What Is the Cloud? Most people today use cloud services, but they may not completely understand what the cloud is. Essentially, the cloud is computing that is hosted on what is effectively rented hardware. Anything you can do with your onsite IT, you can pretty much do with cloud computing resources. Cloud options are typically managed and maintained by the provider while also being made available for a static monthly rate. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), the leading cloud service is often priced per user, while Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platforms are billed per gigabyte. The benefit of cloud computing is that businesses and individuals can get high-tech tools through cloud providers at a fraction of the cost than they would pay to set up their own private cloud platform with the applicable licenses and the hosting and management of that hardware. This provides the opportunity to fit the solutions to your business without taking on the often hefty expenses associated with implementing new information systems. Cloud Options As stated above there are options for most parts of your business, including: Hardware For the business that needs extra computing resources for specific applications or for application development, the cloud is a good resource. Moreover, many businesses have chosen to virtualize their local resources and run their systems in virtualized environments, allowing them to maximize their investment into their hardware systems. Software This covers a lot of ground. Let?s look at some of the most popular options: Line of Business – Many businesses have chosen to host their line of business software in the cloud. While they lose control over the management of the software, they do pick up some serious benefits including anywhere/anytime access to the software with an Internet connection and cost stabilization provided by the hosted environment. Productivity – Today there are numerous software titles developed just for productivity. Titles like Microsoft Office 365 and Google?s G Suite are two of the most utilized cloud productivity options. They provide the software needed to be productive with integrations designed to enhance collaboration. Communication – Solutions like Hosted VoIP have revolutionized business communications, providing businesses with the telephone system and conferencing features they need to connect remote and in-house teams, alike. Security – Today, there are many network security tools available through the cloud. Not only does this reduce the management costs a business is responsible for, it also ensures that, since it is delivered as a service, that it gets the coverage it needs to keep their business secure. The cloud has also made the Internet of Things relevant. Businesses of all types, and individuals, use a litany of smart devices and ?things?. In fact, today there are dozens of different cloud-based platforms available through your pick of reliable cloud hosting services. To get more information about how cloud computing can help you build a more productive and efficient business call the IT experts at White Mountain IT Services today at (603) 889-0800.
What Is Video Conferencing? For the business that holds regular meetings, not having your team in the office can be a major hindrance. People get behind on their work, messages get crossed, and business slows down. To promote efficiency, businesses need a way to have the meetings they depend on when it is impossible for them to be at the same location. A video conferencing system works by allowing individuals to have virtual meetings over an Internet connection using devices with built-in ( or stand-alone) webcams. In being able to bring people together, share ideas and data, video conferencing can get entire teams on the same page in a manner that is much more effective than audio-only conferencing solutions. What Are Some of the Features of a Video Conferencing Solution? If you are in the market for a solution that will allow you to get your team together from anywhere, there are dozens of them on the market. What you will have to weigh are the features that you want to have. Let?s take a look at some of the best features that are offered with video conferencing solutions: An Acoustic Fence – This feature provides noise canceling in a designated meeting area. Interoperability – As was mentioned above, there are dozens of different video conferencing solutions, but they need to work with one another to ensure that whatever solution you choose, you can get through to people that have a different solution. Speaker tracking – Today?s solutions mostly all have a feature called speaker tracking that follows the participant?s voices and shows the person who is speaking on the screen. 70-Degree Field of View – To get the coverage your team needs, choosing a solution that has a medium focal length that provides solid coverage is important. Software Integration – With solid software integrations, sharing and broadcasting files is much simpler. Content Sharing – Speaking of sharing files, having integrated content sharing can go a long way to making your solution work for your entire business. If your business is in the market for a dynamic video conferencing solution to improve your business? communications, call the IT professionals at White Mountain IT Services today at (603) 889-0800.
