Have you ever had one of those days when you head into the office looking forward to a “calm everything is as it should be day.” …and then your network crashes and your stress level goes through the roof? If so then you know how this unsuspecting used car salesman feels on a surprise test drive with NASCAR star Jeff Gordon.Give us a call we will make sure you network is as reliable as your Grand Dads’ old Buick.
Pragmatic Business Technology - When Your Technology Isn't Working, Your Business Isn't Either
All posts in General Tech
10
Apr- A
dd More Memory. An effective and inexpensive way to improve your computer’s performance is to install more memory (RAM). Unlike your hard drive which you store all of your data, adding more computer memory will speed up your computer programs, allow you to run more applications at the same time, and improve responsiveness. - Perform Regular Maintenance on your Computers. It sounds cliché, but like your cards, your desktops, laptops and servers need regular maintenance to perform at top speed and reliability. If you have a standard hard drive (not a newer solid state drive), defragmenting your hard drive will greatly improve performance on loading applications and files. Also you should periodically scan your hard drive for errors.
- Keep your Operating System and Software Up to Date. Running your Windows Update or Mac OS-X System Update will make sure you are running the latest version. This will make sure that any known vulnerabilities are plugged up and that any known performance related bugs are fixed.
- Run a Spyware Scan once a week. Although you may already have Antivirus software running, you should also install an additional Spyware/Malware scanner to clean up any thing not picked up or left behind by your web-surfing. Spyware does suck up system resources to do its dirty work, ultimately slowing your computer down and causing it to crash. And on top of that, they frequently steal data!
- Remove unnecessary programs from running in the background. Many computer manufacturers will load all sorts of tools and utilities and over the course of time of trying out programs, they will leave things running in the background even after reboots. Each of these processes saps a little bit of performance from your computer. Add them up together and you are taking up a large chunk of your resources. Uninstall programs you no longer need and disable those that don’t need to run in the background.
Although these recommendations will certainly help speed up your systems, it’s not a silver bullet. If your computer network is seriously out of date or constantly crashes or is painfully slow, find an IT support provider. Then it’s time to “Keep Calm and Call Triada Networks.”
02
AprMost small businesses and startups try to go it themselves when it comes to computer support. Many companies will pick the partner that is the most tech savvy or has a younger family member to help bridge the technology generation gap; heck they set up your home wireless network, right? Depending on your sophistication, you may be able to get away with it. However, here are some signs that may show that you are ready to look for outsourced IT support.
- The Computer Support designee at your company is doing more technology work than his or her “day job.” This is probably the most common thing we come across when we meet with new companies. Their office manager is doing more tech work than managing the office, or their nephew has gotten a full time job after college and can no longer help you out.
- Computers are running slower than they did when you first got them. Like your car, your computer is a fine tuned machine. It needs regular maintenance to keep it running properly and at optimal performance. Your outsourced IT support company can implement a proactive maintenance schedule that will get your computers back up to peak performance. This allows you to keep your computers for longer and get more productivity out of them.
- Pop-Ups, Spyware, and Internet searches going to places you shouldn’t be going to! With monitoring, scanning and education, these can be prevented. keep the barbarians at the gate and don’t let them in. Computer viruses, spyware, and other mal-ware have multiple ways in infiltrate your computer network: e-mail, bad websites, USB sticks, and CDs. A proper security plan will ultimately reduce risk, keep your data safe, and even save you money.
- Employees are spending more time surfing Facebook, YouTube and ESPN than working. We know you don’t want to be the Internet police and you would like to give your team the tools to do their jobs. However, your outsourced IT support company can help put together the proper filters including more freedom at certain times of day (lunch time, after work) to get their shopping or social networking done. But, don’t get too heavy handed. Unless you are in a regulated industry that prevents it, you may want to still allow employees access to their social networks; ultimately it can help you grow your business if it’s done right.
- Where is that spreadsheet I worked on last week? You’ve lost a critical file, presentation, or proposal. Your computer crashed and corrupted some important documents. Data loss has hit everyone at some time or another. It is a fact of life. But are you confident you can get back what you lost? What if your office is hit by a hurricane and your computers are flooded? Your backup tapes sitting on top of your server isn’t going to be much use and the copies you brought home last week are grossly outdated. Tape drives have an average failure rate of 100%- that’s right, all tape drives will fail at some point, usually without warning and when you need it the most. You could use an online backup provider that advertises on the radio (and for home users or for less-time sensitive data, it may be fine) but you’ll have to wait up to a week or more to get your files back. How did your business work during that time?
