Meet Our Newest Addition!

We would like to take a minute to introduce you to the newest addition to the ThinkTech Team, Jessica Bettencourt.

Jessica has taken the role of Team Leader of Customer Service and Administration at ThinkTech. With a background in marketing she has already proven to be a valuable member of the team, producing our monthly newsletter as well as managing our blog and Twitter sites.

If you have any questions for Jessica you can call her at 508-992-2541 or email her at jessica@thinktechonline.com, she’d be happy to help!

Who Else Wants New Computers This Year?

When your computers (or other network equipment) start acting slow, when your software company suddenly forces you into an upgrade because they will no longer support the version of software you have, or when you need to add a computer or server for a new employee or new project, you basically have only a few options available to you.

1) Swallow hard, dig into your cash reserves, and plunk down thousands of dollars in new computer and network equipment.

2) Lease the equipment at an astronomical rip-off rate.

3) Suck it up and live with the lack of productivity and daily frustration of incompatible or slow machines.

Thankfully, a fourth, more agreeable option is now available: our Total Care Plan. By incorporating your hardware and software costs into your IT support agreement, you can get new equipment whenever you need it without having to drain your cash flow or put you into a restrictive lease. You get the support and service you need PLUS any new computers, servers, software and other network equipment rolled into one easy monthly investment. It’s sort of like renting your equipment, only it comes with all the support and service too. In addition to freeing up your cash, this new program also provides these benefits:

* You don’t have to keep track of which computers are getting old

* You don’t have to front thousands of dollars to revamp your network

* If something breaks, ThinkTech has to take care of it

* You don’t have to track any warranties

* There may be tax advantages since capital expenses now become operational expenses

* No big surprise hardware or software bills

* Your computers all stay pretty much the same age and performance

* No waiting on parts to be replaced – a free loaner service is included

Want To Find Out If Our Total Care Plan Will Work For Your Business?

FREE 27-Point Network Analysis (A $540 Value) will examine your entire network, review your backup technology, and document the software and hardware you use to determine a game plan for your specific situation. We’ll even tell you how to get the new equipment you need without breaking the bank.

(508) 992-2541

Great Technology Gift Ideas Under $100

iPod Remote Control

From up to 30 feet away this device will allow you to forward or advance songs, adjust the volume, and even pause your music. Simply plug the transmitter into your iPOD, place it down and attached the water-resistant remote control to your arm.

One drawback: You can't scroll through your music collection. You can, however, advance or rewind playlists or albums.

Pre-Paid Cell Phones are another great gift idea that can help your loved ones stay in touch. No new concepts here, but these phones are easy to purchase and provide one-size-fits all experience to its users.

Digital Cameras. Even with the ability to take pictures with cell phones, digital cameras are still a big hit around the holidays. With features like a real view finder (so you can power off the LCD screen and save battery life) this gift gives you hours of family picture fun.

i-Fish. Similar to last year’s i-Dog, this plastic robotic-fish-turned-iPod-speaker has a bunch of entertaining tricks, like reacting to sound or music, and “swimming” all over your desk.

Is The Blackberry Better Than The iPhone?

     The iPhone is easier to set-up, navigate and use than the BlackBerry, yet many entrepreneurs are still choosing the BlackBerry for their business. There are two main reasons why...

Reason #1. Business Functionality

    Both the iPhone and the BlackBerry work with Microsoft Exchange; but the BlackBerry does a better job and is easier to use.

     For example, if someone e-mails you a calendar invite on the iPhone, you can’t accept it and have it automatically scheduled into your calendar. And if someone sends you a .zip file, you can only open it if you have a BlackBerry.

     Further, the iPhone doesn’t allow you to save files, so you can only work on them over a remote web connection. But note this: In order for the BlackBerry to have these features and to synchronize properly with your contacts, calendar, and e-mail, you need to have BlackBerry Enterprise Server installed on your network (a $500 software addition).

Reason #2: Security

    The BlackBerry actually secures the data while it is transferring to and from your phone, and secures the data via encryption on your phone itself. If your phone is stolen, you can actually wipe the information off the phone remotely by using your Exchange server. The iPhone is still working on other security measures, such as an application that can remotely find the location of your phone and erase its information.

Need Help Setting Up Your BlackBerry or iPhone?
Call Us: 508-992-2541

How To Keep Your E-mail Off The “Naughty” List

Someone’s making a list and checking it twice; but it isn’t Santa. Due to rising e-mail abuse and spam, hundreds of servers at various companies now monitor e-mail accounts to make sure those accounts are not sending out mass e-mails. If that e-mail account is assumed to be sending spam it is put on the “blacklist”. Once on the blacklist, your e-mail account is virtually SHUT DOWN because your e-mail is blocked by hundreds or thousands of servers and your message can’t be delivered. Big companies who give out e-mail addresses like AOL, Google, and Comcast, for example, will cut off e-mail service to anyone who sends an e-mail to a large number of people at once. Because of this, even if you or your employees innocently send a message to 100 of your clients, you could be without e-mail for days or weeks. So, how do you avoid this costly & frustrating downtime to happen to you? Read these tips to find out:

Protect Your Server. Spammers LOVE to find e-mail servers that don’t have a proper firewall , anti-virus, and intrusion protection. They get a high from hacking in to these servers and then using them to send out thousands of e-mails. Plus, with no protection in place, tracking and catching these spammers is nearly impossible. The right protection will also prevent malware from being installed on your server, which can automatically send spam without human interaction.

Don’t Allow Employees To Forward Messages. Unless it is for work-only related purposes, make a policy that no one is to forward messages like jokes, photos or videos outside the company. If just 4 of your employees send out this kind of an e-mail to 30 of their contacts, that’s well over 100 people receiving junk mail on the same day from the same e-mail server. This puts you at high risk of being blacklisted.

Have Your Clients and Prospects “Opt-In”. Sometimes companies end up on the blacklist because someone on your list complained and reported your message as spam. If you have your clients and prospects agree via an opt-in form that they want to receive communication from you and confirm their permission, then you’ll have better protection against that. Also make sure you keep good records of these opt-ins. That way, even if you do get blacklisted, you should be back up and running fairly quickly.

Make Sure Your E-mail Is Set-Up Properly. In addition to protecting yourself from hackers and invasions with software and firewalls, you also need to be sure that your e-mail is configured correctly and is set-up to block outside relays. If you’ve got the wrong settings in your e-mail account, you could wind up blacklisted, without any e-mail for days or weeks,

Keep Your E-mail List Up-To-Date. If someone asks to be removed from your list and you continue to send messages to him, the changes of him reporting your company as a spammer is pretty high. Avoid this by using in-house lists (instead of purchasing one) and contacting your list to verify the information.

For Help With Keeping Your E-mail Up & Running And Off The Blacklist, Contact Us By December 31st For A FREE Blacklist Avoidance Assessment (A $295 Value!)

(508) 992-2541

Top Cell Phone Holiday Blunders To Avoid

Let’s face it. Just because you can be accessible 24/7 via your cell phone doesn’t mean you SHOULD be. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by Intel, getting constantly distracted by your e-mail or cell phone calls, especially during the holidays, is a big social “No-No.”

Nearly 70% of the people surveyed in that study reported that checking e-mails or text messages on your phone while at a social gathering is unacceptable. And for those of who you think you can slyly check your mobile phone e-mail at the table without anyone noticing, the study found that 53% of people will not only notice, but will be offended.

