Recent Blog Posts

OneNote has been one of the best pieces of software that isn?t fully utilized by most users in the Microsoft Office suite, including Office 365 subscriptions. It?s perfect for taking quick notes and organizing thoughts, and since it syncs with smartphones, it can be taken on-the-go. If you?ve been using OneNote for a while, it?s likely you are using OneNote 2016, which has been bundled together with Office (and Office 365). Now, you might also have noticed that other Microsoft Office apps received small updates every so often, but did OneNote 2016 receive any? Perhaps not? and for one particular reason. OneNote is Leaving Office OneNote 2016 will continue getting support from Microsoft for a little while, but the main focus for the OneNote app in the future will be the application that comes bundled with Windows 10. You might already have it installed on your computer. To find out, click on your Start menu and type onenote. You?ll see a couple of options: OneNote 2016 and OneNote. These are two separate apps. Microsoft is focusing on making OneNote, not its 2016 counterpart, the definitive version of the note-taking experience. What?s the Difference? Microsoft claims that the big difference between the two is that OneNote comes with Windows 10, making it much more accessible than it was when it was a part of Office. While it might still be bundled with Office 365 and Office 2019, OneNote will be available for anyone using Windows 10 by default. There are more new features that OneNote can write home about, too, including ways to share, sort, and dress up your notes with annotations. Furthermore, if you have a computer or tablet that uses a pen, like the Surface Pro, there is support for it that completely changes the way you experience OneNote. Microsoft has put together a comprehensive list of new features for OneNote, as well as a more succinct version for your perusal. Check out both lists here. This is especially important, as OneNote 2016 will not be getting new features, making the new OneNote app truly the best way to experience this kind of note-taking application. It?s a great tool that can be used to compile and discard notes scattered across multiple notebooks, or even loose scraps of paper that litter your desk. In the future, be on the lookout for a guide that can help you migrate your OneNote 2016 notes into the new version of OneNote. Until then, subscribe to our blog and let us know what kind of tips you?d like to see in the comments.

Consider the Security Issues of the IoT The Internet of Things has done a lot for people over a relatively short period of time. With more access and more information being tracked than ever before, people have more knowledge about their lives. For the modern business however, most of the IoT that is deployed for business purposes, are dependable, built-specifically-for-business, devices. The devices that are causing the most problems are the cut-rate devices that businesses will sometimes purchase to avoid capital outlays and consumer-based devices that staff and customers bring into the business.  A lot of consumer IoT devices have been notoriously vulnerable to cyberattack, resulting in being a point of entry for hackers looking to do more than syphon off a few files. From this entry point, a cybercriminal has plenty of opportunities to create major problems for a business by stealing data, hijacking these devices for use in a botnet, or simply as a revolving door in and out of a network.  Shadow IoT When your staff downloads software that hasn?t been vetted by your IT administrator, they call it shadow IT. Today, with the prevalence of IoT devices, businesses have to be cognizant more of shadow IoT. People have more connected devices, such as wearables, that you may not be cognizant of. With that many endpoints, there is bound to be one that isn?t updated or is completely unsupported. This presents a shadow IoT problem. In 2017, a study showed that every organization surveyed by an IoT security firm were found to have consumer IoT devices on the network that qualified as shadow IoT. Another report, from 2018, stated that one-third of United States, United Kingdom, and German companies have over 1,000 shadow IT devices on their networks every day. This creates a major problem since cybercriminals have been known to hack into IoT devices to gain network access, spy and listen in on conversations, and simply hold control over the device.  How to Minimize Shadow IoT There are a few things you can do to build a stronger, more proactive strategy to deal with the growing number of IoT devices on your network.  Accept IoT devices in the workplace. Rather than not accommodating these devices or blacklisting them completely, if you make it simpler for your employees to bring them onto your network through proper channels, they?ll be more apt to share them with your IT admin. Transparency and cooperation can be effective tools to get everyone on the same page. Keep IoT devices separate. You can partition your wireless network as to keep IoT devices (and software) away from core business systems. Seek out potential threats.  Over 80 percent of the IoT is fueled by wireless networking. By monitoring wireless signals for shadow IoT devices and networks, you can avoid IoT-induced headaches. The IoT is big and getting bigger; and, you need help to get your IoT threats under heel. Call us today at (603) 889-0800 to learn how we can help you manage your exposure to the Internet of Things.

