With the increasing severity of natural disasters in recent years, many larger companies have started to develop and implement a continuity plan to ensure that they can still conduct business, no matter what happens. Businesses in the process of developing a plan will eventually need to decide if they want to use software or templates?

The decision between templates and software can be a tough one to make, as whichever one you choose, you’ll be using and relying on for a long time. To help you we’ve covered some pros and cons on both choices:

Using Software If you choose to go with a software program, you will be walked through the whole process allowing you to develop a useable plan. Another benefit of using software is that you’ll be able to develop reports if needs be.

The drawbacks of using software include cost, inflexibility and learning time. For the most part, business continuity planning software is not cheap, and at times can be inflexible due to limits within the program. If you have a niche need, the software may not cover it. In addition, as with mastering any program, the learning curve can be quite steep.

In general, using software would be advantageous for companies that have a bigger budget for the development of a continuity plan. Software is also a good bet if you don’t have staff who are experts in continuity planning, or if you operate in an industry where a continuity plan is necessary, e.g., companies working with healthcare insurance, or manufacturing companies that have introduced ISO 9000.

Using Templates If you feel that your company is not ready for software you can use templates to help you develop your plan. These solutions are mostly written plans that you adapt to meet your business needs. They’re useful if you’re just starting to do continuity planning, as they provide a normally solid foundation, and are generally a lot cheaper than software.

A limitation to using templates is that they can be a little too basic at times, and may not meet your needs. Granted, most plans will follow a basic structure and your developer will need to adapt some steps for your relevant region and industry.

As each industry is different, it’s hard to make a recommendation on what type of planning style companies should take. We recommend you take your time, do your due diligence and weigh out what’s best for your business. No matter which method you choose to go ahead with, ensure that it’s easy to implement, and that you’ll be able to teach your staff how to run the plan.

If you feel really lost or are not sure what to do, talking to professional consultants could go a long way in helping you develop a plan. If you’d like to learn more about business continuity planning please contact us - we are happy to help.

In the past five years, there has been a significant rise in the sharing of files and information between computer users. Many businesses have also taken to sharing files using cloud services and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, allowing users to share files with each other over the Internet. This brings about a number of issues, both with file recoverability and overall security.

With the seizure of a number of cloud storage and sharing websites, including Megaupload, and the seemingly omnipresent malware in P2P files and the shaky security in relation to P2P networks, businesses have had their hands full staying secure. Do you know what your options are when it comes to data security?

Cloud Services Knowhow The recent seizure of Megaupload’s files and servers by the US Government caught many people and businesses unprepared. While Megaupload’s main purpose was file sharing, it was found that a large number of organizations were using their services to store files. If you had files stored on Megaupload, the chances of getting the files back are non-existent.

It needs to be pointed out that many cloud services don’t guarantee that files stored on the service will be recoverable in the event of a crash, or disruption in service, e.g., a government seizing servers. If you read the user agreements of a number of major cloud services, they all have clauses stating that if data stored on their service is lost for any reason, it’s gone forever, and the hosts can’t be held liable for losses.

Risks of P2P With high speed Internet widely available at low prices, P2P file sharing has become incredibly popular, it’s almost uncommon to find someone who has never used a P2P service. If you or your employees use P2P at your office, there are a number of potential security threats you should be aware of:

• The unknown share: If you put a file in a folder that is shared on a P2P network, it’ll be shared with all other people connected to that folder and almost anyone can access it. This is normally done by mistake, i.e., not looking where the file will be saved when you save it. There’s also malware out there that will move files into a shared folder which the developer of the malware can find and upload with ease and without the user knowing it is happening.
• Open network: Typically P2P works on open networks: users give and share. What this means is that when using P2P on a poorly configured network, the whole network could be unsecure, allowing for access to other computers connected to the network.
• Untracked data: If you share a document with another person, and they then share it with others, there is potentially, an unlimited amount of people that can get the data. If you want to take it back, it can be impossible to do so, even if the original document is deleted.
• Storage hijacking: There’s news of malware that has been developed with the purpose of downloading illegal material onto your hard drive. This could pose a problem if the data is found, as you will be liable.