So what if you just can’t resist the impulse to check your Blackberry or iPod while holding that glass of egg nog? What is the “polite” way to do so?

Go to the bathroom.

70% of those surveyed said it was perfectly okay to bring your mobile phone in the bathroom to check it. Just don’t forget to put down your egg-nog first.

URGENT: “I Have A Perfectly Legal Way For You To Save A Bundle Of Money On Taxes, Computer Hardware, And Support, But You Have To Act FAST…”

Please forgive the headline if it seems a bit “sensational,” but I really needed a way to get your attention about a perfectly legal way to save a LOT of money on taxes, computer hardware and support that is quickly going to pass you by if you don’t act soon.

Let me explain…

Thanks to a tax deduction titled a “Section 179 Election,” you can buy up to $125,000 in new office and computer equipment, and expense—or write off—that entire amount on your 2009 tax return. However, the election has to be made in the year of purchase, which means you cannot buy a computer this year (2009) and then try to expense it next year (2010).

If you want to see how much small businesses love the Section 179 deduction, take a little peek inside any office furniture or equipment store between Christmas and New Year's Day. Chances are you'll see lots of buyers racking up some year-end deductions!

But That’s Not The Only Way You’ll Save Money… Manufacturers and Vendors Are ALSO Giving Year-End Discounts, Rebates and Incentives…

Most IT vendors and manufacturers offer really incredible rebates and discounts on equipment towards the end of the year in a last ditch effort to improve annual sales. After all, they gotta look good to their investors!

So if you are going to need a network upgrade in the near future, you can not only get better deals on software and equipment, but you can also get the tax savings making this a double dip on saving money.

But Here’s How I’m Going To “Sweeten The Pot” And Help You Save Even MORE Money

In the spirit of saving you money, I’ve decided to “sweeten the pot” and make the following offer to anyone who hires us to upgrade their network before December 31, 2009:

1. We will give away 30 DAYS of our Network Headache Eliminator – up to a $1,000 value – absolutely FREE to any new client who upgrades their network with us. All computer networks need regular ongoing maintenance to keep them running problem free, and with our Network Headache Eliminator, you’ll not only enjoy faster and more reliable service from your computer network, but you’ll gain incredible peace of mind knowing that your network and the data it holds is safe from loss, corruption, downtime, viruses, hackers, spyware, and a host of other problems.

2. We’ll allow you to continue the Network Headache Eliminator at a special discounted rate that will easily save you THOUSANDS in IT support. After the 30 days are up, you can continue to receive regular maintenance, critical updates and security patches, fast, remote support, and 24-7 watch over your network and data at a special discounted rate. Of course, you are under no obligation to continue this maintenance, but I’m certain you are going to want to continue after you see how we keep things running.

3. We’ll send you a FREE copy of the book, “Keep Your Hard-Earned Money; Tax Savings For The Self-Employed” as a gift. This is a great book for any entrepreneur to read on how to keep Uncle Sam’s hands out of your pockets.

After all, no one wants to hand over a penny more to the government than is absolutely necessary, and no one wants to pay MORE for services and products than they have to. We all work way too hard for that!

That’s why I’m making this offer to you. As a fellow entrepreneur, I understand that it’s critical to keep every penny of profit that you can.

This Is Absolutely The BEST Way To Save A Lot Of Money On IT Services And Support For 2010; But You Better Act NOW Because This Is Going To Go FAST…

All you have to do is contact us by phone  so we can schedule a time to discuss exactly what type of upgrades and support you will need for 2010. Remember, we don’t have to do the actual installation in December, but you must spend the money before December 31st or the IRS won’t give you the deduction!

CALL US TODAY!

(508) 992-2541

Special Alert For Business Owners: Backing Up Your Server Alone May Still Lead To Data Loss

Most business owners know that it is important for their servers to be backed up. But what about your computer? Though it’s true that your data is likely stored on your server and backed up by the network, your computer itself (your icons, the background you have, the programs that are installed, and music or pictures you may have saved locally) is NOT being backed up.

If your computer were to crash, get a virus, or simply die, all of that information could be lost. Your company data would be on your server, but you would have no way to access it from your computer. You would have to recreate that computer by re-loading all the software and settings. And if you’ve ever had this happen to you, you know that it can take a significant amount of time to do. Plus, the computer is never quite the same again.

So how do you solve this problem? Simple. You use an imaging software on your computer. Imaging software takes a “picture” or “snapshot” of your computer so it records it exactly as it is with all the software and settings you have on it. This way, if the computer crashes, there is no need to re-load software and reconfigure the computer. Simple restore the image from before the crash and your computer can be back to its old self again. This is a huge time saver and is especially useful if you have any important company software loaded on your computer but no longer have the disk for.

Protect Your PC’s Settings!

Call us today to get more information on our imaging solutions and see for yourself how simple it can be to save your computer’s information.

(508) 992-2541

How Manufacturers Have Increased Productivity 5.5% Despite The Recession

History tells us that productivity declines during a recession; apparently, manufacturers didn’t get that memo.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, manufacturer productivity rose by 5.5 percent in the second quarter of 2009. Why? Computers, of course.

Economist, Brian Bethune, of IHS Global Insight, says information technology helped manufacturers discover drops in customer demand early. This helped many companies to avoid over-production and cash flow issues. Also, using computerized point of sale records, web surfing habits, social networking sites and on-line purchases helped them understand which products at what quantity to manufacture, where to invest their marketing dollars and what retail outlets to focus on.

The lesson? Make sure you’re using technology to stay ahead of the curve and as a strategy to “recession-proof” your business.

3 Time-Saving Reasons To Use Windows 7

Just recently, Microsoft released their new operating system, Windows 7, and many business owners want to know if they should upgrade. To help determine why you might upgrade, here are three reasons Windows 7 can add a little productivity to your day.


Reason #1– Viewing Two Documents Is a Snap

If you’ve ever tried to set up two windows on your screen so you could easily view them both at the same time (working on one and referencing the other or comparing two sheets), then this feature could easily save you 10 minutes a week. Instead of having to drag each window around, manipulate the size and shape of the window, and line up the other document to match, the “snap” feature allows you to split the screen exactly in the middle and display two documents at once with just one click.



Reason #2– It Just Runs Faster

Compared to its more resource-intense predecessor, Vista, Windows 7 is fairly light in terms of what it needs to run. As you click through things on a computer with Windows 7, you’ll notice that it responds quickly and opens programs up more rapidly. It also starts up faster, saving you lots of productivity time.



Reason #3–You Can Give It A Good “Shake”

Another time-saving feature included with Windows 7 is the “shake.” It’s the ability to completely clear your screen of all the programs and clutter you may have collected by simply vigorously shaking your mouse.



Find Out If Windows 7 is Right For You…

FREE Windows 7 Compatibility Audit ($197 Value)

Call 508-992-2541 or e-mail

support@thinktechonline.com

4 “Techie” Reasons Small Business Owners Can Be Thankful This Season

1. Cyber Thieves Keep A Knockin’ But They Can’t Come In

A study presented at the International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks showed that small business networks are attacked every 39 seconds by some type of hacker or malicious software. Thankfully, having the proper firewall and Internet security software tools can prevent even the most determined hacker from getting his hands on your network.

