According to ComputerWorld, two-thirds of all PCs in the world ran Windows 7 as of last month. They based this knowledge off of the statistics provided by Net Applications? monthly user share tracking. Here are the operating system?s statistics taken for the month of March 2015: 64 percent of users use Windows 7. 2 percent of users use Windows Vista. 18 percent of users are still clinging to Windows XP. 15 percent of users are using Windows 8 or 8.1. To be sure, Windows 7 is an excellent operating system that deserves some merit. Even though it was released in 2009, there?s still a massive user-base. Upon its release, it began to steal market share from the popular Windows XP operating system. In fact, its familiar user interface made many would-be Windows 8 users forsake upgrading just for the sake of efficiency. Surprisingly, Windows 7?s popularity is still climbing. It?s grown vastly more popular since the October 2012 launch of Windows 8, and since this February, it?s seen an increase of 2.6 percent. Similarly, Windows 8 and 8.1 haven?t grown significantly at all over the past four months. While Windows 7 users have little to fear for the next few years, support for the operating system will still expire come 2020; and considering the current trend, if Windows 10 fails to entice users to upgrade, the Windows 7 end-of-life event could be a repeat of the Windows XP end-of-life. If this happens, users around the world will be left without a supported operating system, and will be vulnerable to hacking attacks. This is why it?s always important to keep your operating system up to date and healthy with the latest patches and security updates. These patches fix major vulnerabilities that are revealed in operating systems and software as developers uncover them. Businesses utilizing Windows Server 2003, the next operating system on Microsoft?s chopping block, will be in a similar position, albeit for a different reason. For those who utilize Windows Server 2003 (which reaches its end of life this July), the idea of whether legacy hardware and software will be compatible with other, newer hardware is the primary concern. What?s your office?s current operating system situation looking like? Will you be able to keep up with the changes, or will you fall behind and run unsupported software? The answer should be clear; you can?t afford to fall behind. White Mountain IT Services can help your business keep up with the latest updates and patches, as well as consult you on how to move forward with upgrading both your hardware and your software to more recent (and more importantly, supported) versions. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to learn more.

That?s right. The open office actually decreased the overall performance of the employees. It was reported that these workers felt worse about their work environment, their performance, their attitude, and their co-worker relations; all from simply moving to the open office. This was due to a variety of reasons. Architectural Privacy vs Psychological PrivacyWhen you don?t feel like you can shut the rest of the world out, your ability to work can suffer because of it. This is called architectural privacy. It could be something as simple as shutting the door to your own personal office. Perhaps even the walls of a cubicle could be beneficial to you. But, the fact remains that without architectural privacy, one cannot reach psychological privacy, which can lead to higher performance and satisfaction in the workplace. Psychological privacy is the ability to control whether other employees have access to you. Even if they can just knock on the door to your office, the separation is still there, and can lead to a better work performance. By removing yourself from the group, you are also removing yourself from the constant feed of background noise that can disrupt your workflow. These factors can lead to impaired memory, aggravated migraines, and ulcers; stress-related symptoms that are common amongst those who work in open offices. Introverts Work Their WorstYour company likely has many different types of workers, and some of them are probably introverts; people who work best when they are isolated from the group, or are generally not very sociable. Solitude generally leads to more creative behavior, so closed offices are ideal for the introverts, who can really allow their unique abilities to shine without the distractions of the open office. In the open office, an introvert?s abilities are severely limited by background noise and disruptive conversation. Too Much MultitaskingCollaboration might have been the goal of the open office, but moving from one task to another has been proven to reduce overall work performance. It takes a lot of mental effort to help one person after another, all while trying to do your own work. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal, it takes about 27 minutes to regain focus on a particular task after being dragged away by a meeting, a phone call, or helping a coworker with something. This can easily add up to hours of lost time, depending on how much multitasking and distraction occurs in your workplace. Can Technology Save the Open Office?For virtually every challenge faced in the office, there exists a business technology to alleviate it. However, given that the productivity problems of the open office go into human psychology and worker personality traits, it?s difficult to find a technological solution to offset such deep-seated problems as these. Solutions like apps that play ambient noise and giving workers mobile technology along with a reliable WiFi network will give them the ability to move to a quieter part of the room if they need to, but ultimately, these are just band-aid solutions and can?t totally offset 100 percent of the distractions found in the open office. These problems, amidst others such an atmosphere that?s conducive to spreading germs and illness, are some of the biggest reasons why private offices may be the most beneficial option for your employees. What?s your office […]