1. Keep Your Team Involved Your team is going to be one of?if not the?the most vital resources you have during any crisis. Therefore, your ability to remain positive amidst a disaster event is going to be strongly influenced by how you work with the other people in the office, even if you?re not actually in the office. Keep everyone in the loop? as appropriate. Too many people naturally respond to a crisis by falling back and withholding as much information as possible. Don?t do this. All this will do is encourage rumors to start (distracting from the productivity you are trying to salvage) as well as prevent you from communicating with your team effectively. Having said that, there is a difference between keeping your team apprised of how things are going, and oversharing. If something shouldn?t be disclosed to the team, or you are unprepared to give a complete enough answer to them, tell them that. While remaining honest and straightforward with your team is important, sharing incomplete information or private matters is not the way to go about it. Lead by example. Your team is apt to internalize some of your actions as a leader and interpret them as the way that the business is to operate in troublesome times. While some adjustments must be made in response to any circumstance?many on the fly?you also need to show that you have some control of the situation. Make sure that you are seeing to all your usual responsibilities as the boss, in addition to whatever your circumstances have thrown on your plate. Your employees may just do the same. Believe in your employees. Consider the talent you currently have employed at your business. Once you have figured out what can be done to handle a situation, assign elements of that plan to the people that you know have the capability to handle it. Lean on their talents?after all, they are there to support you. 2. Adjust Your Operations It only stands to reason that any emergency or disaster will require some level of modification to your processes. While it may be too late to do this now, it is generally best to consider these modifications proactively. Figure out where you stand. Here?s the thing: you aren?t going to be able to make the necessary alterations to your business? processes without some understanding of how the situation specifically applies to your business. Identifying what would happen?or is actively happening?and what impact it will have allows you to better predict how your operations will be influenced. This enables you to come up with alternatives to put into action. Ask yourself the tough questions. Once you have an idea of what to expect, figuring out how to mitigate these expectations will require you to make some tough, but necessary, choices. Start with the simpler ones, such as who will take on certain roles if the usual person gets sick or whether you will reduce the times your business is open. After that has been established, move to the bigger, tougher considerations; like, how you can help your staff and clients if they are in a jam, or how long your business could last if a shutdown became necessary. Adapt as you can to the situation. You may find that you have other […]
You Can Do More with VoIP While your main strategy is shifting to a VoIP system for your business? telephone needs, they provide many more benefits. By using bandwidth instead of a dedicated telephone connection, you have access to many more dynamic options. They may raise the cost of your telephone solution a bit, but it will still come in under what you pay for an enterprise telephone system from the telephone company. Security Baked In VoIP is much more secure to use than the traditional landline. This is because it is more difficult to secure an analogue system then it is to secure a digital one. With the benefit of built-in encryption, your VoIP communications are always secure. Perfect for the Remote Worker A VoIP system typically supports calling and messaging through a dedicated smartphone app. This means that any person that has a smartphone can have access to their work phone at any time. Best yet, the VoIP platform?s app will ring when an employee?s extension is called giving them access to all the VoIP features wherever they are on many different types of devices. VoIP Offers Automation Automation makes a big difference when you want things to run efficiently or you are trying to cut costs. VoIP has several different features that leverage automation to make the system easier to navigate. Call forwarding, parking, and other options can be tied to a VoIP account for a small additional investment. VoIP is a technology solution for all of your business? calling needs. Call White Mountain IT Services today at (603) 889-0800 for more information about VoIP and how you can get the telephone system you?ve always wanted for your business.
What is Ergonomics? While it may be a buzzword nowadays, ergonomics began as a philosophy to help your employees work more effectively. The basic idea was that a comfortably positioned employee was more capable of being productive than one who was uncomfortable, simply because the distraction that was to potentially be caused by their discomfort was no longer impacting them. While many might assume the opposite, this is potentially far easier in the workplace than it is elsewhere, like someone?s living space. Think about it?most offices are furnished with workstations, desk chairs, and technology meant to be used in a workplace. Each of these things are often designed with long-term use and productivity in mind. Unlike a vast majority of the items that your employees will have at home, these furnishings are therefore built in such a way that your team members will be encouraged to sit in what is referred to as a ?neutral position.? This position is meant to mitigate much of the pain and tension that can set in when someone is stationary for some time, as they likely are in the office. However, while the workplace has furniture meant to promote this kind of position, the home usually doesn?t. After all, the difference is easy to see when one looks at their workstation in the office and compares it to the chairs and tables found at their home. How many people have a recliner at their office desk, or a dining room table that can convert to a standing buffet? While maintaining the proper posture while working from home can be challenging, it isn?t impossible to do. Basic Ergonomic Best Practices To make sure that you are going home with the right idea of how you should be working, let?s revisit the neutral position for a moment. When seated at a workstation, a neutral posture should include: Your head held straight up and supported by the neck Your back well-supported by your chair Your shoulders relaxed Your wrists held straight Your limbs either held straight or bent at a 90-degree angle Your thighs resting parallel to the floor Your monitor at your eye level or just slightly below it. Now, while office equipment makes all of this relatively simple to achieve, your home furnishings may not? at least, not without a little bit of improvisation. Making It Work There are a few simple adjustments that your employees can make, especially with your support, in order to make use of the neutral position. For instance, if their monitor is too low, they could simply stack some books or boxes to raise it to the appropriate height. If they happen to have a laptop, making sure they have the peripherals to add to the onboard keyboard and mouse ensures that this fix is still practicable. Kitchen chairs can have their height and support levels adjusted with pillows, and if feet are left dangling, a small stool or another box can be used to stabilize them. It is important to remember that they themselves are an asset to their work, so it is just as important for them to take care of themselves as it is for them to take care of their workstations. This will help you optimize any work done remotely for your business. Meanwhile, White Mountain IT Services can […]