2. Downtime Can Be A Thing Of The Past

Thanks to new 24/7 remote monitoring tools, most reputable computer companies can now actually notice when things go awry and prevent your computers from having issues. Hot fixes, patches and security updates are generally items that, when maintained on a regular basis, keep a network healthy and up and running.

If, for some reason, your network still does have some kind of downtime, remote management software allows your IT professional to access your system from anywhere, getting you up and running more quickly than ever before.

3. If Disaster Strikes, You Can Be Back Up & Running In 24hrs

In addition to lost data, many businesses’ operations would be completely down for days, weeks, or even months if a major disaster like fire, flood, or theft ever occurred. Here’s where Backup & Disaster Recovery solutions (BDR) can help you feel very thankful indeed.

Most BDR solutions include a “virtualization” component, which means an exact “picture” of your server is taken and then typically stored offsite. If you ever need to get back up and running, your IT company simply puts the offsite copy on to a new server...and you’re back in business.

4. You Don’t Have To Wait

Though some computer techs are amazingly unreliable (when you call them for help, you always end up talking to their voice mail) ... when you finally get them on the phone, they make you wait days before they can respond to your needs), the most savvy IT companies can now provide new support plans with guaranteed response times as part of their service offerings.

Want to Feel Thankful Instead of Frustrated With Your Computers?

Call us before December 31st for a FREE 27-Point Problem Prevention Network Audit (A $540Value) that will help eliminate problems on your network and give you peace of mind.

CALL 508-992-2541 NOW!

How To Get Paid $817 Every Year For “Going Green”

While Kermit the Frog may disagree, it turns out that it IS easy being green. For many small businesses, going Green is a way to cut costs with the added benefit of helping the environment. Follow these three simple steps to be on your way to greener, more cost effective computer systems...and put about $817 bucks back in your pocket.

1. Buy Green Equipment.

When it’s time to purchase new computers, monitors, or printers, consider asking your computer company for “Energy Star” rated equipment. According to Energy Star’s website, using electronics with the Energy Star seal of approval can save you as much as 60% in electricity costs over non-rated equipment. For the average small business with just 5 computers, this would represent a savings of over $442 per year, based on average computer electricity usage and costs.

2. Implement Green Processes.

Maybe your work orders are still hand-written, or company memos are printed and passed around, or perhaps you have a paper component to your invoicing. New hardware or software can solve most of these non-eco-friendly communications and save you a few hundred dollars a year in ink and paper costs. In addition, many IT companies will do research to find cost-effective and specialized solutions, such as giving sales people on the road the ability to electronically enter information into your system. The total financial benefit of these kinds of services is hard to measure, but small businesses can expect to see significant results from implementing any electronic processes, since in a smaller organization, updating even one process makes a huge difference.

3. Use Green Power.

Certain power settings on your computers can give you huge savings in terms of electricity costs. “Hibernate” and “stand-by” settings, for example, were found to save most businesses an average of $375 per year. There are also important battery backup decisions to consider, since those can affect your power usage as well.

Want To Find Out How You Can Improve Processes, Save Money & Save the Earth?

Sign up before December 31st and get our “Go Green” Network Audit (a $397 Value) for only $47!

Call 508-992-2541

4 “Techie” Reasons Small Business Owners Can Be Thankful This Season

1. Cyber Thieves Keep A Knockin’ But They Can’t Come In

A study presented at the Inter-national Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks showed that small business networks are attacked every 39 seconds by some type of hacker or malicious software. Thankfully, having the proper firewall and Internet security software tools can prevent even the most determined hacker from getting his hands on your network.

2. Downtime Can Be A Thing Of The Past

Thanks to new 24/7 remote monitoring tools, most reputable computer companies can now actually notice when things go awry and prevent your computers from having issues. Hot fixes, patches and security updates are generally items that, when maintained on a regular basis, keep a network healthy and up and running.

If, for some reason, your network still does have some kind of downtime, remote management software allows your IT professional to access your system from anywhere, getting you up and running more quickly than ever before.

3. If Disaster Strikes, You Can Be Back Up & Running In 24hrs

In addition to lost data, many businesses’ operations would be completely down for days, weeks, or even months if a major disaster like fire, flood, or theft ever occurred. Here’s where Backup & Disaster Recovery solutions (BDR) can help you feel very thankful indeed.

Most BDR solutions include a “virtualization” component, which means an exact “picture” of your server is taken and then typically stored offsite. If you ever need to get back up and running, your IT company simply puts the offsite copy on to a new server...and you’re back in business.

4. You Don’t Have To Wait

Though some computer techs are amazingly unreliable (when you call them for help, you always end up talking to their voice mail) ... when you finally get them on the phone, they make you wait days before they can respond to your needs), the most savvy IT companies can now provide new support plans with guaranteed response times as part of their service offerings.

Want to Feel Thankful Instead of Frustrated With Your Computers?

Call us before December 31st for a FREE 27-Point Problem Prevention Network Audit (A $540Value) that will help eliminate problems on your network and give you peace of mind.

CALL 508-992-2541 NOW!

4 Do's & Don'ts Every Business Owner Should Know About Windows 7

Windows 7, Microsoft’s new operating system, just released last month, and with all the advertising buzz that Microsoft has created, many business owners are looking to know more about it. Here’s a list of Do’s and Don’ts for helping to determine whether or not a Windows 7 upgrade makes sense for you.

DO – Find out if all your software programs will be compatible.

Anytime Microsoft creates a new operating system, software companies often scramble to make their package work properly with it so there are no errors, glitches, or data corruption (a.k.a “your information deleted”). Some software companies are faster and better at this than others, so be sure to check with your software manufacturer to make sure you won’t end up with more problems than when you started.

DON’T – Hold back from getting the new computers you need.

Maybe you want to wait until Windows 7 gets the bugs out. Or, maybe it’s because you’re worried about buying a computer now that will be considered “old” when Windows 7 is officially released. The good news is you don’t have to wait. For a limited time when you buy from Microsoft-approved vendors, your new computer purchase will come with the ability to upgrade to Windows 7 for free, giving you the flexibility to have the upgrade option now and install it when you choose. Also, if you participate in Microsoft’s “Software Assurance” program for your operating system, you’ll be entitled to the new version for free as well.

DO - Know how to "shake" it.

Have you ever had a bunch of windows open on your computer and felt like it was out of control and you couldn’t find anything? Then Windows 7 might be for you. It is designed to save time for people who work on multiple documents, spreadsheets, and web pages at once by allowing you to simply shake your mouse vigorously and make all those open Windows drop to the bottom of the screen and clear up your workspace. In addition to the “shake” feature, Windows 7 also makes it easier to view and use two programs side-by-side with just one click.

DON’T – Expect miracles.

Windows 7 does truly make using your computer faster since many of the features Microsoft has rolled out to help business owners and their teams work on multiple projects at once easier to use than ever before. Initial studies are showing that it might add one to two hours of productivity to your week over previous versions. But, if you expect Windows 7 to actually do the work for you, you may be disappointed.

Contact us for special Windows 7 offers!

(508)992-2541

Is Your Company Getting Slandered Online?

Do You Know What People Are Saying About You Online? New “Online Identity Managers” Are Becoming A Must For Business Owners Who Need To Keep Their Reputation Clean...

A recent front-page story in the Washington Post brought to light a fast-growing trend in today’s digital world: online identity management.