What Should I do? With regards to cloud services, as with anything that comes with a contract, the first thing you should do is gain an understanding of it by utilizing reading material such as blogs, news articles and Wikis. It’s a pain in the neck, but it’ll help you understand the boundaries of the program and your responsibilities. Remember that if you go to court to get files back from a company, and it becomes known that you didn’t read the agreement, you’ll probably end up losing that case.

Second, it’s not recommended to keep single copies of data on one cloud service. Chances are high that in your business, you store your data and backups in a place separate from the computer. This makes sense with the cloud as well - keep your data with a number of different cloud services. If it’s important enough, have physical backups of what you put in the cloud.

For P2P networks there are also a number of steps you can take to protect the data on your network:

• The most obvious one is to ban employees from using any file sharing services outside of your network.
• If you do allow file sharing, it’s a good idea to establish and strictly enforce a protocol for this. You should also set which users are allowed to share files, and what files are appropriate to share. Be sure that all staff are aware of your policy and the measures that will be taken in the event of any deviations.
• Develop a system to classify documents by whether or not they can be shared, and who they can be shared with.
• If you work in an office where you need to share files, but don’t want to use a P2P network or the cloud, and are unsure of other solutions out there, don’t worry. There are companies that specialize in document sharing solutions that should be able to provide you with assistance.

The most important thing is that whatever the situation is, you take action to try to solve the problem while frequently revisiting the actions to ensure that they are working. If you’d like to learn more about document sharing over the cloud, or via P2P networks, give us a buzz. We’re more than happy to help.

Google is well known for their practical apps, the most famous one obviously being Gmail. A few months ago Google updated their look, with the whole Google platform receiving a makeover. The change took users by surprise, bringing about mixed reviews. Google gave the users who didn’t like the change some respite, allowing them to stick with the old look.

Google recently announced some bad news for those who decided to opt-out of the new look: starting March 27, 2012 users will be migrated to the new look, whether they like it or not. For those who are about to move over, or are confused by Gmail’s new look, you are not alone - here’s some information on Gmail’s new look.

The Layout When you log into your Gmail account for the first time after the changes have been implemented, you will notice the layout has changed slightly. Across the top of the window is a black bar with a number of different Google apps, and your account name on the top right. Gone is the sign out button. Well, that’s a lie, if you click on your account name, a drop-down window will open, with sign out button at the bottom.

When you log into Gmail, on the left you will notice your mail folders, e.g., Inbox, and Google chat below your mail folders. If you press and hold the grey bar between the two you can shrink or expand the two areas, depending on your preference. Your emails will be in the centre of the screen with new emails in white, and opened emails in gray. Google has actually stopped calling emails, “emails”, and now calls them conversations. The people who are involved in each conversation are listed above the subject line. You’ll often see a (#) beside the participants, this means that there are multiple emails in the conversation.

When you click on a conversation, it’ll open with a preview of the first message, and the latest message at the bottom. If there are more than five emails in the conversation, you’ll see a number of lines between the oldest and newest. These are the other emails that have come between the first and newest conversation, and if you click on the lines, the other emails will open.

The Toolbar Above your emails you will notice a number of icons:

• A blank square: This is the Select Options button. If you click on the similar looking box beside an email you will notice the email has been selected. You can press this button to get a drop-down menu, with options regarding the conversation you have selected, and tell Gmail what you want to do with the selected conversations.
• A file with an arrow: This is the Archive button. If you have conversations that are junk or unimportant you can select them by clicking on the blank square beside each one, and then clicking this button. It will archive the emails, cleaning up your inbox, but not deleting the conversations, more file them away to be forgotten about, much like a real filing cabinet.
• A stop sign with an !: This is the Report Spam button. If you think a conversation is spam, select it and press this button. You will be presented with a number of options including getting Gmail to try to unsubscribe you from the sender’s email list.
• A trash can: This isn’t Oscar’s home on Sesame Street, it’s the Delete button. Select conversations you’d like to get rid of, and press the button.
• A black folder: This button is Move To. Select conversations you’d like to move out of your inbox, and like a good friend, Google will help you move them.
• A Tag: This is the Tag button. You can select conversations, press tag and mark them for followup, or other options. This is useful for organizing your conversation to-do-list.
• The Cog: The button that has a cog in it is Settings. If you press it, a drop-down menu will open with options to change the layout. Play around with it and pick the one that suits you best. You can also access your account settings from here.

