Everyone these days is talking about going green, saving the planet and looking for ecologically responsible ways of getting their work done. But talk is cheap.  In many cases cheaper than a lot of eco-friendly solutions. So while many folks have good intentions, few follow through and spend the extra money to recycle their recyclables or use eco-friendly products. But what most people don’t realize is that there are some eco-friendly alternatives that are actually less expensive than their conventional counterparts. And that’s what I’d like to discuss here–ways that technology can help save the planet while saving your business money.

Travel Less

A commercial jet flying from New York to Denver puts as much CO2 into the atmosphere per-passenger as an SUV does in a month, according to a report in USA Today. While you may not be able to completely eliminate business travel, you can reduce it substantially using video conferencing and remote collaboration technologies such as the Mondopad.

Rather than flying your staff out to your remote offices frequently, conduct your meetings remotely using video conferencing with shared whiteboard and application sharing capabilities. For the cost of a few trips you can have remote collaboration anytime you need it. If you currently travel a lot you can easily save thousands of dollars each year and spend more time at home.

Use Less Paper

The vertical file cabinet was invented in 1898. And, believe it or not, the first FAX machine in 1843. Writing paper dates back almost 2000 years. So why are these still the predominant means of storing and sharing information? I guess old habits are hard to break. The U.S. is the largest consumer of paper, consuming 68 million tons per year. That’s a lot of trees.

What are the alternatives? Let’s be realistic. Use of paper is not going to stop overnight. Many business processes rely on documents being copied and/or faxed. Until those business processes change, paper will remain the preferred media for many. The easiest way to reduce the amount of paper is to store electronic copies on computers rather than making paper copies, and transmitting these electronic copies using email or other means rather than faxing to paper. Every modern office has computers and many have page scanners and email. So this is an easy first step for many. If the equipment already exists, the savings occur immediately through reduction of paper.

For those who want to take the next step, electronic document management (EDM) is that step. These systems can take your scanned electronic documents and store them in a way that makes them searchable and allows them to be categorized multiple ways. This has obvious advantages over file cabinets. Good EDMs will also take documents created with basic office software and store those also. Once stored, documents can be transferred and routed to other employees electronically for further processing. It is conceivable that a document can go through its entire lifecycle without ever being printed on paper. While these systems are not cheap, they do offer cost savings through increased employee productivity.

iPads and other tablet computers are also contributing to the reduction of paper. Attorneys, for example, are starting to take light-weight iPads to the courtroom rather than lugging boxes of paper files. And salespeople are entering orders on their iPads rather than writing and faxing paper orders.

Energy Efficient Computers

Even if you use computers to reduce the size of your footprint on the Earth, your computer itself might be an energy hog. Just because your computer or monitor has an Energy Star compliant logo on it doesn’t mean it’s not sucking more electrons than it needs. It still needs to be configured to use less energy. Most modern computers and operating systems (such as Windows 7) enable you to shut down parts of the computer when they are not in use. Monitors, hard drives, network cards and even the processor can be configured to go into a reduced power mode or even shut down completely when not in use. Some hard drive manufacturers are now also creating drives that spin slower or at variable speeds to reduce power consumption. And computer manufacturers like Dell are providing higher efficiency power supplies that use less power than standard ones.

You don’t need to invest in new equipment to get the power saving configuration settings mentioned above.  Just use the Power options in your Windows Control Panel and you can start saving energy (and money). If you do invest in higher efficiency computers and parts, the low additional cost will pay for itself over time.

Conclusion

Saving the planet does not have to cost money. In fact, having the right “green” technology applied correctly can save money. If you would like to explore ways your company can go green, save money, or both, let us know.

How to Win an iPod nano

It’s really pretty simple to enter the contest. No purchase is necessary. If you are a U.S. resident, 18 years old or older and live in a town that allows contests, you’re halfway there! All you have to do is write a paragraph or two about how you use your Mondopad. Don’t have a Mondopad? No problem. Just write about how you would use a Mondopad if you had one. Don’t know what a Mondopad is? Still no problem. Check out the official contest page to learn more so you can write about it. Post your entry to your blog or a Facebook Note and let us know when it’s there. Submit your entry by October 23, 2011 to be eligible to win. If your idea is creative, unique, useful and practical, you may win an iPod nano!