There are several reasons why instant messaging can make or break your internal communications infrastructure. Here are a few ways it can benefit your organization. Fewer Errors Miscommunication happens, but a business setting is no place for this if it can be helped. If you fail to share the correct information with the right people, productivity could decrease and put operations at risk. Proper communication is able to minimize the risk of these errors. Increased Accountability When a business keeps its communications open all around, you might see an increase in companywide compatibility. This means that employees from all parts of your business will be forthcoming about their responsibilities for certain milestones in a process, keeping each member of a team productive, focused, and up to speed. Improved Teamwork Better communication leads to better cooperation, leading to problems being solved easier and quicker. In this way, communication can help your organization mitigate issues and solve them in a more efficient way. Furthermore, problems that span departments can be resolved without interpersonal issues affecting the work involved. Effective Problem Solving Communicating gives your team a better pool of talents to work toward a goal. It doesn?t matter if the problem is strategic or technical; this ability will give you more options to resolve an issue and benefit your business? operations. Instant Messaging in the Workplace All of these outcomes can potentially result from a messaging application?s use, as long as it?s implemented correctly. You want to make sure that the solution you intend to use works properly with your business? goals. Furthermore, an instant messaging solution is only valuable if your staff are using it effectively. Here are some best practices to consider for your instant messaging system: Keep it in check: There?s a fine line between your staff properly using instant messaging capabilities and aimlessly chatting all day. Encourage your staff to limit their conversations to those related to the workday. Remain professional: Conversations that occur through your instant messaging software should be focused on workplace matters and strictly professional. The instant messaging application shouldn?t be used to share jokes, GIFs, memes, or other silliness in excess. As always, moderation is key here. Don?t rely too much on it: Not all conversations should be held through your instant messaging platform. It?s important that you keep in mind certain conversations are better had in person or via email. What are your thoughts on instant messaging in the workplace? Be sure to let us know in the comments.

Smartphones in the Workplace Why don?t we start with the truth. Yes, smartphones are a distraction and largely a hindrance to productivity. Some businesses deal with it more than others, but a study conducted suggests that employees spend an average of 56 minutes per day on their phones. Since for the full-time worker that works out to about 1/8th of the time, that means that productivity is at least 10 percent lower than it should be. Until you factor in the other way that smartphones affect an employee?s performance.  Businesses today want their staff to be available more than ever. You don?t punch a clock anymore, you use software to track your time, so when a work-related issue comes up in non-work hours, waiting for the answer can make a big difference. The modern employer takes advantage of their staff?s reliance on their personal devices by effectively extending access to their knowledge around the clock (more about this later). With a chunk of the day being spent on their phones, the modern worker has to know that this behavior isn?t in the best interests of the organization. Conversely, management has to know that their staff can?t possibly care less about their concern. They get their salary–or more frequently their hourly wage–to come to work and do a job. They need to have a life outside of work, after all.  With this thought in mind is where companies start to go wrong. Managers realize that it is much costlier to onboard new people who don?t use smartphones, or who are less willing to do so, so they create archaic and completely unrealistic policies and are left scratching their heads when even their best performers don?t comply with the policy.  The truth is that since people are going to use their phones, making them understand where you stand on the issue is the best policy. You have to make it clear that you understand that people have hobbies and families and all the other things that have people spending all that time at work; and, ask them to respect the organization. In doing so you set a very solid guideline to what facilitates wasting time on phones that people will do their job and use their phones more sparingly. The fact is that trying to control an uncontrollable situation will leave you tearing your hair out and should be avoided if possible. Smartphones Out of the Workplace Outside of work is where the business can make up some of that ten percent. Since it?s obvious that everyone uses their phones inside your office (where it is taboo), it stands to reason that they will be constantly using their phones outside of the office. For the most part, this is true. Studies routinely show that people use their phones between three and four hours per day on average. That means that the average person is on their phone for over three hours per day outside the office. At first glance, this seems like a ridiculously high number, but when you begin to think about it, the smartphone is a major part of so many people?s lives that four hours per day seems about right. How long do you last without checking yours? This opens up opportunities that haven?t traditionally been there to engage […]

What is SQL Server? SQL server is Microsoft?s relational database management system (RDMS) application. It is used to manage the data found in the databases your company uses to effectively utilize applications. While there are several types of RDMS servers on the market, they typically have specific applications they are used with. The SQL Server RDMS has been updated numerous times in the 11 years since SQL Server 2008 was introduced and the nine since 2008 R2 launched, with all types of additions for new dataflows and cloud resources.  What Are Your Options? Since the end of support date is only four days away, your options are severely limited. If you choose to keep using the SQL Server 2008 or 2008 R2 titles, you will run into problems as any software that doesn?t get frequent patches and updates will inherently have vulnerabilities that hackers can use to deliver malware, steal data, and otherwise make your IT administrator?s life difficult.  Since it may be extremely difficult to sufficiently modernize a new in-house server before the deadline, Microsoft has extended organizations that use these RDMS titles a lifeline. They have offered three additional years of support as long as the organization moves their existing databases to the Azure cloud–a pretty solid deal since the software will no longer be supported otherwise.  By migrating your SQL Server 2008 to the cloud (in Azure), Microsoft will continue to support your software through July 2022. This extended support gives organizations time to come up with a viable plan without having to move forward with unsupported software that could present a whole litany of security problems.  If you are staring down the July 9th deadline, a migration to a secure Azure environment may be your only hope to avoid very serious security issues. For more information about RDMS platforms and hosting, reach out to the IT professionals at White Mountain IT Services today at (603) 889-0800.