MSPNetworks Blog

Whatever your industry, there are going to be processes that need to be followed, and this will require no small amount of organization to keep all the moving parts in tandem with each other. Fortunately, tools that can help with your project management needs are readily available, so long as you take advantage of their capabilities.

Take Google Sheets, for instance.

It’s true! Not only does Google Sheets offer fully customizable templates intended specifically for project management purposes, there are a lot of other features that are conducive to the kind of processes that should make up your project management activities.

For instance:

Google Sheets Allows You to Create Custom Dropdown Lists

With all the standard updates that proper project management will require—for instance, the status of certain goals and initiatives within your process—having the ability to select from a preconfigured list is hugely helpful. 

The existing templates that Sheets offers give you the opportunity to edit the drop-downs they come populated with. All you have to do is click the small downward arrow in the cell, select the pencil icon in the resulting menu, and edit the rules for the dropdown. For added visibility, you can even apply different colors to the different options. 

However, you won’t be able to add new options to your dropdowns or change the order in which they appear if using a preconfigured option. That will require you to create a dropdown menu from scratch. Once you’ve selected the cell or range of cells you want the dropdown to appear in, click Insert and then select Dropdown. A sidebar will appear for you to populate the data validation rules you want… or in other words, what options you want your dropdown menu to include. Once you’ve added and arranged your options, click Done to complete the process.

The Inherent Collaboration within Google Sheets Makes It Easier to Fully Plan a Project

Today’s workplace is increasingly built on collaborative work, which means that it is all the more important that the tools used therein are conducive to this kind of collaboration. Google Sheets, just as with the rest of the Google Workspace offering, is built to help you accomplish just that. Adding contributors to your spreadsheet is a simple matter… all you need to do is click the Share button at the top right of your page, select who you want to grant access to and specify the level of access and permissions you want to provide.

Once you’ve done so, others will be able to interact with a given Sheet at the level you have permitted them to—and you’ll still be able to adjust these permissions as needs change.

Google Sheets Allows You to Tag Your Collaborators

Google Sheets offers a feature called smart chips—small interactive widgets that can be embedded into your documents that link to pertinent information. You can tag different collaborators directly in the spreadsheet, and from there, email them, kick off a video chat, or (most applicable to our purposes today) assign a task to them.

We Can Help Outfit You with Proper Project Management Software, Too

Of course, you may prefer to use a dedicated software to help organize your company’s activities. Turning to us means you’ll have someone in the wings to help you procure, manage, and maintain all of the tools that your company uses.

Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn more.

It seems that almost everyone owns a smartphone these days, and with smartphones come a multitude of apps. Mobile applications are the driving force behind the world\'s largest computing ecosystems. Consequently, the question arises, "Is it necessary for my business to have a mobile app?" Whether this is a wise decision depends on your unique business objectives, target audience, and available resources. Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of developing a mobile app for your business.

Here are a few advantages of developing a mobile app:

• Enhanced Customer Engagement - Mobile apps offer a direct channel to engage with your customers, enabling personalized notifications and exclusive offers, fostering enduring customer loyalty.
• Improved User Experience - Apps provide a smoother and more interactive user experience in comparison to mobile websites, leading to greater user satisfaction.
• Access to Device Features - You can harness the capabilities of the device, such as the camera, GPS, and push notifications, to provide enhanced functionality.
• Branding and Recognition - Having an app can elevate your brand\'s visibility and recognition, giving your business a more professional and tech-savvy image.
• Data Collection and Monetization Opportunities - Apps offer opportunities to gather valuable data on user behavior and preferences, which can inform your business strategy. Additionally, you can generate revenue through app purchases, in-app advertising, or premium features.

Here are a few disadvantages of developing a mobile app:

• Development and Maintenance Costs - Creating and maintaining a mobile app can be considerably more expensive than maintaining a website, especially if it needs to support multiple platforms like iOS and Android.
• Market Saturation - There are millions of apps available, and if you operate in a market that has a lot of competition, having just another app could actually work to your business’ detriment.
• Compatibility Issues - Ensuring that your app functions smoothly on various devices and operating system versions can be complex, necessitating continuous development to ensure updates are available for each platform. If your app becomes incompatible with newer versions of iOS or Android, it will require additional time and financial resources to update.
• Security Concerns - Apps, especially those not in constant development, can be vulnerable to security threats. You must invest in security measures to protect user data.

Before deciding to develop a mobile app for your business, it is crucial to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, take into account your target audience\'s preferences, and evaluate your long-term strategy. In some instances, a mobile-responsive website may be a more cost-effective and practical choice.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to invest in an app or opt for a website depends on the individual business owner\'s assessment of what best serves their business\' needs.

What is art? It’s not an easy question to answer, especially with new techniques and mediums being developed all the time. By definition, art can be basically summed up as the creative expression of an individual through some medium.

For Japanese artist Tatsuo Horiuchi, that medium is one that is familiar to those in and out of the art world.

Tatsuo Horiuchi Excels at His Craft…

…in a very literal sense. His art is not formed by clay or paint, but instead, the cells found in a Microsoft Excel worksheet.

Upon his retirement from his work as a medical equipment engineer, Tatsuo wanted to keep himself occupied, and his thoughts turned to becoming an artist. Lacking the supplies to do so traditionally (as well as the desire to invest in these supplies), the burgeoning artist decided to utilize a tool that he already had access to: Excel.