According to the article, Sue Scheff, a consultant to parents of troubled teens, was getting slandered online after one of her clients turned on her, calling her “a con and a fraud,” and accusing her of taking kickbacks and destroying people’s lives. Negative comments were being posted on online bulletin boards, forums, and threatening videos were posted up on YouTube for the world to see.

Even though Scheff sued for defamation and won an $11.3 million verdict, the attacks worsened. To resolve this situation, Scheff was forced to hire ReputationDefender, a PR firm that cleaned up her reputation online.

While the costs for hiring this firm were steep (reputation management firms charge $15,000 to $100,000 for their services), the cost of her time, litigation and reputation make their fees seem like a drop in the bucket.

So what should you do if you are an average Joe small business with limited resources?  Fortunately, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and you can easily monitor your image online for free with a few simple steps.

First, the easiest way to check your online reputation is to Google your name or the name of your company and see what appears. Next, set up a Google Alert on your name and your company name. You’ll be alerted by e-mail whenever you or your organization has been mentioned in a blog, by the media, or in an online forum.

Next, make sure your web site and your company is coming up first in search engines. If you own the top positions online, negative media may not show up on the first listing when your name is Googled.

To do this, create a profile of your expertise using social bookmarking tools and news aggregators such as del.icio.us and Newsvine. Contribute to online forums and write articles for user-generated content sites such as Squidoo. You can even create book and product reviews at Amazon.com to help establish your authority on a particular topic.

You should also create a free blog on Blogger and then link that to your main web site. Post frequently and make sure your posts are key-word relevant.

Other obvious ways to put a positive spin online about your company is to create content pages on social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook and MySpace.

Finally, be very careful about posting any incriminating evidence about you or your company online or sending e-mails with incriminating information, tasteless jokes, or messages that could easily be misconstrued out of context.

You don’t want a search on your name to bring up pictures of you in compromising situations or sexist, racist, or off-color jokes you thought were only being sent to your friends. If you wouldn’t want it posted to a billboard, don’t post it or send it via e-mail.

  

Warning: If You Meet These 3 Criteria, You Are Getting Ripped Off By The Phone Company!

If you are a business owner that is spending $100 or more per month on long distance phone calls and you need advanced phone features like voice mail over e-mail, find me/follow me, and call reporting, then I can virtually guarantee that, right now, you are paying the phone company way too much for your phone service.

Here’s how I know…

Until recent years, businesses only had one option for phone service – “Ma Bell.” Yep, they had the perfect business model; or should I say monopoly! If you wanted phone service, you had to take whatever they were selling, good or bad because there were no other options…until now.

Thanks to major advancements in Internet communications, a new phone service alternative has arrived – and it’s rapidly overtaking traditional phone service. What is it? Voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP.

Simply put, VoIP is a technology that allows you to make phone calls over the Internet with the same features, functions, and clarity of traditional phone service, but without the heavy costs and hidden fees..

So Why Is VoIP So Much Cheaper Than Traditional Phone Service? VoIP is cheaper than traditional phone service for 3 main reasons:

1. VoIP phone calls are much cheaper to make because the call is connected using the Internet rather than traditional phone lines.

This means you pay one monthly fee for all the calls you want to make regardless of the time of day or location. Plus, VoIP phone equipment costs less to maintain than traditional phone systems. This is because IP phones use the same wiring that the computer system does, leaving you only one set of wiring to maintain.

2. You get unlimited long distance. I have yet to find a VoIP service provider that does not include unlimited long distance (if you are thinking about switching to VoIP, make sure this feature is included).

Some VoIP providers even include fixed rate international add-ons, which can produce a windfall of savings for multinational businesses.

3. Moves, adds, and changes to your service are FREE. As you know, the phone company loves to ding your wallet every time you add or change a line.

Plus, the company that sold you the phone system charges for any type of “service call” that requires a technician to move, add, or make changes to your system.

With VoIP, most moves and changes are software-based so they can easily be performed by you or your current IT support person. Same holds true when adding extensions.

If you want to know if VoIP is right for you or if there are other ways to reduce your phone bill, give us a call! We can answer any question you have, conduct a price comparison, and help you get set up with a VoIP or different phone service provider!

(508) 992-2541

Is It Legal For Employers To Monitor Your Computer?

Courts have ruled that an employer’s monitoring of its employees’ e-mails and other computer related activities during work hours and/or on company-owned equipment, Internet, and e-mail accounts is not illegal.

Companies typically monitor employees’ online usage for the following reasons:

1. To avoid claims based on sexual, racial, ethnic, and other forms of harassment.

2. To protect against an employee sending or posting confidential information.

3. To reduce exposure to intellectual property infringement claims.

4. To decrease the likelihood that an embarrassing message attributed to the employer will be sent.

5. To guard against computer viruses.

6. To improve productivity.

It is recommended that employers create an AUP (acceptable use policy) that outlines what is and isn't acceptable use of electronic media and communications. If your company does not have an AUP in place, you need to act now! Call us for more information: (508) 992-2541

Why Your Laptop Needs An “Instant Kill” Switch

It’s lunch time and you stop by your favorite café to check e-mail and grab a bite to eat. You settle in at a table when your pickup number is called. Returning to your table, you find your laptop and appetite—has disappeared!

Okay, maybe you’re not foolish enough to leave your laptop unattended in a public place, but one of your employees might think it’s okay to leave a laptop or PDA in their car, a hotel room, or in their gym bag and end up exposing your company’s data and network to thieves.

If it hasn’t happened to you or someone you know, according to the FBI, it will. Sure you have a backup of the data, but now detailed information about you, your family, your business and your clients is in the hands of a criminal intent on stealing your money, identity or worse. There is a lot of software and hardware that protects your data from being stolen by online criminals, but how do you protect your data when someone steals your physical laptop or PDA?

Until now, your only recourse was to change the passwords to your network, financial websites, etc., watch your credit report and cross your fingers hoping for the best. But thanks to new security software, you can instantly erase all of the data on your laptop or PDA preventing thieves from accessing the data.

Here’s how it works: Special security software is installed on your laptop that checks for your “kill” command whenever it connects to the Internet. This happens even before Windows prompts for the user name and password. If it receives the “kill” message, the data on your computer is instantly destroyed. You may not get your laptop back, but you’ll prevent the thief from stealing the information it contains.

If you’re a business, check out Absolute Software’s Computrace and Novell’s ZENworks. Both should be installed and configured by your system administrator or a computer consultant. If you want to protect your home computer or personal laptop, use zTrace’s zControl. Although designed for the general public, it can be confusing to install and configure so seek the help of a professional.

In the PDA world, there’s remoteProtect from sCPsOFT for Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Pocket PC devices or Bluefish’s Central for the Palm Treo. If your PDA is stolen, you simply text a message to it that includes your password and the PDA is reset to its blank factory default condition. What could be easier?

As with all theft and hacker deterrents, thieves can circumvent this software by downloading your data before connecting the device to the Internet. Surprisingly, the typical thief isn’t smart enough to know this. So, for absolute security, data encryption remains the most reliable form of protection. Encrypted data is unreadable to thieves unless they have your encryption key. There are pros and cons to both approaches, but it’s important for you to have SOME protection. For help in determining the best solution for you, give us a call at :

508 992 2541

FREE E-Mail Accounts: You Get What You Pay For...