Tell Your Friends

Tell your friends and coworkers about this contest. If they win first or second prize, you will receive a $15 iTunes card just for referring them.

Again, make sure you check out the official rules and restrictions on the How Do YOU Mondo Contest page.

Good luck!

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The main function of the Mondopad is video teleconferencing. The large, 1080p HD display can show multiple remote offices concurrently with surprising clarity. The tablet also comes loaded with whiteboard software, enabling users to draw directly on its touch screen with their fingers.  The whiteboard is shared among all Mondopads connected in the meeting. Finger drawing is not limited to the whiteboard though. Special versions of Office software viewers allow any Microsoft Office or PDF file to be displayed and annotated by users.

Connection to remote users is through Vidtel’s “any-to-any” cloud-based service. This enables the Mondopad to conference with equipment using other popular services including SIP, H.323, Skype, GoogleTalk and other proprietary systems. But unlike the expensive enterprise solutions, the Mondopad/Vidtel combination is priced low enough to bring videoconferencing and more to the SMB market for the first time. No special communications infrastructure or complicated installation is required. Like any computer, a simple network connection and internet access are all that are needed.

When the Mondopad is not being used for videoconferencing, it can be used as a stand-alone device replacing your conference room’s computer, projector, pull-down screen, whiteboard, dried out markers and dirty eraser. You can use your Mondopad to display PowerPoint presentations or almost any documents while using it as a whiteboard as well. Unlike your conventional whiteboard, the Mondopad’s software enables you to store multiple pages so you don’t have to keep erasing. At the end of the meeting it can email jpeg images to all attendees. That’s a lot better than snapping a picture of a whiteboard with your phone (who hasn’t done that?).

So where can you buy a Mondopad?  InFocus is only selling Mondopads through authorized managed service providers, which of course includes us.  As the first authorized reseller of Mondopads in the area, we are looking forward to expanding the collaboration solutions we offer our customers. And with our leasing plans, we can make this already affordable device even more affordable. Although demand has currently pushed delivery out about 6 weeks, we are taking orders now and scheduling delivery and installation for late July to early August.

Contact us today to order a Mondopad or two for your office.

I’m sure you can think of better things to do with your time and money, not to mention the floor space occupied by those big ugly file cabinets.

How safe are your files?  You’ve spent years accumulating all that paper.  How long would it take for them to be destroyed by a fire, flood or other disaster?  What would you do if you lost them?

Electronic document management (EDM) solves these and other problems inherent in paper filing systems.  Converting your paper documents to an electronic form and storing them in an EDM can greatly reduce costs and improve employee productivity.  With EDM, searching for client or employee records, legal contracts, tax returns, insurance statements and general correspondence no longer requires a trip to the file cabinet.  Instead, you simply search by name or keyword without leaving your desk.  If a client asks you for a copy of a document, simply email the electronic version; no need to copy and mail.  Some EDMs also provide a web-based customer portal that enables your customers to save and retrieve their own documents (if you permit this), saving you the trouble.

If you are properly backing up your data files (you are backing up your data, aren’t you?), your EDM files can easily be added to your backup.  In the event of even the worst disaster you can retrieve your backup, restore it to a new computer and be back in business quickly.  Some EDMs also provide a cloud-based solution so you don’t even need to store the files on your own server.

Paper filing systems do offer one big advantage over electronic document management systems; they allow you to get more exercise.  Doing the cabinet dance—stand, walk, pull, push, walk, sit—several times each day will help you keep in shape.  If daily exercise is already a part of your routine, then maybe you don’t need paper files at all.

While the totally paperless office is still a thing of the future, great strides have been made in this direction over the past few years.  Next time you find yourself pulling a file drawer, consider the alternative.  If you’d like to discuss how electronic document management can help your business, give us a call at 303-728-9647 or use our contact form.