As he had never actively used the software for his work, Tatsuo dove into learning about the software and its features, teaching himself how to use different tools to accomplish different things. The autoshape feature helps with the overall design, the graph-focused line tool was repurposed to create trees, and the fill tool allows him to accomplish the shading that amplifies a painting’s depth. Gradually teaching himself these little tricks, Tatsuo’s process began in 2000 with the goal of creating something he would be willing to show to people within 10 years. His first three years were focused on learning to use Excel’s tools to create recognizable shapes and objects, while the next three were focused on combining them all into a cohesive image. In 2006, he won the Excel Autoshape Art Contest.

Since then, Tatsuo’s art has been featured at the Gunma Museum of Art, an honor shared by the likes of Monet and Renoir.

You can check out some of his work here.

One Moral of the Story: Technology Can Be Leveraged in Many Ways

All it takes is a bit of ingenuity. That being said, we don’t want your business to go without the information technology that would benefit its processes—or that keeps it compliant with various regulations and requirements.

Our team at MSPNetworks has been helping businesses around New York manage their IT since YEAR, and we’d love the opportunity to help you with yours. While we can’t promise to turn your team into award-winning artists, we can help them do more with their technology. Find out more about our managed IT services and what they can help you accomplish by calling (516) 403-9001.

The Windows operating system has gradually improved since it was first released back in 1985, bringing us to Windows 11 and its productivity-boosting capabilities nearly four decades later. Let’s take a closer look at just a few of these features so you can make the most of your time using the OS.

The Windows Clipboard Offers Far More Utility

Historically, the Windows Clipboard had a one-and-done level of functionality. You could copy one clip into it and use it for the rest of the time you were on the computer… provided you never copied anything else. If you did, your original clip was lost.

Nowadays, the Clipboard is far more capable than just this. Today, multiple clips can be stored and selected from—and what’s more, these clips can be stored in your Clipboard permanently, potentially making it far more convenient for you to replicate content that you come back to on a regular basis, from multiple devices.

To view the complete Clipboard, press Windows Key + V. A window will open that displays all of the clips you’ve taken during your session. You can also identify anything you want to persist after your device restarts by selecting the three-dot icon on any copied content and selecting Pin. This is great if there’s any boilerplate you regularly need to paste into an email or document template, and it ensures that this content will be there until you actively delete it from your Clipboard.

Focus Sessions Allow You to Eliminate Distractions

For all the benefits that technology and its inherent connectivity bring, it does have one pretty significant drawback: it makes it far more difficult to focus on any one task, with all the reminders and notifications for other things that need to be done popping up and dinging, breaking your concentration. To address this, Windows 11 offers a feature called Focus sessions, which effectively puts the operating system into Do Not Disturb, muting notifications for a time that you determine.

To start a session, search for clock in the Search box and access the Clock app. There, you’ll see the Focus sessions option, where you can set a duration for your focus session. If the session is 30 minutes or less, no breaks will be factored in, but longer sessions will have breaks automatically incorporated into your session unless you check the Skip breaks option. Click Start focus session to get down to business.

You can even link your Spotify account to play music during your session, as well as set long-term goals for its use.

Microsoft Teams is Accessible Via the Taskbar

Many organizations have formalized the use of Teams as their internal communications platform of choice, which makes the decision to incorporate a quick-access tool for it into Windows 11 sound like a smart decision. The operating system now incorporates a simple version of Teams in the taskbar itself, allowing you to repeat your most recent activity on the platform—all you have to do is click the icon or press Windows Key + C. From there, you can start a video call via the Meet option or a text conversation via Chat. If these options aren’t enough, you can also Open Microsoft Teams properly via this easy-access menu.

We hope these capabilities help you throughout your workday, along with the other tools that Windows 11 makes available to you! For assistance in other ways that your technology can work harder for you, give us a call at (516) 403-9001 today.

As a manager, some of the administrative work can be, if not the worst part of the job, easily the least engaging. For instance, having to create all the different folders for the employees under your purview, projects, and other organizational needs. Fortunately, Microsoft Excel offers a relatively quick and easy way of doing just this.

Let’s walk through the process.

How to Use Excel to Mass Generate Folders (and Even Subfolders!)

Rather than manually going through, creating and naming each folder you need, Microsoft Excel enables you to automate the process somewhat. The trick revolves around you creating a Windows Batch file—a type of file that contains a script that executes predetermined commands in a specified order.

The process is as follows:

• In one column, list all of the names your different folders need to have, whether that’s a month and year, each of your team members’ names, or your different departments.
  
  
• To turn this into a batch file, you first need to add a second column that formats this data in a very specific way. Let’s assume that you wanted a folder for each month of 2024, for instance.
  
  
  
  • Your first column will be your list of months, January, February and so on, with cell A1 formatted as “2024 - January” to help avoid Excel auto-formatting your data.
    
    
  • Your second column will have the batch command filled out. This will require the following formula to be used:
    
    ="MD "&""""&A1&""""
    
    Dragging the bottom corner of your top cell down will populate the rest of your list, referencing the proper cell in the first column to complete the formula.

• This will give you a list formatted as MD “2024 - January” and so on. Copy and paste this data into your Notepad application.
  
  
• Once your batch commands are copied over, save your Notepad file as a .bat file format wherever you want your folders to be saved. Clicking this file will generate the folders where the .bat file was located.

Hopefully, this will help you to more quickly create the folders you require for your assorted needs.

Microsoft’s operating systems have been around for a long time, and since Windows 95, Microsoft has published free utilities that can help users make slight adjustments to their operating systems to suit their needs. Microsoft PowerToys are even available now, and we want to explore what they can do for your business, as well as how you can acquire them.

We’ll be delving into what PowerToys can do for users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 today.

What Can PowerToys Users Do?

This is only a small sampling of what PowerToys can do for you. We’ve curated this list for ones that you are most likely to use in a business setting.