We’ve all been told there is no such thing as a free lunch; yet it’s hard to resist the siren’s call of “FREE.” That’s one of the reasons why so many people have free e-mail accounts through Hotmail, MSN, and Gmail.

And while you might not be paying out of pocket for these services, there IS a cost. Here’s the price you pay when you use a free e-mail account:

An Extra Helping Of Spam: And loads of it. Are these free services selling your e-mail account? Do spammers have ways of gleaning your e-mail account? No one seems to know for sure (or at least they’re not talking). But the bottom line is you’ll end up with a lot more ads for Viagra than you bargained for.

Your E-mails Aren’t Guaranteed Delivery: The majority of spam messages come from free e-mail accounts. Even though you aren’t sending them, spam filters look at the server sending the message and, if it’s a known source for spam, will block the e-mail from going through. That means your e-mails might be getting blocked before they even reach the sender.

Customer Service? Non-existent! See you DO get what you pay for! If you have a problem, you’re on your own to figure it out.

Difficulty In Moving, Forwarding, or Downloading: Free e-mail services require that you read your e-mail through their web interface. If you want to move, forward or download your e-mail, contacts or other information, the process is cumbersome and sometimes impossible.

No Archiving: E-mail archiving, or storing old e-mails in a searchable, retrievable format has become very important (even a legal requirement) in some industries like medical and financial. E-mail is considered a form of communication and if you use it to support customers, order products, or to negotiate any type of deals, you want to keep a record.

So while these free services are okay for chatting casually with your friends, they are NOT recommended for business purposes or for sending anything you consider important.

Here's a question to ask yourself: if your e-mail account was erased tomorrow and all of the messages, contact information, and history went bye-bye, would it be a slight inconvenience or a catastrophe? If it’s the latter, then you need to bite the bullet and get a "real" e-mail account. And, while you’re at it, you should also get an account that reflects your own URL.

The only reason for keeping a free e-mail account is to provide certain web sites with an e-mail address when you don’t care about getting communications from them, or that may spam you later on.

Want to learn more about setting up a proper business e-mail system? Give us a call at 508-992-2541 or e-mail us at support@thinktechonline.com.

More “Friends” Might Equal More $

With social media sites like Linkedin and Facebook changing the way we keep in touch with business associates and personal contacts, almost every person you meet can lead to an invitation for a "friendship" on one of these sites.

While this connection may not seem significant, big companies are finding otherwise, according to Business Week. In recent research studies, these companies began looking at how employees relationships on social networking sites can actually speed the flow of knowledge and increase profitable ideas coming into their business.

Advertisers are also looking to these “friendships” as a tool to learn more about their customers. They are finding, for example, that if you buy something, there's a better-than-average chance that your “friends” on social media websites will buy it too; leading to targeted messaging and advertisements. Ultimately, companies will use this information to sell more products and drive more revenue. Just another added bonus to having lots of “friends.”

You can check out our Twitter account at www.twitter.com/thinktechonline!

If You Plug Your Computer Into A Surge Protector Put Our Emergency Number On Speed Dial. You’ll Be Needing It Sooner Than You Think!

The electricity your computer needs to run can also destroy it. In a flash, you could lose your computer along with all that data you’ve spent hours entering. The makers of inexpensive surge protectors have bamboozled the public into thinking their computers and data are safe if they simply plug in to a “power strip”. In truth, a few thunderstorms turn that surge protector strip into a fancy extension cord. The lighting and electrical surge can actually fry the surge protector's components.

Plus, surge protectors don’t protect against brownouts and blackouts.

Basically, when the power goes out, it is an extremely traumatic event for your computer—one that it often doesn’t recover from. The US Department of Energy advises you to protect your computers because “power disruptions can result in data corruption, burned circuit boards, component damage, file corruption and lost customers.” Even Microsoft warns that if a computer can’t boot up after a power failure, it generally cannot be repaired. So, if a surge protector isn’t actually protecting your computer then what are you supposed to do?

The simple & inexpensive solution is the battery backup, a.k.a. Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS).

A properly installed UPS will switch to battery power whenever any type of electrical problem or surge is detected and, once the electricity returns to normal, it will automatically switch back. If a blackout lasts longer than the battery can handle, your computer is safely and automatically shut down then turned back on when power returns. No destroyed computer, no lost data, and no need for that emergency call.

50% Off Battery Backup Installation

Contact us before November 30th to install battery backups on each of your workstations and servers and we’ll knock 50% off the installation.

(508)992-2541

Can Computers Prevent The Flu? Two things you can do with your technology that may prevent the flu pandemic from affecting your company’s productivity.

The CDC predicts that 1/3 of the US population will catch the flu this year, with the average employee missing between two and four weeks of work. This pandemic will cripple many small- to medium-sized businesses according to disaster recovery experts. But believe it or not, how you deal with your computers can actually prevent the flu from affecting your employees and ultimately, your business productivity.


#1 Do Everything You Can To Slow The Spread Of The Flu.

The flu spreads through personal contact like shaking hands, touching a keyboard or mouse used by an infected coworker and through the air by coughing and sneezing. So watch who you touch and use disinfectant wipes to clean your workspace including the keyboard and mouse before and after you use them. You can also reduce the amount of people who need to touch your computer equipment by using a program like the Network Headache Eliminator plan, where the engineer can work on your system remotely.

#2 Prepare For Employee Absence With Remote Access

No matter how hard you try to prevent it, you may still have some of your staff out sick at the same time. While no one with the flu is going to do much besides lie in bed, many employees will work part time from home if they have access to their office computer. Some doctors believe this could actually hasten their recovery by eliminating boredom. So, setting up a way that your employees can remote into their computer from home helps you both.

FREE REPORT: The Ultimate Small Business Guide To Setting Up A ‘Work From Home’ Or Remote Network Access System For Your Staff

Critical Facts And Insider Secrets Every Business Owner Must Know Before Installing A 'Virtual Network' To Allow Employees To Work From Home, On The Road, Or From A Remote Office

Call us before November 30th and we will send you this useful FREE report. You can also download it at www.thinktechonline.com/free_vpn

Attention Business Owners: 3 Simple Steps That May Save You From A Devastating Disaster

Though the ghosts and goblins of the Halloween season can be pretty scary, they are nothing compared to the true horror that can happen if a disaster were to strike your business. Whether it is a natural disaster, fire, flood, theft, or human error, these type of events can be debilitating to your business if you are not properly prepared for them. Fortunately, there are three easy steps you can take to protect your business from the downtime and data loss that can result from a disastrous event.

(1) Choose The Right Backup Provider

Make sure that you work with a technology company that can provide you with both offsite and onsite backup, preferably with an option to be back up and running within 24-48 hours. The backup solution they provide should not only protect your data, but should also give you a backup of your programs and network settings so your business operations can return to normal as quickly as possible. Also, be sure that the provider offers security, support, and monitoring on the backup solution so they can head off any potential problems with your disaster recovery plan.

(2) Conduct A “Fire-Drill”

You also want to be sure that your provider does a periodic “fire-drill” with your backup where they are testing your recovery process to make sure everything you need is there. This is the only way to know for certain that your backup will work when you need it.

(3) Keep Your Backup Current

Finally, whenever you add computers, new software, or new services to your network, be sure your backup solution reflects those changes. This will ensure that you are backing up everything you need.

