Computer Tip of the Day – 4 Tricks for Using Gmail for Business

Gmail is the preferred email service provider for many people. People use it for business and personal purposes alike. Here are four useful tips to help you use Gmail more effectively.

Forward Mail From Another Client

If you have a business email address that is associated with your website, it can often be a pain to constantly have to go to your cPanel dashboard and log in. As an alternative, you can have your mail forwarded to your Gmail account. Just go to settings and click on Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Follow the instructions or ask your website hosting provider if you run into any hiccups.

Undo Send

What if you send an email and then suddenly realize that perhaps it wasn’t worded right or that sending it was a mistake? Click the Undo Send option that pops up in the yellow bar at the top of the screen if 30 seconds haven’t yet passed. First, though, you have to enable this option in the settings.

Preview Your Gmail Messages

If you have a large screen, you can enable a preview tab so that you get a pane to preview the beginning parts of your emails without even opening them. First, though, you have to enable Gmail Labs in the settings. You can then toggle between a preview pane, a vertical preview pane, and a horizontal preview pane. Gmail Labs is where you can get many features that haven’t yet been released to everyone yet.

Forward Entire Gmail Threads

If you want to forward an entire thread of emails to a contact right away, you can do that by enabling Conversation View in your settings first. When you click on the forward button, click on More and select Forward All.

For more computer tips and IT help, contact us today.

Business Technology: Don’t Ignore These Password Tips

a man sitting at a desk using a laptop computer

One thing that has remained a constant in the battle against data breaches in business technology. The importance of adhering to a well-rounded password policy. This should be outlined by the company’s network administrator and supported by management. 

If a data breach should occur, poor passwords such as “1234” or “password” are no match against hackers.  Any organization that wants to avoid a data breach should create and strictly adhere to a comprehensive password plan.

Password Essentials

A good password plan requires some effort on both the part of the systems administrator and individual staff members.  An effective system administrator will make use of tools that lock someone out after a few failed login attempts, force the requirement to select new passwords every 30-90 days and require staff members to use new passwords rather than simply reusing old ones. 

They also may be able to control the content of passwords by requiring the inclusion of numbers, symbols, and both upper and lower case characters when passwords are created.

Staff members should be informed not to use personal information such as their date of birth, addresses, or SSNs for passwords.  In addition, staff members should be instructed to always log out of applications after use, or employ a password-protected screensaver when they leave their desks in order to discourage others from gaining access under their login.

Termination – Voluntary and Involuntary

Many organizations allow their employees to log in to corporate applications from home or from their own smart devices.  When employees leave a company, it is imperative that the former employee has zero ability to gain access to corporate systems.  Employers must keep a comprehensive, up-to-date list of every application an employee has access to. Additionally, all devices from which they access corporate systems.  If an employee is fired, all passwords must be changed. Also, access cards, hardware equipment, and keys to buildings must be accounted for.

In the case of voluntary terminations, some employers will ask their former employees to vacate the premises immediately.  In other cases, an employer will allow the employee to fulfill what is typically two weeks’ notice.  Regardless, employers need to have a system access policy already in place. This ensures a smooth transition of the employee over to a former staff member.

If you would like to know more about creating a comprehensive password policy for your business technology, please contact us.

The Impact Of Automation On Managed Services

a sign that says we make it easy next to a cup of coffee

As technology evolves, the demand for automation of IT services to promote efficiency in operations is increasing steadily.

Since Managed Service Providers (MSPs) interact with current trends in technology regularly, they need to adapt to such changes to remain afloat. Striking a balance between cost, accuracy, and time when resolving incidences is critical for all MSPs and that is only possible through the automation of IT infrastructure and services.

IT Process Automation (ITPA) yields a significant impact on managed services and here is what MSPs can expect.

Managed Control

The notion that automation will deny management the opportunity to remain in control is not true. On the contrary, automating IT processes promotes managed control to allow managers to make decisions at various levels of the workflow. This is possible by deploying human checkpoints that access real-time information on different procedures through IM, phone, SMS, or mail.

The implication, in this case, is that process owners assume the responsibility of taking necessary action for the process to continue. Hence, they remain in control of all operations.