Shortcut Guide

While this tool is activated, your Windows Key can be used to provide a list of available shortcuts. If you hold it down, native shortcuts in your active window will display. It’s a great way to see at a glance just what utility is at your fingertips.

Keyboard Manager

PowerToys also lets you adjust your own preferences, including how your device reads your keystrokes. You can replace some shortcuts with others, for example. Just keep in mind that you’ll need PowerToys to remain active in the background if you want your changes to stay applied.

FancyZones

FancyZones lets you keep your desktop and applications better organized, dividing your display into various zones that retain information on display configurations and other settings, allowing you to keep things consistent.

Text Extractor

PowerToys also lets you extract text from anywhere on your screen, including things from images, videos, and the like. It might not always be perfect, so it will need some oversight on your part, but it’s a nifty tool nonetheless.

Always On Top

You will always have applications which you would prefer to be on top of the stack, and this PowerToy allows you to make that happen easily. It will keep your specified window open above the others so it’s easy to get back to, as long as you have it activated. You can customize the shortcut for this feature and turn it on or off at will.

Discuss PowerToys with Your IT First

We know that it can be fun and exciting to play around with new features, especially if it’s your idea to make things better and more streamlined, but we always encourage you to consult your IT first before making any drastic changes to your operating system. PowerToys would have to be downloaded from the Internet, and as such, it could be subject to a threat of some sort. We recommend that only IT download or install any applications on your workplace devices, or an outsourced IT provider like us.

While security is one reason for this, the other is that you want to test any applications you want to install before you actually follow through on the installation to make sure that nothing breaks. There’s also the chance that you could be downloading malware or bootleg copies of the software, and no one wants to be caught with pirated software!

Plus, there’s always the possibility that you already have tools out there that accomplish the same task installed on your infrastructure, or there might be better alternatives to your proposed solution. IT can open your eyes to the possibilities while respecting your desire to make operations and processes better.

Want to get started with IT management from MSPNetworks? It’s simple! All you have to do is call us at (516) 403-9001.

Every business depends on some type of software, but some businesses seem to have an application for every single thing and it can be too much for employees or administrators to manage. So the question has to be asked: What is the right amount of software for your business? Today, we’ll discuss the types of software every business needs and how to determine what you need. 

Mandatory Software

Obviously, the choice to use certain pieces of software is dictated by your organization’s needs. For example, a manufacturer will need different software than a retail organization, but there are some applications that every business needs to simply run their operation. These titles include:

Accounting 

Managing your business’ finances is made infinitely easier by using software that is specifically designed to do so. Every business needs software that will allow them to keep their taxes in order, manage their payroll, and do general accounting. Let’s briefly go through the features of each application. 

Tax

The object of tax software is to properly track and manage your business’ tax liability so that you are able to pay your business taxes on time and in accordance with the law of the land. Since taxes are mandatory, having software that will allow you to know how much you owe over time is important.

Payroll

Your employees are at the center of everything you do. Ensuring they get their payment every pay period is important. A comprehensive payroll system will have payroll processing, direct deposit, tax filing, and compensation features that allow your HR department to do all that needs to be done in terms of payroll.

Bookkeeping

Keeping the books clean and clear of errors is essential to running a successful business. A good bookkeeping system will have invoicing options, asset amortization, bank reconciliation, and thorough report generation to ensure that your business can stay on top of its money. 

Time Tracking

Time is an asset you simply can’t get back, and for a lot of businesses managing time is the way they dictate efficiency and overall productivity. By being able to track all the time that every service or project takes, you can make critical decisions that will dictate how your business runs. 

Project Management

Project management software covers a lot of ground. Essentially you need a platform for your team to share files, communicate about projects, and give the project manager the ability to assign tasks and coordinate the different resources needed for project completion.

Productivity

Most businesses use word processing, spreadsheet platforms, and presentation tools as a part of doing business. Today, there are a few really useful cloud-hosted tools that provide these applications and more. 

CRM

Customer Relationship Management software allows customers a way to interact with your business and provides your workers a place to store and share information concerning those crucial customer relationships. It is an essential productivity tool for any service provider.

Security

All businesses will need to handle their operations securely. In terms of cybersecurity, there are a lot of digital tools that can be used. These include antivirus software, content filtering, and firewalls. 

That is just a fraction of the software that most businesses have. Here are some other applications that businesses use:

Communications

Being able to effectively communicate can make or break a business. Typically, businesses utilize a combination of mail, email, telephone, video conferencing, and online collaboration. Finding the right communications platform not only improves operational efficiency, it can do wonders for customer satisfaction as well.

Marketing

The right marketing and advertising can put your business in front of the type of people that are looking to buy your products or subscribe to your services. Today, there are many different applications that allow businesses to manage their social media, run campaigns, and target prospective customers.

Sales

Likewise, sales teams often have their own dedicated software to help them track leads, schedule appointments and keep track of their sales funnel. 

Miscellaneous

Most of the software your business uses will be listed under this moniker. Software like operating systems, networking software, and Internet browsers all need attention so as to not cause security problems for your business. 

We Can Help You Get the Tools You Need

With so many parts of your business having to be addressed with software, our knowledgeable technology experts can help you get the tools you need to effectively run your business. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn more. 

Smartphone applications are in high demand from both a consumer and a business perspective, so it stands to reason that these ecosystems are large in scope, encompassing millions of apps on both the Google Play and Apple App stores. Have you ever wondered how these companies ensure that the apps found on their stores are secure and legitimate?