Who’s Keeping An Eye On Your Computer Network?

If No One Is Keeping A Constant Eye On Your Network, Your Next Computer Disaster May Be Right Around The Corner!


Can I talk straight?

99% of the business owners we work with wait FAR too long to have us check and update their computer network’s health and security. Because they are not performing regular maintenance, a nasty virus, malicious hacker, an unexpected software corruption, hardware failure, or DOZENS of other problems could catch them off guard and result in extensive downtime, data loss, and expensive disaster recovery fees.

That’s because most business owners are NOT performing regular maintenance on their network and, therefore, overlook these and other threats. At some point, disaster strikes and they find themselves in a real mess with a network that offline.

By then, the damage is done and it often costs thousands of dollars to restore their network back to normal. Even then it’s not uncommon for them to permanently lose irreplaceable accounting, client, and business data – not to mention the hours of downtime.

What saddens me even more is the fact that almost every one of these costly disasters could have easily been prevented if someone had checked their network’s security and health to remove these threats on a regular basis.

Which brings me to the reason I’m writing this today…

No More Excuses! Our Free Network Check-Up Will “Exorcise” The Demons Hiding In Your Computer Network

I know you are so darn busy running your business that you simply forget to think about the security and health of your computer network – so consider this a “friendly reminder” to get it done right away.

And to make it a complete “no-brainer,” from now until Halloween (October 31st), I’m offering you a FREE Network Check-Up ($297 Value) so you have no excuse for making sure that your computer network is safe not only from spyware and viruses, but also hackers, spam, data loss, hardware failure, software corruption, and a number of other disasters.

For FREE, We Will

Come To Your Office And…

 Check your firewall’s security settings to make sure you are protected from the latest hacker attacks, worms, and viruses.

 Scan and remove spyware that is secretly stealing your company’s bandwidth, jeopardizing the speed of your computer system, and embezzling confidential information about you, your employees, and your business.

 Check your network’s back-up system to ensure it is working properly and accurately backing up all of the critical files and information you never want to lose.

 Verify that you have the most up-to-date security patches installed properly; miss one critical update and you’re a “sitting duck.”

 Diagnose slow, unstable PCs.

 Perform a quick network “tune-up” to make programs and files load faster.

Why Should You Care About This?

Because there are literally dozens of ways hackers and viruses can access your network–undetected—to access and remotely control your network, corrupt your data, and use your network as a conduit for spreading spam, viruses, and even illegal software.

There are numerous system checks and updates that should be done on a regular basis to ensure maximum speed, performance, and security. Ignore them and your system will get progressively slower, unstable, and susceptible to viruses, spyware, and hackers.

Tape backups have a failure rate of 100% --that means all tape drives will fail at some point, often without warning. You don’t want to find out that your backup was not working the day after your hard drive fried.

Think About This…

What else in your business is more valuable than the data on your network? Just imagine how devastating it would be to lose it! That’s why this checkup is so important. We’ll conduct a comprehensive review of your network’s security settings to make sure your data is safe and secure.

Okay…So What’s The Catch?

I bet you’re wondering why I’d be willing to give this away for free. Let me explain…

I know from working with hundreds of business owners that the last thing on your mind is computer maintenance. You – or someone in your office – is probably not checking and verifying the integrity of your backups, scanning for viruses and spyware on a weekly basis, checking the logs to look for hardware failures, disk space limits, and other issues. And, you probably don’t know if you have the most up-to-date security patches in place.

That means you are at risk for a major computer meltdown. And if you will allow me to come in and review your network, I can prove to you how our easy, affordable maintenance can finally give you complete peace of mind that someone is watching your network 24/7, 365 days a year to make absolutely certain you don’t experience a devastating disaster in your business.

After All, Don’t You Just Want Your Darn Computer To Work The Way It’s Supposed To?

That’s why I’m making this offer. I know that we are hands down the best at what we do, but I don’t think it’s fair for you to risk your money to find out. I don’t expect everyone to become a customer, but I know that some will end up becoming loyal, long-term clients.

Here’s How It Works…


To get your FREE, no-strings-attached Network Check-Up, simply call my office at 508-992-2541. After we receive your request, we’ll schedule a convenient time for one of our technicians to come on-site and conduct a complete health check of your network. When we’re done, we’ll give you a comprehensive, easy-to-read report that will show any problems, threats, or vulnerable areas that need to be addressed.

If we discover a problem, we’ll also provide you with a recommended action plan and fixed-fee quote on what it will cost for us to resolve it. No hidden fees, no bait and switch. If you decide to hire us to do the repair (you’re under no obligation), we’ll get to work on it immediately.

And if we find out everything is safe and secure, at the very least you’ll breathe a big sigh of relief knowing the true state of your network’s health and security.

What do you have to lose? We’re making this as easy as possible to say yes – all you have to do is take 60 seconds to call our offices and we’ll do the rest!

The 3 Scariest Threats To Small Business Networks

While spam, pop-ups, and hackers are a real threat to any small business network, there are 3 security measures that you should be focusing on FIRST before you do anything else...

Worry About E-mail Attachments, Not Spam

Sure, spam is annoying and wastes your time, but the REAL danger with spam is in the attachments. Viruses and worms are malicious programs that are spread primarily through cleverly disguised attachments to messages that trick you (or your employees) into opening them.


Another huge threat is phishing e-mails that trick the user by appearing to be legitimate e-mails from your bank, eBay, or other password-protected entity.


Here are 3 things you must have in place to avoid this nightmare:


1. Keep your anti-virus up to date and enabled. Okay, this sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s not uncommon for an employee to disable their anti-virus software unbeknownst to you. Which brings us to #2...

2. Train employees on what they are (and aren’t) permitted to do with the company’s computer, e-mail, Internet access, etc. One thing that should be on the list is that they should NEVER open suspicious attachments or respond to phishing e-mails. We highly recommend creating an AUP (acceptable use policy) to teach your staff what NOT to do.

3. Put monitoring software in place to not only maintain the health of employees’ desktops, but also to automatically “police” employees from accidentally (or intentionally) visiting a phishing web site, downloading a virus, or visiting questionable web sites and content online.

Fear Downloads Before Pop-Ups

Did you know that most computers and networks get infected with viruses because the user actually invited the threat in by downloading a file (screen saver, music file, PDF document, pictures, etc.).?


Again, this comes down to training the staff on what they can and cannot do with your computer network; but the best way to avoid this from happening is to remove the temptation by installing monitoring software that will prevent employees from downloading unsavory items to YOUR network. We also recommend installing and maintaining a good firewall, which will block Internet traffic to and from dangerous sites.

Lose Sleep Over Backups Before Hackers

You are more likely to lose data from hardware failure, accidental deletion (human error), flood, fire, natural disaster or software corruption than a hacker. Sure, you should do everything to keep hackers out of your network, but not backing up your data to a remote location is crazy. At a minimum, you should have an onsite AND offsite copy of your data, and you should be testing your data backups regularly to make sure your data CAN be restored in the event of an emergency.

What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

Since we are on the subject of protecting your network, can I talk straight? 99% of the business owners I work with wait FAR too long to have us check and update their computer network’s health and security. Because they are not performing regular maintenance, almost every single network we review is completely overlooking these 3 security risks!