A New Search Box At first glance, the search box, located above the icons, is your standard Google search bar, much the same as google.com. But if you click the arrow beside it, you’ll get a drop-down menu filled with advanced search options that will help you wade through the tons of emails we all get. If that’s not enough, there’s an option to create a filter based on the search results.

The new changes can take a while to get used to, but once you do, you’ll find that the new Gmail is quite useful and maybe even better looking. If you have any questions regarding Gmail or other Google apps please let us know, we are here to help.

In the past, most office software was just that, office software. There was little to no ability to make the software yours, to set it up how you like. This has been changing in the past few years, with many programs allowing for customization - settings and appearances can be altered to suit users’ needs and preferences. Microsoft Office 365 is one such program.

Microsoft Office 365 is first and foremost a suite of familiar office software for businesses to use in their day-to-day operations. But just because this software is instantly recognizable as a Microsoft product, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make some small changes to personalize your computing workspace. Here are a few ways you can do just that:

Set Your Profile Picture You can set a profile picture which will show up on any window or application that has the ability to show your image - e.g., Microsoft Lync. To set your picture:

1. Log into Office 365 and go to the Home page.
2. Click the My Profile header. It’s located in the top right hand side of the screen, underneath your name.
3. Click Change Photo.
4. Choose your photo by selecting Browse. It’s recommended that your picture be under 100kb in size, you’ll get an error message telling you if it is any larger. When you have selected your picture, press Save.

Add a Signature to Your Emails Many business emails include a signature at the bottom, a way to make each email seem a little more personal, or provide more information including contact details and a potential message about an upcoming promotion. To set your signature:

1. Navigate to the Outlook page, click on Options. It’s located in the top right hand side of the screen, underneath your name.
2. Click See all options from the drop-down menu that opens.
3. Select My Account, followed by Settings which is located in the left hand menu.
4. Under the Mail Tab, you will have an option to edit your signature. If you want Outlook to automatically place your signature on every outgoing email, click the radio button below the signature that says Automatically include my signature on messages I send.

If you don’t choose to have Outlook automatically add your signature, you can add the signature in your email by selecting the Messages Tab in each new email, and clicking the little arrow below Signature. A list of created signatures will be shown, select the one you wish to use.

Add Your Picture or Logo to Your SharePoint Site If your company uses SharePoint, you can add a logo or picture to enhance what is a relatively plain environment.

1. First, you need to create an image. You can use almost any picture, just ensure you can legally use it. Get creative, this is your space!
2. When you have the image you want to use, open SharePoint, click Site Actions and select More Options.
3. Select Picture Library, and in the window that opens, select a name for a new library, and press Create.
4. Your new Library should be on the left side of the screen. Click to open it and select Upload.
5. When your picture shows up in the library, select it twice, so it’s in its own window. Copy the web address from the top of the page.
6. Under Site Actions select Site Settings followed by Look and Feel.
7. Beside Logo URL and description paste the URL you just copied. Click Ok and your image will show up on your SharePoint site.

With a few steps you can make Office 365 a little more personal. Just be sure that you can legally use the images you select. If you would like to learn more about Microsoft Office 365 or any other Microsoft products, give us a call.

An ever increasing number of businesses are starting to adopt the cloud and all its related programs as the main way to do business. One of the leading cloud integration companies is Google. With many Google Apps, users can collaborate on projects in real time allowing for a more dynamic approach to document creation. Google’s social networking program, G+, is now widely used by businesses as well. One feature, Hangout, can be a great way for multiple users to participate on projects. A recent update to Hangout has made it even easier to work together. Read on to learn how.

Google has been great at developing apps that promote teamwork. Until recently, many of the apps focused on one type of collaboration - e.g., Google Docs allows users to work together via chat and instant updates. It allows multiple users to edit the same document at the same time, however, unless you are sitting beside the involved team members, it is a bit hard to effectively communicate. A recent update to the Hangout feature of Google Plus, Google’s social networking medium, now allows users in the same Hangout to work together on a Google Doc.