The Current State of App Store Security

You’ll be happy to know that Google and Apple take measures to protect their users from malware, but it is admittedly not a perfect system, as there is a very real chance that malicious apps can find homes on the storefronts. This is dangerous because most people tend to trust the apps they find on the app stores, and criminals will use these presumptions to steal data, deploy malware, or spy on individuals.

Google Play has a system which effectively limits the amount of dangerous apps on the platform, but despite this, it still has the highest record for troublesome software available for download. The Apple App store does have fewer issues here, but note the word “fewer,” as this doesn’t mean that there are no problems to be found at all.

That said, even if most apps are safe to download from app stores, there will always be outliers that skirt the system to do evil.

App Stores Don’t Guarantee Safety or Security, Unfortunately

App stores generally have very strict guidelines for what they allow on their storefronts, preventing most malicious apps from finding their new homes on their distribution platforms. Unfortunately, there are always cases—even unlikely ones—where malicious entities are able to distribute their malware to unsuspecting users.

What Are the Potential Problems?

If you think you might have downloaded a malicious application, then you could see issues related to these problems:

• Ad fraud: Ads are nothing new—after all, developers need to make money somehow—but fraudulent ads could run in the background and reroute your clicks to various websites, thus eating up your battery and using your phone’s resources.
• Browser hacking: Malicious apps can also take over your web browser and make it open websites that could leave you vulnerable to data theft or fraudulent promotions.
• Data theft: Some apps are installed for the sole purpose of stealing your data, and if you’re not careful with the permissions you grant, you could wind up having a serious problem on your hands.

What Do You Do?

There are ways you can fight back against malicious apps. Here are just a few of them:

• Don’t jailbreak or sideload apps onto your phone: Downloading apps from other parts of the Internet and not from your app store (a term known as sideloading) on a jailbroken device gives malicious apps more control over what they can do with your device. Just avoid doing this at all costs.
• Update your operating system: Like all other software you might use, for work or otherwise, you’ll want to keep your operating systems updated to ensure you have potential vulnerabilities shored up.
• Do your research: Reading up on the reviews for any applications you are potentially planning to download could save you a lot of trouble. Furthermore, only download from trusted sources if you can help it.

MSPNetworks can help your business maximize security on all fronts, mobile included. To learn more, call us today at (516) 403-9001.

Software makes business run: that is an undeniable statement. From the operations software that allows your business to manage and pay its people to the CRM that provides a pathway to communicate efficiently with customers, to all of the applications that it takes to conduct business in earnest, software plays a crucial role in your business’ success. 

A lot of software is developed for business purposes, but very few are developed with the small business in mind. This is logical because the more licenses of a software can be sold, the more money the developer will make. More than that, the software developed for use by a large organization will have the features that can help an organization cover more ground. 

Some of the differences between the two include:

• Audience - Obviously, enterprise software is developed for a large organization to be deployed by one. Since most large companies have a hierarchical structure, the software that is developed for them is going to address the needs of the groups involved. 
• Options - The software that is built for enterprise business will need to have more options than a stand-alone application will.
• Storage - Since enterprise software is dealing with a lot of sensitive data, alternative storage considerations have to be made. Today, more and more businesses are utilizing cloud computing because of the flexible amount of storage that is available. Enterprise businesses can scale up and back without having to count every penny, a luxury many small organizations don’t have. 
• Different process - While the creation of software is relatively the same, enterprise software carries with it a lot of customization as it needs to fix specific problems the enterprise has. This whole process includes integration and interoperability that is necessary to be a viable solution for enterprise business. 
• Scalability - Any good business expects some semblance of growth or redirection of company objectives. In software, that means being able to scale to the new reality of a business quickly. It’s the only way for the seamless operations and thorough reporting that enterprise demands. 

Using Enterprise Software for an SMB

This is where the whole thing gets tricky for the small business. Do you purchase an enterprise-level software and parse it down to fit your needs; or, do you make due with the consumer versions of the software needed?

It depends on a few factors:

1. If you plan on deploying software in the cloud, you may be able to get the best version of a software and kind of make it fit your business. Typically, these massive software platforms like Professional Services Automation (PSA) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) have all the functions that your SMB needs. 
2. You need to consider the cost. What is the cost to purchase the software, the licenses, the underlying hardware needed to run it, and all the other considerations that go into making technology decisions for your business. 
3. The differences between enterprise software and regular software may be noticeable but they are shrinking. Most organizations that use Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms are getting robust software as part of their monthly agreement. 

While a smaller business might not want to overspend or get something that is overkill, there are long term benefits in being able to grow and scale into more robust options instead of fumbling along and upgrading when you can’t take it anymore. Software is important so having the perspective of experienced IT professionals can help you get the tools your business needs to be successful. Give us a call today at (516) 403-9001.

Software makes or breaks businesses, so your software strategy should be implemented with sound logic in mind. One of the ways you can make the most out of your limited resources and budget is to consider cloud-hosted Software as a Service offerings. With SaaS, you can implement better software that is more accessible, flexible, and manageable than the traditional method of hosting.

We want you to know that we have your back and can help you implement any technology solutions you decide would work well for your business. All you have to do is call us at (516) 403-9001 to get started. Now, let’s dive into the many benefits of SaaS applications for small businesses.

Remote Accessibility

Many employees are now going about their everyday tasks while out of the office, so accessibility is a major factor that plays into companies’ consideration of SaaS solutions. The cloud makes for a great way for your team to access their solutions, giving them the ability to get work done whether from the comfort of the home or from the office itself. If the application can be hosted in the cloud, the only thing you need is a stable Internet connection to get work done.

Flexibility in Your Operations

Your infrastructure is likely to undergo significant changes as your business grows and evolves, and so too will the stress you place on your company’s network. The scalability and flexibility that comes from SaaS solutions is extremely helpful here, as you can add or remove accounts and users as you need to. You’ll have greater control over your company’s capital by being able to remove accounts that no longer see any use.