Enhances Cloud Transition

Cloud services are improving the way businesses operate, and for that reason, most companies are considering transitioning from conventional setups. The challenge is that this process can prove complex for some enterprises and that can affect their service delivery. By embracing ITPA as an MSP, you can overcome some of these difficulties. As a result, you will experience a seamless cloud transition and enhanced relationships with your clients.

Automation Promotes Customization

The focus of most entrepreneurs is understanding how they can align automation of their operations with their business requirements. Therefore, MSPs should ensure that this is part of their considerations in their service provision. ITPA allows you to automate workflows for common IT functions and create custom applications for complex procedures in line with specific business operations.

As a result, that will encourage profitability and maximum use of available resources since the emphasis is on core processes of the company. If you need more information on the impact of automation on managed services, contact us today!

Computer Tip of the Day: Computer Speed

three computer monitors sitting side by side in front of a city

When a new business ventures out or when an older business requires renovation of their policies and procedures for better productivity, the owner would ideally have operations running smoothly before proceeding with normal business activities. This is especially true with regard to obtaining and maintaining equipment. This includes desktop computers, laptop computers, phones, printers, scanners, and other common technology necessities.

The last thing any business needs while dealing with its customers is to get “stuck upstream without a paddle,” as the old adage says, and lose out on potential business prospects and loyal customers due to preventable problems. Though some difficulties cannot be avoided, as is the case within most businesses, there is a way to minimize the overall impact.

Improving Computer Speed

A common and frequently misunderstood problem that can be mitigated, if not outright eliminated, is slow computers in the business. The problem of slow computer speed within the business infrastructure can be attributed to many things. Things that a tailored IT support plan could serve to eliminate. Addressing this problem saves time, which in turn saves money. For instance, when a new computer is purchased, it typically comes with a lot of preinstalled software. This is called trial software, a lot of which is never used. The unused software running in the background of the computer can noticeably slow it down. Excessive software installations can also cause a computer to outright break down.

Another common facet contributing to slowness is computer hardware. One might have scored what appears to be a good deal on a laptop. However, why was it such a good deal? Is there a catch? Could it be lacking something? Computers are often sold with an amount of RAM memory insufficient for what the user needs to accomplish her specific tasks within a reasonable time. Obtaining assistance to add more RAM memory to the computer can make a world of difference.

In summary, an employee could spend more time at a computer waiting for the computer to work than producing for the company. This could be due to unneeded software, insufficient hardware, or a combination of both.

Please contact us so that we may help mitigate these potential issues.

To Keep Your Company Safe, Don’t Ignore These Password Tips

a person typing on a laptop with their hands
password tips

Smack dab in the digital age: we are at the greatest advantage for data sharing, retrieving, recording, and deleting. Gone are the days of pen and paper, briefcases full of important documents, and hours of sifting through paperwork and filing folders. Along with this ease of access, it sets everyone up more easily for data breaching. You have every precaution available in place, but if you are sloppy with password security, your overall security on the Internet is extremely compromised. Many databases and websites now have requirements for passwords that weren’t around previously. To make sure you are navigating the web as safely as possible, read on for password tips on how to protect yourself and keep your passwords safe.

1. Change passwords frequently:

To prevent others from knowing your password, change it every 30-90 days. Doing so will ensure that anybody with old passwords will no longer have access to your information, and will deter cyber thieves from trying to continuously guess yours, forcing them to move on to an easier target.

2. Reusing old passwords:

Never reuse an old password when changing it. Always come up with something new and different.

3. Have a unique password:

Do not use something simple when creating a password. Make sure it has a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, along with special characters and a variety of numbers. This further prevents people from guessing your passwords as they’re longer and more confusing.

4. Don’t use dictionary words:

Again, do not use something easy to guess. You want to make it virtually impossible for your password to be replicated by another individual. Using dictionary words makes it likely that somebody could guess your password correctly.

5. Avoid using personal information in your password:

Doing so puts your personal data at risk if your password is stolen. Avoid telephone numbers, social security numbers, birthdates, addresses, and things of the like.

6. Protect your password and trust no one with it:

No one should have access to your account but you, regardless of their relationship with you. Passwords should be kept private to lower the risk of them being stolen or misused.

By following these tips, you are setting yourself up for online safety and success. For more information on password protection or general IT support, contact us today.

Bluwater Technologies Inc. specializes in tailor-made managed IT services that can help you achieve your business goals.