Think of this as one of the closest things to face-to-face meetings. We can now see each other as we work on the same document, meaning we’ll be able to read people’s faces to gauge what their comment means - a notoriously hard task when we can’t see a person’s face.

How to Team Up with Hangouts When you need to work together on a project, simply start a Hangout on Google Plus, wait for everyone to show up and press the “Docs” button, on the top left of the window. You will be able to choose to start a new project, or open an existing document. A modified Google Docs window will open, with all the Hangout members at the bottom of the window. All the functionality of Google Docs will be available. Be sure that when the Hangout is finished to click the “Share” button on the Doc, to ensure it is shared with all the necessary members.

With this update, it’s even easier to work as a team on projects without the need for your colleagues to be in the same room. If you would like to learn more about Google Docs, Google Plus or other Google Apps, give us a call, we are more than happy to help.

Twitter has become a massively popular social media tool - a way for businesses to get their name out there and provide instant updates on what they are doing. This can go two ways as customers can also interact with, and provide thoughts about your business. At times these reviews or tweets can be a little negative. The unfortunate thing about this is that all people subscribed to the feed will see the negative remarks. Do you know what to do when you get negative tweets?

Traditionally, the general rule regarding complaints was that a disgruntled customer or client will tell up to 20 people when they are unhappy, versus 5 when they are happy. When a complaint is made on Twitter, chances are very high it will be seen by more than 20 people. Complaints on Twitter should be taken seriously, even one complaint could damage your online reputation. Here are a few tips on dealing with this new breed of online customer service.

Ensure Team Alignment If you have more than one person looking over your social media accounts, or someone other than you looking over it, you need to be sure that they are experts on your products and services. This is important because it is them who will be responding to questions and complaints. If you don’t have an FAQ section set up, it is a good idea to establish answers to the most commonly asked questions, as well as answers or responses to any frequent complaints. This will provide you and your employees with a way to quickly handle displeased customers.

Prompt Response is Key Oftentimes, a quick response will go a long way in dampening the complaint. As people, we like to be acknowledged and when it is done promptly, we are more likely to be open. Many complaints are made when people are mad, and as such, the complaints tend not to show the whole picture. If you quickly respond, ask for more information or suggestions on what you can do to help, the complainer will often give you valuable feedback to use. If the complaint is serious, it is a good idea to acknowledge the complaint briefly, and then pursue a private dialogue. The average window to respond is 2-3 hours from the time of the complaint, so try to at least acknowledge the complaint within that time.

Personal Responses go a Long Way As with any response to complaints, it is a good idea to personally respond. If you use a company account, the response or apology will be read as insincere, and potentially make the problem worse. Many people feel valued when they are contacted from the owner’s or manager’s personal company account. In small businesses like yours, it is a good idea that someone at the very top replies. This will make it look like you care.

Word Limits, We Don’t Need No Word Limits The 140 character limit is usually not enough to explain yourself, or conduct damage control. So, don’t limit yourself to just the 140 characters. Use the space to acknowledge the complaint, and ask the person who lodged the complaint for their email so you can help them.

Pick Your Battles Remember one of the most important sayings in business: “You can’t please everyone, all the time.” There will always be people who complain simply because they can. In an ideal world, you would be able to personally address and solve each and every complaint, but chances are high you won’t be able to do that. Use your business sense about the complaints, or have a colleague look at the complaint and debate about what you should do.

With careful responses that are prompt and personal, there is a high chance you will turn the complaint into praise, and not only keep your client, but look good while doing it. If you have any questions about Twitter or any other social media tools, please give us a call.

Many companies have turned to the Internet as a way to build their brand, reach out to, and connect with customers. This means having a presence where customers are looking. When a customer wants to find out about a business, it is highly likely that the first place they go is Google. One of the most powerful apps businesses can use to get their name out there is Google Places. Are you using Google Places with your business?