For example, you can create an account for a temporary worker, then cancel the account after the employee leaves your business. This means you’re not purchasing an entire license for a short-term arrangement.

Better Maintenance and Management Practices

If you use SaaS solutions, you’ll be relieved to know that you aren’t going to be the one managing and maintaining the solution. This will be done by the cloud service provider, and on top of that, they will also patch and update their services so that you’re always using the most up-to-date versions of your software. It’s great for businesses that have limited resources for managing IT.

MSPNetworks can help your business implement SaaS solutions and best utilize your available resources. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 403-9001.

Productivity suites are universally one of the best tools for getting work done in the business world, so if you’re not familiar with the term, then take a moment to consider how often you use Microsoft Office products or the Google Workspace apps. These are productivity suites, and they are remarkably important and valuable for your company, whether you realize it or not.

A productivity suite gives you a collection of tools for getting work done, quickly and effectively, in a variety of modalities. You can expect the following benefits from using a productivity suite for your business.

Increased Collaboration

When people have access to the tools and resources they need to do their jobs, they can work more effectively, and more effectively together too. Productivity suites have collaboration tools built right into them, particularly for cloud-based applications that can enable multiple users to edit documents, spreadsheets, or slideshows in real-time. Sometimes productivity suites will also have other collaboration tools built right into them, like video or voice chat.

More Accessibility and Efficiency

It doesn’t matter if it’s on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. Productivity suites are generally quite accessible in some format or another, although features might vary depending on the version you are using. They are great for remote or in-house workers, and they can be accessed from anywhere using a web browser. Depending on the solution, you might not even need to install the apps—they are that convenient and dynamic these days.

Attractive Cost Savings

Of course, there are financial benefits to going with productivity suites as well. When you subscribe to one of the aforementioned services, you get access to the whole range of apps in the suite, so instead of installing multiple instances of each app on each of your devices, you are instead setting up accounts for employees who can then use the apps as they see fit. It’s better than purchasing licenses per user, and it’s more convenient when it comes time to upgrade to new versions of the software. It makes maintenance and patch management much easier, too.

MSPNetworks can help your business implement and manage not only its productivity suite, but its entire range of software solutions. To learn more, call us today at (516) 403-9001.

Ultimately, your employees are going to be the ones using your technology to accomplish their daily duties, so it helps to treat them like customers rather than end users. If you examine industry trends to make the best decisions possible with your technology and communications solutions, then you’ll allow your team to flourish in the process.

Salesforce conducted a survey of 500 industry leaders and 6,000 customers to determine how people consume communications solutions and how their expectations have changed over time.

Online and In-Person Experiences Are Equally Important

One thing you should take away from this study is that consumers want communication experiences that aren’t exclusive to just in-person or digital. 51% of respondents preferred to do business online, while 40% wished to visit an in-person store for their communication needs. 64% claimed they visited the provider’s website over the past month, and 35% have done business both online and in-person. The takeaway here is that your employees will seek help with their communications technology both in-person and online, so you need to respond to their needs appropriately.

Your Customers Do Matter

Great customer service is crucial to keeping your business running, and it all stems from having great internal operations—at least, that’s what 90% of the survey respondents believe. 40% claim they are unsatisfied with the way their providers handle their cases. If you think of your employees as customers, you can ensure they are getting the support they need from you to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Your employees are more likely to use a good or service if they know they have support from you and they know their feedback is appreciated and valued.

Digital Transformation Is Important

Most customers might prefer to use online services, but it’s equally important for you to embrace your own use of digital services within your own communications infrastructure. You should implement tools that can be effective in both a remote and hybrid work environment. One way you can do this is by implementing cloud-based solutions. You might find that your organization benefits greatly from their implementation.

We Can Help You Make Communications Easier

Your communications infrastructure is not simple, and you need tools that allow you to stay in touch with both internal and external stakeholders for your organization, be they employees, clients, or prospects. Through the use of tools like Voice over IP, instant messaging, intranet solutions, and more, you can share your knowledge and services with your clients while also giving your team the tools they need to be successful. To learn more, reach out to MSPNetworks at (516) 403-9001.

In today’s business, the demand for software often outpaces the supply of available coders. For businesses that find the need for new applications to drive their business initiatives, there are now “no code” tools available that can help them create the software they need without having to lean on software developers. This week, we take a look at no code tools and how they can work for your business. 

What is No Code?

Basically, all software is made up of code; and if you take it all the way to its fundamentals, binary code. All programming languages draw on binary code at their core and today there are software developers out there that have made it simple for someone that doesn’t have fluency in programming languages to create applications or build web-based constructs. 

With no code, laymen have endless possibilities for web and application development. These include:

• Efficiently create mobile app builders, databases and productivity tools, website builders, document and form builders, email marketing software, membership platforms, eCommerce websites, web-based forums, and automation tools.
• Build mobile and web-based applications.
• Create operational efficiencies that circumvent redundant software issues.
• Test concepts in application or website form affordably before hiring coders.

Benefits of Using No Code

There are some obvious benefits of utilizing no code tools including:

• Speed of development - The web and application development process are notoriously slow. With no code tools, you can start building concepts fast.
• Lowers cost of development - Coders are expensive to hire. For simple coding tasks, the ROI of hiring one can be slow or impossible to recoup. No code tools can go a long way toward making web or app development much cheaper.
• Much more accessible - No code tools allow for people with little to no experience with digital coding to build their own products and deploy them on the web. 