If a web page said, “Click here to download a virus to your computer” would you download it?  Probably not.  What if it said, “Your computer is infected with a virus.  Click here to download free antivirus software.”  Would you download it?  Out of fear or desperation, many people would… and do.  In many cases these downloads are themselves installing spyware, rogueware or other malware.

Identifying Scareware

Scareware leads you to believe you have a problem even if you don’t.  This comes in many forms.  Sometimes it’s a popup that looks like a warning message from your operating system.  Sometimes it’s a web page that looks like a warning from Google or an Internet Explorer error page.  Whatever the form, the message is designed to trick you—even scare you—into installing their software.

Good advice says, “never take candy from strangers” and “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”  But this advice is put on the shelf when a message tells you your computer has been infected and you need to download some software to fix it.  And fortunately for you, there’s a free trial version of their software.

It’s not always fear-based.  Some products will offer to perform a free registry scan to speed up your computer.  While there are many legitimate products that actually do this, there are far more that say they do this, while in fact they are Trojan horses carrying malware.

Know your enemies

To fight your enemies, it helps to understand their motivations.  I classify malware in two distinctly different categories based on the author’s intent.  Typically, their intent is either malice or greed.

Malicious malware consists of viruses, worms and any software that deletes or corrupts data or disables a computer for no apparent reason and with no way of stopping it.  Sometimes the authors will identify themselves in order to gain recognition.  Sometimes just knowing they’ve hurt people is enough satisfaction for them.  I won’t attempt to get into the psychological disorders of these people except to say they are wired differently than most of us.  Their intent is purely malicious.

In the greedy category are programs that range from mildly annoying to seriously threatening.  This is where I would put rogueware, spyware and ransomware.  While some of these have the ability to be destructive—and in some cases use this capability—the authors are motivated by money rather than pure malice.  They’re not trying to prove a point or make a statement.  They just want money and don’t care how they get it.

Let’s start with rogueware.  At last tally, rogueware cost its victims over $400M last year.  Here’s how it works:  A message tells you that you may have a dangerous virus.  Free antivirus software is offered to you.  You install it and run a full system scan.  Sure enough, it found a virus!  Unfortunately, this free version does not have the ability to remove this particular virus.  No, for this one you must upgrade to the “Pro” version for anywhere from $40 to $140.  You buy it, run it and the virus is removed!  Whew!  That was close… or was it?  This software fixed a problem you never really had.  There was no virus to begin with.  And this antivirus software did nothing but make the fictitious virus go away.  You’ve been scammed and you’re out a few bucks.  But at least no damage was done to your system, if you’re lucky.  But most rogueware comes with other spyware and ransomware hidden within.  If you’re not lucky, you now have spyware running on your computer.  You also have a false sense of security, thinking you have antivirus software running.

Spyware can range from mildly annoying to seriously threatening.  Spyware watches what you’re doing and transfers information to a computer run by its author.  On the low-threat end of the spectrum, it may be monitoring websites you visit to find your interests.  Once it gets an idea of your likes and interests it knows which advertisements to display to you.  These popups will likely come up on your computer whether or not you are browsing a website.  The more intrusive ones will actually redirect your search requests to their own sites that look like the popular search engines (Google, Bing, etc.).  Of course, the results they display will be to their advantage.  However they do it, when you click one of their ads, the ad sponsor pays them a fee.

On the seriously threatening end of the spectrum, spyware can be designed to look for passwords, social security numbers, bank account and credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information.  This information is sent to the author to use however he or she sees fit.  It can even open a door that allows the author to log in and look around on your computer or network.  This can be serious.

Ransomware is a form of data hijacking.  Rather than destroying data as a virus does, ransomware will lock out your data and threaten to delete it if you don’t pay the ransom.  Usually it will give you just a few hours to pay the ransom by texting or calling an overseas toll number.  Once the funds are in place you receive a code you can enter to get your data back.  If the ransom is not paid in time, the software irrecoverably deletes your data.  Ransomware sometimes comes with rogueware.  While running your fake virus scan it is actually locking your data.