Places, introduced in 2009, is actually two different services. The first service, is essentially a mini website, within Google, for local businesses with contact information, reviews, pictures, nearest transit stop, street view, and so on. Google realized that when people want to find a business or service they will typically type in the service and their location - e.g., if a person is in New York, and wants to find a computer repair center, they will typically enter something like: Computer Repair New York. Using Places, businesses in a particular area will be ranked to appear higher in search results if the user is in the same general area. While the results show up on search results, Places is actually a part of Google Maps. If a business has signed up, and provided their info, it will also show up as a pinpoint when a relevant search query is entered in Google Maps. The best part of Places is that it is free for businesses.

The second service is the Places App. This app is for everybody and is similar to popular local search services like Foursquare. You enter a search in Places and, based on your location and search, results will show up with the closest result first. People can call, email, review, and even suggest businesses. Places is available in Google search results, Google Maps and as a standalone App for smartphones.

How Do I Get My Business On Places?

If you are interested in getting your business on to Places you will need to get a few things ready before you apply:

1. A Google account: You will need a Google account that is related to your business. If you do not have one, it is free to sign up.
2. Any content you would like to show up on your Places page, including pictures, basic brochures or product information, and if you have them, videos. The more precise your information is, the better your organic result will be.

After you have your information ready, head over to the Places website and click Get Started. From there it’s as simple as following the on-screen prompts, and then waiting for Google to put your Places page online. Once it’s online you will be able to update information in real time, and be on the way to generating more customers.

Watch Out! Common Mistakes Made by Businesses Here are four common mistakes business often make when establishing their Places profile:

• Unclear Keywords: Places lets you select keywords and categories for your business. Many businesses make the mistake of selecting categories that don’t fit their business model, and this will potentially confuse viewers, resulting in many needless calls and emails about your services. Google Places allows a maximum of five categories. We suggest picking one or two pre-built options, (if there are similar ones to your business model), and three custom ones. Try to develop keywords that specify exactly what you do.
• Get the Basics Right: The mobile version of Places allows and encourages users to call businesses. Therefore, it is important you have not only the right phone number, but the right format - e.g., many phone numbers in Canada require you to input the area code regardless of the location. If you don’t have it, no one will be able to contact you. Also, ensure you are using the correct name for your company. Put the name of your business as it is registered with your phone and Internet company.
• Proper Citations: Citations are references to your business that, when used correctly, help place your business higher in local search results. It is important that when building citations your company name, phone number and other information are exactly the same as what you have listed on Places. If you have used N.W. in Places, and on another site  like Yelp, you have cited your business address with North West, the results will be diminished and your business will show up lower in search results.
• Too Many Chiefs, Not Enough Indians: It is important that you limit the number of people who have access to the account you use for your Places page. The more people who have access, the higher the chance your information can be changed, often with negative results.

Places, if leveraged right, is a great way to help boost your online presence and marketing potential. If you would like to learn more about Google Places or any other Google App, please get in touch.

Ever since the computer became a household item, malicious software has been developed, aimed at causing havoc, or worse, stealing information. Businesses and governments have spent untold amounts of money to ensure safety from all sorts of cybercrime, but it is still a rising trend.

A quick Google search for “cybercrime trends” yields over 78 million results, the majority of which are likely to affect large enterprises or governments. While it is beneficial for all businesses to be aware of the major trends, there are a number of threats that will affect small businesses more than others. Here are some current cybercrime trends that SMEs should be aware of.

Mobile Malware Smartphones are becoming ever more popular, and with this popularity has come an exploding number of apps. Malware developers have been picking up on this during the past few years and there have been an expanding number of apps dedicated to attacking your phone or mobile platform. The most common type of malware on mobile devices is spyware, followed by SMS Trojans. SMS Trojans run in the background of some applications, and make international calls or text messages from the developers’ services causing huge phone bills. The final form of malware targets online payment apps on the phone.

One of the main reasons this form of malware has become so popular is due to the openness of some markets, such as the Android Market. The owners of the app markets are working to track down and get rid of the guilty apps on their marketplaces, but you still need to remain vigilant. while installing apps. Look at the developer of the app - how many times has it been downloaded? Maybe double check the app’s integrity online before installing and double check the app on the internet.

Open-Source Malware Kits A common thing malware developers do is write code for malware and then sell it to interested buyers. But a rising trend is that developers are writing malware that is open-source—any person can download and change it. The worrying thing is, many developers of already powerful malware have been releasing open-source versions of their software. This means that there will be an increase in the number of malware attacks out there, as devious developers can easily come up with more elaborate hacks.