The digital world is changing, and your business can now afford change along with it. Have you used a no-code system to build web-based resources for your business? Would you like to learn more about how technology can bridge the gap between you and your customers and competitors? Give MSPNetworks a call today at (516) 403-9001 to talk to one of our IT experts about innovative new technologies you can acquire to improve your business.

Modern mobile devices are a bit of a double-edged sword for today’s businesses: on the one hand, they are critical for the productivity that is required of today’s organizations, but on the other, they also come with the very real chance of security issues. The permissions you give (or don’t) to these applications can have an impact on this risk.

Let’s take a few moments to discuss how you can manage these permissions to minimize the potential danger your Android applications might introduce to your business.

How to Manage Android App Permissions

In order to properly manage your Android permissions, it helps to know how the applications work. As a rule, any application needs to have permissions granted to it. This is what happens when you first start up a newly-installed application. Let’s say you’ve downloaded the latest hot social media application that enables photo-sharing. When first opened, the app will present you with a permissions request to access different areas of the device—in this case, your media library, camera, and the photos you’ve stored on the device.

You can then decide if and when an application is able to access the requested data or hardware on your device. For instance, in the above example, you could dictate that the new social media app can only access the camera when you are actively using the app. You can even limit these permissions to a single-use basis.

These kinds of permissions can be managed through the Settings app, which can be found in both your list of applications and in the menu that appears when you swipe down on your display (look for the gear-shaped icon). Once you’re in your settings, navigate to the Apps section.

Once there, you’ll see a list of your applications, which you may need to expand to see the full contents. Select the app you want to adjust the permissions of and select Permissions. You’ll then be presented with the permissions that can be granted to the application, including what you have already selected. Changing this selection is as simple as tapping on the option you want to use instead.

Alternatively, you can adjust your permissions en masse by instead navigating to Privacy in your Settings and from there selecting Permission Manager. This will give you a list of permissions and the applications that have them granted. From there, you can select an application and disable these permissions.

For Improved Control, Mobile Device Management Can Help

In terms of your business’ mobile device infrastructure, more control is better, which is what makes a mobile device management solution such a valuable inclusion in your IT. An MDM solution gives you greater visibility into how your organization is putting mobile devices to use while in the workplace. It also gives you the ability to manage the permissions that each user has for the various applications they’ll need, as well as other features, such as marking different apps as safe or excluded and the capability to remotely wipe said device.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance in implementing mobile device management into your business. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to learn more.

Goodbyes are always painful, but we suspect that this one for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer will be more on the bittersweet side of things. Long a staple in the web browsing world, Internet Explorer has largely been removed from devices running Windows 10 and Windows 11. Let’s take a moment to discuss the approach Microsoft is using to slowly phase Internet Explorer out of the web browsing space.

First, it should be mentioned that Internet Explorer is not necessarily “dead,” so to speak. Its successor, Microsoft Edge, does in fact have an IE mode that allows organizations to utilize the browser for specific needs, like if a web page or application requires the use of IE for whatever reason. Still, in most cases, you will find that Internet Explorer is no longer available, nor does it need to be.

For those of us who are running Windows 11, you might notice that Microsoft omitted Internet Explorer entirely from the operating system. Now, Windows 10 users will notice something similar happening, with version 20H2 having removed Internet Explorer. Do note that enterprise and server editions of Windows 10 remain unaffected by this. The same can be said for any users of Windows 8.1, 7, or lower; if you are using one of these earlier versions of Windows, you get to keep your precious Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer might still be available in the Start menu, but instead of opening the web browser, you will instead be redirected to Microsoft Edge. All file types that would normally open up in a web browser like IE will open in Microsoft Edge, assuming you have not changed your default app settings.

Eventually, Microsoft plans to remove any and all traces of Internet Explorer from their operating systems. Users who want to use IE will have to use IE mode through Microsoft Edge. For those worrying about future compatibility with IE mode, worry not–Microsoft will support IE mode well into 2029.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft’s approach to the end of Internet Explorer? Will you miss the old Internet browser or have you long since moved on to other options, like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to contact us with any questions about what this means for you and your business.

Updating your technology is one business task that needs to happen if you want to optimize your operations. Some companies, however, still rely on legacy systems that could be holding them back from peak performance. It’s difficult to update legacy systems without comprehensive IT knowledge and proficiency, which is why you have us!

Defining Legacy Systems

When discussing legacy systems, it’s important to remember that the definition extends beyond “old.” Legacy refers to the fact that the technology is holding your company back, preventing it from growing or adapting to new circumstances. In many cases, the software is incompatible with the rest of your infrastructure and often does more harm than good by remaining on your infrastructure.

Sometimes the legacy system might even lack appropriate support and maintenance, something which impacts your ability to add it to new systems or improve your user experience.

All of this said, legacy systems are critical for many companies, so the updates are no less necessary for these organizations. This is why legacy systems need to be modernized, which is the act of replacing them with a solution that offers a better value proposition.

How Should You Approach Your Legacy System Modernization?

Legacy systems modernization requires that you follow these simple practices:

• Consider more than just your system: How will your employees and processes be impacted by this change to your infrastructure? Be sure to keep them in the loop to optimize your modernization’s chances of being successful. Be sure to spend some time with your employees to discuss the challenges they might need help addressing throughout the process, as well as what might need to be done moving forward.
• Take your time: There’s no need to jump on the modernization train for ALL of your technology all at once. If you don’t focus on specific parts of your infrastructure one at a time, you risk spreading yourself too thin. Plus, it’s easier to tackle one thing at a time so as not to disrupt all of your processes.
• Identify and address issues with technology: Be sure to consider the many issues your business faces, then implement technology to address them. Business technology solutions are so advanced these days that there is a solution for just about any issue your organization could face.
• Think about simplicity and agility: Finally, it’s critical that you plan your process out so that there is a level of flexibility packed into it. It could save you a considerable amount of time and resources moving forward.