At some point, disaster will strike and they find themselves in a real mess with a network that is completely down (that’s when they call us in a panic). By then, the damage is done and it often costs thousands of dollars to restore their network back to normal. Even then it’s not uncommon for them to permanently lose irreplaceable accounting, client, and business data – not to mention hours of downtime.


What saddens me even more is the fact that almost every one of these costly disasters could have easily been prevented if someone had checked their network’s security and health to remove these threats on a regular basis. Which brings me to the reason I’m writing you today…

No More Excuses! Our Free Network Health Check Will “Exorcise”

The Demons Hiding In Your Computer Network

Since it’s Halloween, we’ve decided to “treat” all of our clients and friends to a FREE Network Health Check ($297 Value) between now and October 31, 2008.


For FREE, We Will Come To Your Office And…


• Check your firewall, anti-virus, and security settings, as well as scan for spyware and hidden viruses.

• Check your backup to see if it’s working properly and accurately.

• Verify that you have the most up-to-date security patches installed properly; miss one critical update and you’re a “sitting duck.”

• Diagnose slow, unstable PCs.

• Perform a quick network “tune-up” to make programs and files load faster.

Why Should You Care About This?

Because your computer network is the core of running your business. Try to imagine what it would be like if you walked into your office one day to discover all of your data was lost or corrupt. That’s why this check-up and regular maintenance is so important.


REMEMBER: Keeping your network safe is a moving target; the security updates you installed today may be rendered useless tomorrow because new threats are emerging daily.


There are numerous system checks and updates that should be done on a daily basis to ensure maximum speed, performance, and security. Ignore them and your system will get progressively slower, unstable, and susceptible to viruses, spyware, and hackers.

So What’s The Catch?

We are giving this away to introduce everyone to our Network Headache Eliminator plan.

This is quickly becoming our most popular service because it offers a simple, easy, and inexpensive way for businesses to eliminate their computer problems finally and forever. We take over complete responsibility for maintaining your network so you don’t have to worry about lost data, downtime, viruses, and other problems.


BUT—When you say “Yes!” to our Free Network Health Check, you are in no way obligated to do or buy anything, and you have our promise to NOT lay on the heavy sales pressure.

Here’s What You Need To Do Now:

To get your FREE, no-strings-attached Network Health Check, visit www.thinktechonline.com/network_audit . Or if you prefer to speak to me about this, call my office at 508-992-2541. After we receive your request, we’ll schedule a convenient time for one of our technicians to come onsite and conduct a complete health check of your network. When we’re done, we’ll give you a comprehensive, easy-to-read report that will show any problems, threats, or vulnerable areas that need to be addressed.


If we discover a problem, we’ll also provide you with a recommended action plan and fixed-fee quote on what it will cost for us to resolve it and continue to maintain your network under our Network Headache Eliminator Plan. No hidden fees, no bait and switch.


Should you decide to hire us to do the repair (you’re under no obligation), we’ll get to work on it immediately. If we find out everything is safe and secure, you’ll breathe a big sigh of relief knowing the true state of your network’s health and security—and then we’ll show you the fastest and easiest way to make sure it stays that way.


You Have Nothing To Lose And Peace Of Mind To Gain! But You Have To Hurry…

This Offer Is Only Good Until October 31st!

Call: 508 992 2541

Go Online: http://www.thinttechonline.com/

Tweeting Could Land You In Jail

The Associated Press reports that Guatemalan Jean Anleu may spend five years in a Guatemalan jail for his anti-government Twitter rant.  It makes him the first person in the world to be arrested for a tweet!

Using his Internet alias "jeanfer," Anleu advised Guatemalan depositors to "take cash out of Banrural and bankrupt the bank of the corrupt."  According to prosecutors, these words "illegally undermined" the banking system, violating a 2008 law enacted by the fledgling democratic government.

Foreign governments aren't the only ones concerned about the use of social networking sites.  Many US businesses are revising their acceptable use policies regarding company-owned technology to include social networking.  A recent survey estimated the annual cost to US businesses in lost wages due to personal use of technology on company time topped $1 billion.  FREE assistance with the creation or modification of acceptable use policies is one of the many benefits enjoyed by our Network Headache Eliminator Platinum clients.

                                

How To Save Hundreds of Dollars And Get More Done Using A VPN

If you’ve ever used an online software like Log Me In or Go To My PC to work from home or from the road, you know what a pain in the neck it can be. It only works about half the time, is usually slow, and you have to pay a fee to use it. But lots of companies these days want their employees to work from home or from the road as a way to cut their costs and get more done. So how do you work from home without the above mentioned hassles?

For less than the cost of a new computer, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) will provide fast, safe and secure access to your data and other network resources from anywhere in the world.

Until recently, only large enterprise organizations could afford to install and maintain a VPN. Today this technology is integrated into firewalls and other unified threat management (UTM) devices, making the VPN affordable to businesses of all sizes.

Which One Do I Use?

Remote control of your office computer is a great solution for those that occasionally find themselves away from the office at a fixed location such as their home. But for business owners and employees who travel a lot and need access via their laptops, remote control may not be the best solution. Typically, these folks need to use a VPN to be able to get work done quickly and seamlessly.

Advantages Of A VPN

The VPN is like a long cable that connects your computer to the office network from anywhere in the world allowing you to use a single computer for all your work. This reduces the capital expense for remote employees and makes it easier for your sales people or other road warriors to get work done. If you have multiple offices, a VPN can connect the office networks together so all employees have “seamless” access to company data they need.

VPN Helps Local Lawyer

While listening to trial testimony, a local lawyer remembered he had case notes from a deposition that would refute the testimony of the witness. Unfortunately, he could not remember the details and the notes and transcript were buried in the case information stored on the server in his office. Using his cellular wireless access card, he was able to connect to the server at his office using the VPN, quickly search for the case notes using the practice management software installed on his laptop, print it on his portable printer, and use it during cross examination.
 
Accounting Firm Hires Remote Talent

A small accounting firm we know found several, talented, potential hires located in nearby states. The candidates didn’t want to move so instead of losing the talent to their competitor, the firm allowed these hires to telecommute. Initially, this required two computers, one at the employee’s home and one in the office for the employee to remote control using Log Me In software. This was expensive to deploy, difficult to maintain and the limitations of remote control annoyed the new employees. If a VPN had been installed, the remote employees would have only needed one computer and could have accessed the data across the VPN just like those working in the office, saving them hundreds of dollars and countless hours of time.

FREE REPORT

The Ultimate Small Business Guide To Setting Up A ‘Work From Home’ Connection

Everything you need to know about working remotely. To get your FREE copy, simply call us at

508-992-2541 or download it at:

http://www.thinktechonline.com/free_vpn.htm

Are You Being Too Cheap About Protecting This Aspect Of Your Business?

Think back to the last time your server went down or you weren't able to get e-mail; remember how frustrating that was? Or perhaps you experienced a virus or other data-erasing disaster. Remember how painful that was to resolve?

There are very few business activities that don't heavily rely on your computer network, e-mail and data - and if any of these components stop working, business grinds to a screeching, frustrating halt. And with viruses and hackers becoming more sophisticated (and smart) about accessing your network, you simply cannot afford to NOT monitor the health and security of your network daily.

A network monitoring system is simply a way for a trained professional to watch over your computer network for slow or failing components, security breaches, and alarms that signify trouble is brewing. It can also detect signs that your backup is not working, that you're running out of space on the server, or that a firewall is not functioning properly. Think of it like a security camera watching over your entire network 24/7/365.