Banking Trojans Along with the open-source malware kits, there has been an increase in the number of banking trojans—aimed at stealing account information and passwords. While these trojans have been a threat ever since banks first started offering online banking, they have become popular again as people and businesses are starting to move their online banking onto mobile devices, and the trojan software is easily accessible. This makes mobile banking apps an easy target.

With cybercrime on the increase, now is a good time to review your security, ensure its up to date and remind employees of your mobile device policy. If you don’t have a policy in place, or feel that your security is inadequate, give us a call, we are happy to help you. Remember: with good security and knowledge, there is no reason you should fall victim to cyber theft.

The majority of businesses, no matter the size, are networked these days—and are often also connected to the Internet and other networks. Many of these businesses have come to rely on internal/external networks for their day-to-day business. However, when one of the networks goes down this can be a problem since an outage could cause a loss of profits. 24/7 networking can help reduce these losses.

How can 24/7 network monitoring help your business, you ask? Through preventative operations. The main idea of network monitoring is to act as an “Early Warning System” to let managers and owners know of potential problems before they strike.

What Does Network Monitoring Monitor? There are a number of things you can monitor with Network Monitoring. The most popular areas include application and system performance, bandwidth usage, and server status. You can also set up monitoring of additional areas, for instance: server load, ink levels in printers, time left on software license agreements, which devices are connected to the network, their data usage, and more. This is all done 24/7.

The one thing Network Monitoring does not normally monitor is unauthorized access to networks. It can be set up to look for unauthorized access, but this is normally taken care of by another system.  

How Does Network Monitoring Help Me? Network Monitoring is a preventative system, intended to warn you about potential network problems so you can proactively seek solutions before a vital network goes down. This makes it, in a round-about way, a justifiable addition to business value since, when implemented right, there will be less network crashes—which means less or no profit loss.

What Should I Monitor? In an ideal world, you would monitor each and every network. Over time, you can get there, but if you’re like most Small Business owners or managers, you have neither the time nor the budget to implement a full system. As with most projects, it’s suggested that you implement a system like this in stages. The most common areas to start with are:

• Local Area Network (LAN) Data
• Internet data usage
• server status
• alerts to existing networks

If you’re unsure of where to start, try contacting a local Network Monitoring service, or hire a consultant to establish a system. If you would like to know more about 24/7 Network Monitoring, or other ways to improve business value, please contact us.

We all use technology, and many of us are comfortable setting up and using multiple programs, but what happens when a product stops working? Most business owners or managers will be on the phone to support looking for answers, or wading through hundreds of search results for a fix. Does it have to be so hard?

The answer is: No, it does not have to be. Microsoft Office 365 is a good example of a suite of programs with a strong background of troubleshooting and support resource data bases. If you have a question or problem while using Microsoft Office 365, there are a number of ways you can get the problem solved.

• Troubleshooting Tool:  This tool should be the first place you look when you have questions or need support. When you go to the page you will asked four questions and presented with links to solutions based on the answers given.
• Office 365 Community: The community, run by Microsoft, provides information on all aspects of Office 365 with the majority of the information being provided by users of the various products. This community also has information on updates and commonly asked questions. It’s a good idea to check with the community to see if there are any other users who have had the same questions or issues as you.
• Office 365 Technical Blog: If you can’t find answers on the Community page, try looking at the Technical Blog. The blog is run by Microsoft engineers and is a direct link to the developers of the product you are using. Any answers to questions on this blog will often be straight from the source with the answers usually being more on the technical side with lots of explanations or update information.
• Tools and Diagnostic Wiki: This is a wiki article that covers products in the Office 365 suite. Think of this as the umbrella section that covers troubleshooting of all issues, while providing you with links and updates related to troubleshooting. You can search issues based on product plan, specific products, services, and more. If you are having a problem not covered by the other resources, chances are you will find the answer here.

With comprehensive coverage and a number of different places to go to when you have questions or a problem, you should be able to get back on track in no time. Please contact us if you would like to know more about Office 365 or any other Microsoft products.