It’s inevitable that your technology will “age out,” so to speak, but you don’t have to helplessly stand by while it happens. Get in touch with MSPNetworks today to determine what you need to do to resolve your company’s legacy technology challenges.

Microsoft Office is a super useful collection of software that serves the purposes of just about any business, at least to some degree. Since it is so popular—taking up almost half of the office productivity software market in February 2022—we figured it would be helpful to share a few tips to help speed up some of the things you may be spending time on now.

Some Shortcuts Apply to All of Microsoft Office’s Programs

One thing that Microsoft has historically focused on in its Office suite is consistency. The interfaces are all similar, the menu options (so far as they overlap, at least) are arranged the same, and many of the keyboard shortcuts you learn in one of Microsoft’s apps will do the same thing in another.

A great example of these are the basic formatting tools: Bold (Ctrl+B), Italic (Ctrl+I), and Underline (Ctrl+U) are the same across Microsoft applications, just like saving a file can be accomplished by pressing Ctrl+S and printing a file can be done through Ctrl+P.

There are plenty more examples of these, so don’t be afraid to try some out and see what works for you (just don’t experiment too much on anything important).

Find & Replace Does More than You May Have Considered

Even at first glance, Find & Replace is an obviously useful utility. Calling up the box to use it (handily, filed under Editing in the Home ribbon) allows you to find all instances of whatever text you specify, with the option to change it as needed. Again, that’s just useful.

However, Find & Replace offers even more just under the surface. By selecting Advanced Find, you’re presented with a much larger box that gives you many more options, from matching the case to finding words that match the word’s prefix—and allow you to replace them en masse. This is even the case with features like page breaks and other formatting elements.

Personalizable Ribbons Make Office Work Your Way

Speaking of the menu ribbons (the menu bars across the top) that all of Microsoft Office’s programs feature, they can all be customized to suit the individual user’s needs. While it will likely take some doing, one of your users can adjust a single ribbon to cover the majority of their needs while getting rid of things that they just have no use for. This is great for saving the time otherwise spent searching for functions buried deep in the menus. It’s also easy to access, as it can be found under File > Options > Customize Ribbon.

Hopefully, making these adjustments to the way you use Microsoft Office’s programs will help boost your overall productivity. For other ways to improve your business’ operations through the technology available to us today, give MSPNetworks a call at (516) 403-9001.

Your business depends on software for many of its day-to-day operations, whether it’s an email system, productivity suite, or other specialized software. When it comes to acquiring software, you have two options: the traditional method of acquisition, i.e. buying it from a vendor, or subscribing to a Software as a Service solution. What are the differences and how can you make sure your organization is getting value out of its investment?

What is Software as a Service?

The traditional method of acquiring technology often involves purchasing a license, which gives you permission to use the software for what you see fit. For example, you might purchase a handful of licenses for Microsoft Office for employees in your office. This provides consistent access to the software, often through a downloaded application or client located on the user’s desktop or on the network.

Software as a Service, or SaaS for short, can be seen as more of a subscription-based model of acquiring technology. In fact, chances are you use SaaS in your personal life. Consider the business models of Netflix and other streaming services; you pay a flat fee for access to an app and its content. This is how SaaS works. Rather than purchase the software outright, you pay for access to it, often through the cloud.

How Does It Benefit SMBs?

SaaS can help SMBs in a variety of ways. Here are just a few of them:

• Fewer up-front costs: Let’s face it; licenses are pricey and not always affordable for a large workforce. Rather than pay for the full licenses, you pay per user. This means you don’t have to scrape together funds to pay for a new solution, and therefore can get right to work.
• More up-to-date software: You might find yourself constantly upgrading your software as new versions are released or as patches are issued to cover security vulnerabilities. With SaaS, you get the most up-to-date version of that software, complete with patches and updates.
• Less maintenance and management: SaaS solutions aren’t hosted on your infrastructure in most cases; they are hosted by the provider or a managed service provider, meaning less responsibility on your part to take care of them.
• Greater accessibility: Since the software is often located in the cloud, you can access SaaS applications on your preferred devices through either an app or an Internet browser.

Overall, SaaS is a great investment and one that can help your SMB either get a new project off the ground or save capital in the long term.

Get Started Today!

MSPNetworks understands that you don’t always have the funds available to invest in software licenses, especially when you have a larger workforce. We want to help you get access to the software you need to be successful in all of your endeavors. We can equip your business with Software as a Service solutions that are scalable and in line with the needs of your business, and we can even host them on our infrastructure so you don’t have to worry about a thing! It’s a great investment and one that will pay off in spades.

To get started with SaaS solutions today, reach out to MSPNetworks at (516) 403-9001.

Businesses that depend on their technology try to stick with it as long as they can so as to not incur large unnecessary costs. Ironically, that may be the thing that is causing a lot of those costs. Today, we thought we would take a look at a couple of variables that can let you know it’s time to upgrade away from your current technology. 

Deciding when to upgrade your business’ technology isn’t always cut and dry. You have to consider the pricing and deployment models you want, and probably most importantly, whether or not the new technology strategy will be disruptive to your team’s productivity. Additionally, you need to know that when you do look to upgrade new technology that it will be compatible with your business’ needs.

Why Upgrade at All?

If you’ve been using the same technology for several years without many problems, you may ask, “why even upgrade at all?” Outdated technology can cost you in several ways, let’s briefly go through a few.

