switching Keep Business Going

used with permission from the Cisco Website

Routers and switches are the building blocks for all business communications from data to voice and video to wireless access. They can improve a company’s bottom line by enabling your company to increase productivity, cut business costs, and improve security and customer service.

Specifically, routers and switches support:

Sharing applications

•Provide staff access to business applications
•Improve employee productivity

Using routing and switching technologies allows your staff, even those located in different locations, to have equal access to all your business applications, information and tools. Keeping everyone connected to the same tools can increase employee productivity. Routing and switching also can provide access to advanced applications and enable services, such as IP voice, videoconferencing and wireless networks.

Speeding access to information

•Manage information efficiently
•Review what is happening across your business

Accurate, timely information is essential for making prudent business decisions. Routing and switching provides access to allow great visibility into real-time business information and provides a sound basis for effective decision-making.

Enhancing customer service

•Provide ready access to customer information
•Improve customer responsiveness

Today's customers expect rapid responses and personalized services whenever they're dealing with your business, either by phone, email or on a website. A responsive, reliable small business network is an absolute necessity to give your employees speedy access to customer information, and enable them to respond rapidly and intelligently to resolve customer requirements.

Reducing operating costs

•Share office equipment for reduced costs
•Provide high-speed Internet access

Routing and switching technologies can make a positive impact on your bottom line. You save expenses by sharing equipment, such as printers and servers, and services, such as Internet access. A reliable network also can grow with your business, keeping you from having to replace it as your needs grow.

Improving security

•Reduce risk
•Protect valuable business information

Because high-speed Internet connections are always on, you may be vulnerable to security threats. Viruses, spyware, Internet attacks, e-mail assaults, and other security concerns are real dangers. By installing a networked solution with switches and routers, you can protect valuable business data. For example, routers can protect your network with a built-in firewall and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) - specialized software that examines incoming data and protects against attacks.

Enabling remote connections

•Provide secure remote access for mobile workers
•Get work done from anywhere

Globalization has changed the way we work. Virtual teams, mobile workers, and home-based telecommuters all need to share information at any time. Modern businesses need networks that can connect employees, suppliers, partners and customers regardless of location, whether they are across town or halfway around the globe. With remote connectivity through a VPN, employees can securely access company resources and tools and work more productively.

One of the most important aspects of growing your businesss is connecting employees with critical business data and with your customers more efficiently.  Routers and switches are a key component to enabling this.  At TeamLogicIT we can help you configure the proper network for your business needs and secure acess to your network from unwanted cyber attacks.  If you want to be well connected, call us today at 650-204-3150.

Taking the worry out of your networking infrastructure...