When your technology isn’t working, your business isn’t either. This isn’t just a motto or a throw away marketing line. We know this is true about our customers which is why we take making sure your computer networks are running optimally and available, very seriously.
If you are interested in a FREE Network Report Card, give us a call at 201-297-7778 or visit http://triadanet.com/free and fill out the form. We will come to you and provide a no-obligations assessment of where your computer network stands and hand you a report card.
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In this interview, Vito Mazza asks Raffi Jamgotchian, President and CTO of Triada Networks, what the 3 questions to ask before selecting an IT Consultant to manage your computer network.
Raffi shares insights from his experience service businesses in Northern New Jersey and Manhattan.
Offsite backups have been touted in the past few years as the answer to everyone’s bad habit of not doing backups. Once signed up for an online service it’s easy to ‘set it and forget it;’ but too many business owners don’t know what they are buying and end up paying a lot more than they should. They also end up shocked when they discover they weren’t backing up the right files or that they can’t restore the files as quickly as they had hoped.
If you want to make sure you don’t get burned by your online backup, avoid these 3 common mistakes:
Mistake #1: Not choosing an online backup service that offers a file versioning feature.
In the old days of tape backups when a proper tape rotation was used, it would be possible to go back to a specific version of a file from different time periods. In other words it was possible to restore a spreadsheet you worked on last night and three weeks ago.
Most online backup services only back up the last version of a file; so make sure you choose one that features file versioning and configure it for 60-90 days of versions on files that are frequently used.
Mistake #2: Backing up everything.
In most cases, only data files need to be backed up. Some business owners accidentally select their whole server and/or computer when beginning the process and end up paying to back up files and programs that do not need to be copied. This can lead to exponentially higher monthly charges with no added benefit. It’s often best to have a professional help you set up your backup criteria the first time to make sure you’re not missing files or data that might be buried a few levels deep—or backing up unnecessary files.
Mistake #3: Not having a local backup.
Online backup services are great as a daily backup and eliminate the headache of changing tapes, disks, etc. However, if you only have an online backup, it can take a few hours to a few days to fully download your data back onto your server. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have a current local backup using inexpensive hard disks or other mediums. Aside from being able to retrieve data a lot more quickly from your local backup, it can make the process of rebuilding an entire system a lot faster and less painful.
Want To Get A 100% Rock-Solid Backup Of Your Data To Ensure A Fast, Painless Recovery Of Your Data?
Call us now and ask about our Triada Protect and Recover Service: 201-297-7778. You’ll sleep easier at night AND save yourself a TON of cash, guaranteed!
11
MayIt’s the relationship you spend more time on than any other. It deepens every year. And when things go wrong, you become afraid, tearful, and in some cases so enraged that you lash out by throwing things—but you’re willing to go right back into the relationship no matter what happens.
What are we talking about? The bond you have with your computer. If you work in an office, chances are you spend more time staring into your computer screen than having conversations with real live human beings. And you probably spend more time at your PC than you do with your significant other, best friend, and even your kids.
According to research conducted by SupportSoft Inc., a firm in Redwood City, California, that makes software for computer help desks, people are spending an increasing amount of time at their computer. This survey also revealed how computer problems can unleash powerful—even dangerous emotions. When confronted with a dead computer, 19% admitted to wanting to hurl it out the nearest window, 9% felt stranded and alone, 11% used language normally reserved for special occasions, 7% did so loudly, 3% did so tearfully and another 3% vented their wrath on inanimate objects.
With these results it should come as no surprise that 48% said they would rather help a friend move than deal with a computer problem, and 30% said they felt more frustration with their computer now than in previous years.
Want to have a healthy relationship with your computer? Then check out our Triada360 service plan. We’ll make your computer “behave,” which will lower your stress and anxiety, reduce computer problems to zero, and give you more time to spend with REAL human beings.
201 Firenze Street
Northvale, NJ 07647
201-297-7778