• Downtime - Older technology is prone to failure. Computers are extraordinarily complex machines and after some time their components can fail. Failing technology is one of the most recognized causes of downtime. Since there is so much operational capital tied up in your employees, technology failures can cause a lot of time where your staff is not actively working on revenue-generating or business-building tasks.
• Turnover - One situation that many businesses find themselves in over the past couple of years is a significant employee turnover. One of the main reasons cited by people leaving organizations is that their technology isn’t kept up to date. Employees, especially the younger ones just entering the workforce, demand suitable technology to work on, otherwise they will find an organization that has it. 
• Lack of Support - If your business has been using the same technology for a while, you may run into a situation where the software is no longer supported by the developer. This can be a major problem as unsupported and unpatched software has a significantly larger chance to have vulnerabilities. More vulnerabilities mean that it has a better chance of being hacked. 

What is the Average Refresh Timeline?

For the average business, you should consider refreshing your technology every three-to-five years. This is largely because of the factors listed above as well as the propensity for new technologies that are developed that can better help your processes. You can often get away with keeping your technology past five years, but remember, it may be more unreliable the longer you use it. 

What Types of Technology Need to be Upgraded?

Sure, your physical infrastructure needs to be constantly maintained and refreshed regularly, but most of that is due to the need to run the applications (with corresponding storage) that you need to run your business. Today, there are many more options available than just purchasing new servers. You can choose to utilize cloud-based servers, effectively offshoring your computing infrastructure to service providers that maintain the infrastructure you host your applications on. This can provide substantial cost savings insofar as you will be paying service fees rather than having to come up with large amounts of capital to purchase new infrastructure or pay a hefty amount of interest on a lease. 

It’s just not your central infrastructure that needs to be updated, either. You need to replace routers, switches, workstations, and accessories on top of implementing new technologies that may help automate parts of your business. All-in-all, it is important to consider the return each part of your computing infrastructure will have on your day-to-day operations and set up a refresh schedule that prioritizes them. Then you can piecemeal the rest of it as you go.

How We Can Help

At MSPNetworks, we can not only help you plan out your refresh schedule, we can use our vendor relationships to procure your new technology fast. Our team of technicians can design, deploy, and support your entire business’ computing infrastructure to ensure that your new technology investments are working for your business. Give us a call at (516) 403-9001 to have a discussion about how you plan to move your company’s computing refresh forward today. 

Productivity. Your company needs it. Your employees are measured largely by their ability to effectively turn their effort into a tangible product or service that creates revenue. It really means everything to your business. Why then, if it is so necessary, is it so hard to get the people you depend on to realize just how important their productivity is to the success of the business? Let’s discuss what makes a business productive, and what technology will mitigate the major barriers to productivity.

The modern business has a lot of moving parts, and for the most part they are all trying to do more with less. This is because the cost of running a business is higher; and the margins that result from that cost are lower than ever. The lack of available capital is felt in some places more than others. Technology is one of the places where a business may cut corners if it doesn’t have the liquid assets required to get the job done properly. It’s also a place where investments are made to help facilitate additional productivity through automation and enhanced efficiency. Since technology can both be the problem and the solution to your organization’s productivity strategy, let’s take a look at three robust software solutions you can invest in to help you avoid barriers to productivity.

Customer Relationship Management

Management software can go a long way toward removing one of the major barriers to productivity: multitasking. Most people are under the impression that if you are good at multitasking, you are more productive, but studies show that this is not true. When multitasking, it makes pretty good sense that you are not as focused on a task as you would be when you are, well...focused directly on that lone task. 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) provides all the good of “multitasking” with actual boosts in productivity. This comes from the automation that is built-in. Instead of dividing your attention from one task to the next, the CRM will provide a profile for every task set out and integrate nearly every part of your business in the process. By using a CRM and focusing on one thing at a time, you will get the benefits that even expert “multitaskers” see.

Cloud-Hosted VoIP/Email

Hosted telephone systems are all the rage these days. In fact, most people who have home phones are using the VoIP system that comes through their cable modem. For modern businesses, communication is extremely important. There are now VoIP systems made for business that offer many of the communications tools that a business could need. Not only can a VoIP solution come with calling options that allow for desk and smartphone use, they also come with conferencing and instant messaging options that allow your workforce to meet in multiple ways to facilitate the communication the modern business needs.

In the same way where a comprehensive, cloud-based telephone system can be an important addition to your business’ communication strategy, so is a powerful email system. A cloud-hosted email system provides fast syncing and can come with integrated messaging and other productivity tools. Most enterprise-level email providers can be structured as a cloud-based tool so getting the one that is right for your organization is important.

Mobile Device Management

Today’s business just can’t forbid their staff from using their smartphone during work hours, unless they want to increase their human resources budget substantially. People are going to use their phones, but dictating HOW they use them can be where you can keep them from being a distraction. Some companies have outlined policies that give people short breaks for their calling, messaging, and social media—while others have drafted policies that are more liberal and straightforward—getting to a place where smartphone use isn’t presenting constant distractions is difficult. The answer is BYOD. 

One thing is clear about smartphone use, people would rather use Wi-Fi than use up their data. With a thorough Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy that includes expectations outlined in ink and fueled by a comprehensive mobile device management (MDM) tool, you can create a system that makes administrators cognizant of employee smartphone usage without making declarations against the use of them. After all, you may need them to use them at some point. With the MDM tool, you also get the added advantage of protecting your business from security issues that may be brought onto the network by this heavy mobile use.

Productivity fuels your revenue streams, and technology can help your business improve theirs. For more information about what other technologies can be used to improve productivity, call us today at (516) 403-9001.