Helpful advice

I’ve only scratched the dirty surface of hacking.  There are more threats than these and they often occur in various combinations.  But hopefully I’ve given you a healthy fear of malware; one that inspires you to take action against it.  There are several things you can do to reduce the possibility of being attacked:

1. NEVER download software from an unknown company or person no matter how professional they seem, how many people recommend them or how desperate you are.
2. NEVER open email attachments from people you don’t know.  If you do know the person, still be leery as email spoofers can make email appear to come from a friend.
3. Only install antivirus/antispyware products from reputable companies such as AVG, Symantec (Norton), and MacAfee.  This is not an exhaustive list, but these are among the most popular.
4. Remember that virus checking performed by your email provider does not protect you from downloading viruses and malware from websites.
5. Also note that it is possible to unknowingly download malware from an infected website without your intervention.
6. If your computer is running slow, don’t be tempted to accept the free system checkup scan offered by some unknown website.  Either buy a reputable product or have a professional examine your computer and network.
7. If your company’s security is paramount, you should consider a smart firewall that can identify and block malware from entering your network and block sensitive data from leaving your network.

After the fact

If you think you may have been the victim of one of these scams or you think you have a virus or other malware, don’t panic.  After all, that’s what they want you to do.  As long as your computer is still running and you can access your data files, chances are good you’ll recover from this.

The first step is to buy and install some good antivirus software.  We recommend AVG, but Symantec and MacAfee are also good choices.  Use this software to run a full scan and let it clean any problems it finds.  Some malware will actually prevent antivirus products from installing or running.  If this happens, you may need to wipe your disk and restore from a backup.  You do have a backup, don’t you?  If not, create one now.  Since your backup disk may also be infected, the safest thing to do will be to do a fresh install of Windows (or whatever operating system you use), install your new antivirus software, and then copy your data files from your backup.

If you would like to have CMIT Solutions perform a security audit to identify areas where your company’s network may be vulnerable to attacks, or rid your network of existing viruses, contact us.  We’re here to help.

Let’s start with its name. For years, network engineers have been drawing diagrams to represent the networks they build and manage. In these diagrams they draw computers, routers, firewalls and other components in their network that are within their control. Often, their networks need to connect to computers and other networks through the Internet. In these diagrams, the Internet is depicted as a cloud.

Using the cloud metaphor, and in very simplistic terms, Cloud Computing describes computing that happens somewhere in the Internet cloud.

If asked to describe how you use your computer, you would likely name some application software you have installed such as Microsoft Word or Intuit QuickBooks. You might also talk about the files stored on your hard drive or server.

Cloud computing changes this. With cloud computing, everything is in the cloud. Your files are not on your hard drive or even on your server’s hard drive. They are stored on some other company’s hard drive somewhere on the Internet. The software you use to access these files isn’t on your computer either. Rather, you use a browser to access software located at another company’s site.

Hearing this for the first time might instill two different thoughts. You will either think this is the greatest thing to happen to computers or it’s the dumbest idea you’ve ever heard. Like everything, there are pros and cons. And like most buzz-worthy new technologies, very few people talk about the cons or even mention that not every technology is a perfect fit for everyone. First let’s take a look at some of the pros. Then I’ll discuss what I see as the biggest con.

There are many reasons to embrace cloud computing. I’ll start with file storage. Hard drives are notorious for crashing and losing their data. If you don’t have a recent backup you will lose all or most of your data if your drive fails. In the cloud, files are typically stored on redundant drives and backed up frequently. (Note: There is nothing inherent in cloud computing that guarantees this, it’s just the typical practice of companies providing cloud services). The number of files you can store on your hard drive depends on how much space it has. If it’s not enough, you’ll need to buy and install a larger one. In the cloud you can usually buy as much space as you need, as you need it.

As for application software, you never have to worry about installing or upgrading. This is done for you. You get the latest updates automatically. Remember, it’s running on someone else’s computer so they are responsible for maintenance, not you. And because no software needs to be installed, you can access these applications and your files from virtually any computer with Internet access, anywhere on the planet.

Since most of the work is being done on someone else’s computer, your computer does not require very much computing power. This means you can get by with a lower-end computer than you would normally need, saving you money up-front. And since you pay as you go, you won’t incur the initial expense of software either.