That?s right. The open office actually decreased the overall performance of the employees. It was reported that these workers felt worse about their work environment, their performance, their attitude, and their co-worker relations; all from simply moving to the open office. This was due to a variety of reasons. Architectural Privacy vs Psychological PrivacyWhen you don?t feel like you can shut the rest of the world out, your ability to work can suffer because of it. This is called architectural privacy. It could be something as simple as shutting the door to your own personal office. Perhaps even the walls of a cubicle could be beneficial to you. But, the fact remains that without architectural privacy, one cannot reach psychological privacy, which can lead to higher performance and satisfaction in the workplace. Psychological privacy is the ability to control whether other employees have access to you. Even if they can just knock on the door to your office, the separation is still there, and can lead to a better work performance. By removing yourself from the group, you are also removing yourself from the constant feed of background noise that can disrupt your workflow. These factors can lead to impaired memory, aggravated migraines, and ulcers; stress-related symptoms that are common amongst those who work in open offices. Introverts Work Their WorstYour company likely has many different types of workers, and some of them are probably introverts; people who work best when they are isolated from the group, or are generally not very sociable. Solitude generally leads to more creative behavior, so closed offices are ideal for the introverts, who can really allow their unique abilities to shine without the distractions of the open office. In the open office, an introvert?s abilities are severely limited by background noise and disruptive conversation. Too Much MultitaskingCollaboration might have been the goal of the open office, but moving from one task to another has been proven to reduce overall work performance. It takes a lot of mental effort to help one person after another, all while trying to do your own work. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal, it takes about 27 minutes to regain focus on a particular task after being dragged away by a meeting, a phone call, or helping a coworker with something. This can easily add up to hours of lost time, depending on how much multitasking and distraction occurs in your workplace. Can Technology Save the Open Office?For virtually every challenge faced in the office, there exists a business technology to alleviate it. However, given that the productivity problems of the open office go into human psychology and worker personality traits, it?s difficult to find a technological solution to offset such deep-seated problems as these. Solutions like apps that play ambient noise and giving workers mobile technology along with a reliable WiFi network will give them the ability to move to a quieter part of the room if they need to, but ultimately, these are just band-aid solutions and can?t totally offset 100 percent of the distractions found in the open office. These problems, amidst others such an atmosphere that?s conducive to spreading germs and illness, are some of the biggest reasons why private offices may be the most beneficial option for your employees. What?s your office […]

However, you don?t want to take advice from just anyone. There are several things that you should be careful of when seeking a consultant. What You Shouldn?t Do Make consultation your only option. Outsourcing can be a valuable tool for businesses who need to accomplish a lot with a small staff, but if you spread your team too thin, you won?t know what?s going on. If you lose control of things, you might think that consultation is the only way out of the mess. Don?t fall into this trap. You should always know what needs to be done and how to do it. Confuse your responsibilities with your consultation agency?s. This is simply a matter of priority and responsibility. When you set out to receive business or IT consultation, both parties should know what they will be responsible for doing. Map it out beforehand and discuss it until you come to an agreement. Then, feel free to move forward. Lose sight of your true goal. With so much going on, it?s easy to forget what your goals are. Don?t let this happen to you. Take some time to outline what your goals are and when you want to accomplish them by. Consultants can help you gather information and build this outline. What You Should Do Avoid ambiguity. This is all about communication and making sure that everyone is on the same page. If your consultant doesn?t know what your plans are, or assumes too much, you won?t get accurate advice. Avoid this by remaining open. Find the perfect fit. On occasion, you?ll find yourself in a situation when entrusting an entire project to a consultant is beneficial. You want to make sure that you can trust the consultant to finish the project on time and within budget. To this end, only hire those who have proven their worth and have experience in the field. They might look good on paper, but nothing beats a trial run. Take responsibility for your actions. Once you make a decision, it?s with you until the end. Be prepared to accept the responsibility for what you do, especially if it?s bad. Don?t blame others, such as your consultant, for your mistakes. To this end, make sure that you hire someone who has skills that you yourself don?t have. This minimizes the chances that you?ll be stuck in a situation you don?t understand. At White Mountain IT Services, we know that operating a business is stressful, and that you have a lot on your plate. We always keep our clients in the loop and advise them every step of the way in their IT and business adventure. At the heart of our managed IT and consultation services, we are professionals who want nothing more than to see our clients succeed. White Mountain IT Services can perform any function of an in-house IT department without the need for extra salaries and expenses. If you can use a hand in outrunning the competition, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800. We?ll provide you with our expert opinions, as well as a technology roadmap that plans for the future, that will give you an edge on others in your industry.

However, you don?t want to take advice from just anyone. There are several things that you should be careful of when seeking a consultant. What You Shouldn?t Do Make consultation your only option. Outsourcing can be a valuable tool for businesses who need to accomplish a lot with a small staff, but if you spread your team too thin, you won?t know what?s going on. If you lose control of things, you might think that consultation is the only way out of the mess. Don?t fall into this trap. You should always know what needs to be done and how to do it. Confuse your responsibilities with your consultation agency?s. This is simply a matter of priority and responsibility. When you set out to receive business or IT consultation, both parties should know what they will be responsible for doing. Map it out beforehand and discuss it until you come to an agreement. Then, feel free to move forward. Lose sight of your true goal. With so much going on, it?s easy to forget what your goals are. Don?t let this happen to you. Take some time to outline what your goals are and when you want to accomplish them by. Consultants can help you gather information and build this outline. What You Should Do Avoid ambiguity. This is all about communication and making sure that everyone is on the same page. If your consultant doesn?t know what your plans are, or assumes too much, you won?t get accurate advice. Avoid this by remaining open. Find the perfect fit. On occasion, you?ll find yourself in a situation when entrusting an entire project to a consultant is beneficial. You want to make sure that you can trust the consultant to finish the project on time and within budget. To this end, only hire those who have proven their worth and have experience in the field. They might look good on paper, but nothing beats a trial run. Take responsibility for your actions. Once you make a decision, it?s with you until the end. Be prepared to accept the responsibility for what you do, especially if it?s bad. Don?t blame others, such as your consultant, for your mistakes. To this end, make sure that you hire someone who has skills that you yourself don?t have. This minimizes the chances that you?ll be stuck in a situation you don?t understand. At White Mountain IT Services, we know that operating a business is stressful, and that you have a lot on your plate. We always keep our clients in the loop and advise them every step of the way in their IT and business adventure. At the heart of our managed IT and consultation services, we are professionals who want nothing more than to see our clients succeed. White Mountain IT Services can perform any function of an in-house IT department without the need for extra salaries and expenses. If you can use a hand in outrunning the competition, give White Mountain IT Services a call at (603) 889-0800. We?ll provide you with our expert opinions, as well as a technology roadmap that plans for the future, that will give you an edge on others in your industry.