So if network monitoring is SO important, why aren't more small businesses INSISTING that their IT person put a system in place? One of the biggest reasons we see is lack of knowledge. The reality is that many businesses DO have their systems monitored for problems; and the bigger and more sophisticated the company, the more critical this becomes. But smaller businesses are often outsourcing their IT support, and unless their computer guy offers this service, they may not even know it exists.

The second reason is complacency; the belief is that, "If it isn't broke, why fix it?" This is akin to saying, "We don't need locks on our doors because we've never had our house burglarized." The reason you HAVE the locks is to prevent your home or office from being robbed - and the reason you have network monitoring is to make sure you DON'T have problems.

Plus, simple monitoring is cheap. For as little as 93 cents per employee per day, you can have a basic monitoring system in place.

Stop Malware Before It Destroys Your Data: 5 Simple Ways To Prevent Damage From Viruses & Spyware

#1. Install Business Grade Anti-Virus Software

The proliferation of free anti-virus applications has enticed many business owners to be penny wise and pound foolish. These programs are lacking several areas of protection vital to keeping a business network secure, and licensing is usually restricted to non-commercial use. We deploy only industrial strength protection products for our Network Headache Eliminator clients. They keep you safe without slowing you down.

#2. Install Real Time Anti-Spyware Protection

Over the last 12 months, spyware has grown from an annoyance to the #1 threat to your data. It is critical that business computers have real time protection (sometimes referred to as active protection) against spyware in addition to virus protection. Unfortunately most real time anti-spyware products conflict with anti-virus software. Our Network Headache Eliminator clients receive the benefit of our extensive testing ensuring they receive maximum protection and compatibility.

#3. Keep Anti-malware Software Updated & Running

Anti-virus and anti-spyware software must be updated every few hours. We monitor each system on our Network Headache Eliminator and push updates as soon as they are available from the software vendor. We also monitor and immediately restart your protection should it be turned off by the user, system error or previously unknown threat.

#4. Don’t Click On Email Links Or Attachments

We cannot say this often enough and this is the #1 reason given when we receive a call complaining about a possible infection. Links in a malicious email don’t send you to the location promised. Instead they redirect you to a malicious website. If you aren’t expecting an email with an attachment, it is likely malicious even if sent from friend.

#5. Use A Hardware Based Firewall Or UTM

Firewalls and Unified Threat Management (UTM) devices are a must for every business network. They are the first line of defense against viruses, spyware, spam and hackers. UTMs can block access to known bad websites and more.

For more ideas on protecting your network call us at

508-992-2541 or send an email to support@thinktechonline.com

Tips For Handling, Storing, and Disposing Of Confidential Documents

In the past 10 years, over 10,000 new regulations have been placed on the books by local, state and federal agencies pertaining to the handling, storage, and disposal of confidential client, patient, and employee documents.

A few examples are:

• SEC Rule 17a-4 Electronic Storage of Broker Dealer Records Graham-Leach-Bliley Act
• Financial Services Modernization Act
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
• DOD 5015.2 Department of Defense 
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 
• Fair Labor Standards Act  
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Act 
• Payment Card Industry Data Security (PCI DSS) 

No matter how small your business is, you are surely going to be affected by one or more of these new government regulations. Naturally some industries are more regulated, such as financial or medical, but all companies that hold information such as employee social security numbers, credit cards, financial statements (credit applications, bank statements, order forms) fall under these new regulations.

While we cannot cover every single aspect of protecting your company, here are a few tips that will go a long way in making sure you don’t end up fined, sued, or with a bad reputation for not securing your clients information:

• Seek professional help. If you think you are holding confidential information that should be secured, ask a qualified attorney who specializes in data confidentiality in your industry about what you must do to meet new government regulations. 
• Shred all documents that contain confidential information. A good shredder should do a cross cut or diamond cut versus a simple strip shredder to make it more difficult for someone to piece together a shredded document. 
• If you have to keep a copy of contracts or other documents that contain confidential information, contact a high-security document storage facility like Iron Mountain (ironmountain.com) and they will store your documents in a high-security location. 
• Keep a fire-proof safe with a lock and key for employee documents you need to keep onsite. 
• Make sure your offsite backups have 32-bit encryption (ask your provider). Also make sure the facility where the information is stored is under lock and key with security camera and access-controlled security.

How To Secure More Sales And Clients Using FREE Search Engine Marketing

With the economy tanking and businesses looking to cut costs every way possible, it only makes sense that many are focusing more attention on using free social media marketing to fuel sales and new customers. After all, almost everyone uses the Internet to research a company before buying from them; and if you are not coming up in the local searches, you are definitely missing out on a number of potential prospects who are ready to buy what you sell.

While there are dozens—if not hundreds—of strategies for being found online, I believe you have to walk before you run. To that end, here are a few simple, key strategies you can use immediately to improve your search engine ranking locally.

#1: Add yourself to the local search engine pages:

GOOGLE LOCAL
http://local.google.com/

ADD YOUR BUSINESS
http://www.google.com/local/add?hl=en&gl=us

YAHOO LOCAL

http://local.yahoo.com/

ADD YOUR BUSINESS
http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php

MSN LOCAL
http://local.live.com/

ADD YOUR BUSINESS
http://webapp.localeze.com/bizreg/add.aspx

Other web sites to list yourself include:

• CitySearch.com
• Local.com
• MerchantCircle.com
• Yelp.com

#2. Figure out a handful of “seed” keywords you will focus on.

While many online marketers will tell you to have hundreds if not thousands of keywords, the reality is that there are only a few key search terms people will be looking for.

The goal is to get 10 very well selected TARGET keyword phrases that will be worth the effort. These target keyword phrases should provide enough traffic, a spot on SERPs (search engine results pages) that you can potentially get top ranking in, and will provide the type of targeted traffic you most want.

Use your KEYWORD PHRASES in:

•  Page TITLES 
• Page Headers 
• Sparse bold or italic words  
• Internal linking (Coordinate things so that they match up; linked TEXT must go to a page with the same keywords in the TITLE) 
• External links coming into your site such as Twitter, YouTube videos, your blog (if hosted on an external web site), etc.

Here are a few web sites that will help you determine what keywords you should focus on:

http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

http://www.google.com/insights/search/#

#3. Add a blog to your web page and update it with a new article or post at least once a week.

One of the best is WordPress; however, you will need help from a web master to set it up. Another option is to set up a blog at www.Posterous.com or Blogger.com, which you can easily do in a few minutes.

Whatever you choose, make sure you write relevant, keyword dense articles that link back to your main web site.

BLOGGER.COM
https://www.blogger.com/start

WORDPRESS.COM

http://wordpress.com/

POSTEROUS.COM

http://www.posterous.com/

This blog replicates posts to Blogger.com, Tumbler and Twitter. To post something, simply send an email to post@posterous.com and it will instantly update the pages on all sites, as well as embedding photos and videos.

#4. Start Tweeting!

Twitter is nothing more than a mini blog that should be updated daily. The best Tweets include news, jokes, offers and quotes. Try to include at least one keyword in your Tweet.

TWITTER.COM

Create an account here: http://www.twitter.com/

Read Dan Hollings' work on how to use Twitter in your marketing: http://twittinsecrets.com/