This last point appeals to CPAs from a tax perspective as well. Since the cloud computing model does not require purchase of expensive computer hardware or software, and is a pay as you go service, the service typically qualifies as an operational expense vs. a capital expenditure. An OpEx can be applied as a tax deduction in the same year it is incurred. This is different from a CapEx, which is amortized over a period of several years. So you get the write-off right away rather than waiting a few years for it. If this is a main deciding point you should talk to your tax accountant to get the details specific to your situation before making this decision.

There are many other pros and some cons that I won’t go into here. But there is one con that needs to be mentioned. Since everything happens in the cloud, you can’t do anything if you can’t get to the cloud. For those who struggle with poor Internet service, this may be the deciding factor. Some small business owners tell me their service goes down at least once every few months. Some report less frequent outages, but when it is down, it’s down for the whole day while they wait for their ISP to get it fixed. If your Internet service is down and you can’t get to your files for a few hours (or all day) while your ISP works on it, can you still be productive? Will you stay in business? Maybe it’s time to switch ISPs. If you can’t, maybe cloud computing is not for you yet. Or maybe a hybrid solution is a better choice.

There are many variations of cloud computing and I have only scratched the surface. If you’re thinking about getting into cloud computing, make sure you get all the facts and have analyzed all your computing needs before jumping in.

If you would like us to meet with you and discuss which technologies are best for your business, give us a call at 303.728.9647 or send an email.

The 1970s were an interesting era in American history. It was a time of change. Hendrix was out; Bee Gees were in. But looking past the bell-bottoms and platform shoes, there were some significant advances in technology. Entering the second decade of the transistor radio, communication was increasing rapidly. And by 1975, anybody with a hundred bucks and something to say had a citizen’s band radio. The ubiquity of cell phones was still two decades away. Texting, blogging and tweeting could not even be conceived. We needed a way to communicate and CB radio gave us that channel (no pun intended).

Like modern social media, CB gave us a way to passively communicate with friends in a non-intrusive way. Unlike a phone call—which holds two people captive for the duration of the call—CB was a “come and go as you please” form of public communication, much like modern day social media. And like texting and tweeting, we even had our own language. Everyone was your “good buddy” even if they weren’t your bff. Like blogging, you could say whatever you wanted to say to anyone who wanted to hear. You didn’t need to know the people you were talking to. Many of my conversations were with people I’d never met.

Fast forward a few decades. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites are now far more popular than CB ever was in its time. The fact that these are free may have a lot to do with it. But even if they weren’t, people would gravitate toward these. We need a way to communicate and connect with others. Now, more than ever, our lives are too complicated and too busy to sit on the phone or go visit a friend in-person. Social media gives us a way to connect.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about today’s social media craze is that it’s not just individuals showing interest in it. Businesses are getting in on it too, and looking for ways to capitalize on it. For wherever people gather, there’s someone trying to sell something. The question is how effective is it? For a while now I have been trying to find conclusive evidence that businesses are actually profiting from it. The success rate varies by the type of media as well as the type of company. And the value is very often just brand awareness, which is nearly impossible to incorporate into ROI calculations. So let’s take a look at some of the more popular forms of social media and how they can be used by businesses.

Blogging

This is probably the most effective form of social media a business can invest in. A good business blog can be viewed as an extension to the company’s main website, but will generally have a less formal feel. Like all social media, it needs to be updated frequently. If not, no one, including search engines, will be interested in visiting. Content should be timely, discussing the current state of affairs in your industry and any upcoming events. Readers should be allowed to respond to posts. Like them or not, you should not delete posts from disgruntled customers. This shows readers you are open to criticism and not hiding anything. In fact, a flaming post, followed by a well written response from you earnestly attempting to make things right can make readers trust you even more. Obvious spam and profane posts, however, can be edited or deleted, at your discretion. Because anyone can post a reply and you can’t control what people say, it is a good idea to keep a blog separate from your main website. You’ll usually want to link to your blog from your main site and vice versa. As people search and find useful content on your blog, they may follow links to your main site for more information about your company or products. It’s ok for your blog to be a little “salesy” since readers are coming to you through search or other links. You’re not forcing yourself in front of them as with other media. So banner ads for your company and affiliates are ok. I won’t go into SEO here (maybe at a later time), but one piece of advice: buy a domain name and hosting to host your blog. Free and cheap blogs (e.g., Blogger.com, WordPress.com, etc.) get ranked lower by search engines.

Facebook

I’ve heard that if Facebook was a country, it would be the fourth largest in population. This is why businesses are trying to get in on the action. With that many people, even the tiniest fraction is a huge potential market. You can create a page for your business in Facebook. Like blogging, you must keep your content fresh, updating frequently. Unlike blogging, it is not ok to be salesy. People are there to mingle with their friends. Nobody likes a pushy salesperson at the party. Pages that are “liked” get better visibility. Many companies will solicit customers to like them by giving away something. I guess that’s one way to get people to like you. Since you can’t really sell anything on your Facebook page, the only thing you’re really hoping to achieve is greater brand awareness. That in itself is one of the best forms of marketing. Brand awareness is what makes a little green lizard as successful as it is at selling car insurance. But of course, that lizard’s marketing budget of more than half-billion dollars per year helps too. There is definitely some value in Facebook. How much exactly cannot easily be calculated. You just have to decide if your brand is important enough to make it worth the cost and effort. Don’t fool yourself. If you’re paying an employee to maintain your Facebook presence, there’s a cost and effort involved. The same goes for all social media.

Twitter

The key to Twitter is getting people to follow you, and to keep them following. Tweet too often or about things they’re not interested in and they may leave you. Ask yourself these questions: What does you’re company have to say that can be put into 140 characters or less and that your followers would like to hear? How often can you deliver such interesting messages? And what’s so special about your company that people would want to follow you in the first place? Think long and hard on those questions to determine if Twitter can increase your sales. If your answer to those questions is “I don’t know” then you have your answer to the question about increasing sales.

Though CB radio has long gone the way of the dodo, the social media bandwagon is still filling quickly. There’s no telling how long this ride will last until the next new thing comes along. All that is certain is that it will be an interesting ride. So until then, put the pedal to the metal and I’ll catch you on the flip-flop. In other words, ttyl.

The past three years have changed the way we spend, the way we invest and the way we plan, both on a personal and a corporate level.  In the good old days, if your printer was squeaking and jamming you’d replace it.  When your computer got too slow, you’d buy a newer, faster one.  There was no time to waste putting up with inferior technology.  The time spent frequently unjamming a printer or waiting for files to save easily justified the cost of new equipment.

But this reasoning changed rather quickly.  Decreased revenue meant there was less money to spend.  Whether the expense was justifiable or not, the money just wasn’t there.  So we made the best of it and kept that old equipment a little longer than we would have liked.

If anything positive came out of this recession, it taught us to be frugal.  It caused us to put greater emphasis on ROI.  It showed us that we could be more efficient and less wasteful if we tried.  But topping the long list of negatives born from this recession is the fact that we now have a weakened technology infrastructure.  Much of our equipment is two or more years past its normal useful life.  Computers fail, especially the older ones.  And modern software just won’t run on some of those older machines.  In order for businesses to emerge from this recession successfully, they’re going to have to start investing in technology again.

Most small to midsize businesses (SMBs) recognize this.  A recent Microsoft study revealed that most SMBs plan on increasing IT spending in areas that directly benefit their bottom line through reducing costs, improving productivity or improving customer acquisition and retention.   The more competitive SMBs are investing in IT that will prepare them for success when economic conditions improve.  Those who are not preparing for this will likely fall behind those who do.

Since most SMBs don’t have a dedicated IT staff, they rely on local technology partners to assess their technology needs and advise them on the right solutions.  Businesses are looking to these partners to provide strategic guidance tailored to their industry, mostly in the areas of cost reduction and remote management.  Other areas of IT focus include server virtualization, software as a service and cloud computing, as these can reduce overall costs.

If your company does not have a trusted technology partner, consider CMIT Solutions.  We’ll help you invest in technology that reduces costs and improves productivity, enabling you to emerge from this recession stronger and prepared for success.

For a technology assessment, call us at 303-728-9647.