5G is About to Change How We Do Business…Maybe

a man standing on top of a tall building

Technology is always moving forward, of course, but the roll-out of 5G mobile and data communication promises to introduce an exponential shift in how people live their lives, as well as how companies will operate their organizations.

Although in 2019 the roll-outs will be limited to some select larger cities, a more comprehensive roll-out is expected for 2020. Now is the ideal time for companies to learn more about this potentially exciting technology and consider how they might want to prepare for its eventual complete distribution.

Intranet Planning

5G technology promises to at least double the speed currently found in intranet communication. Rather than relying on large, distant cell towers for communication, 5G technology employs router-like nodes spread throughout an area. For large buildings, this means nodes strategically placed on all floors, transmitting high-frequency signals simply from floor to floor, thus greatly enhancing the rate of communication speeds within connected areas. 5G is also incredibly fast on its own. With its simultaneous upload and download capabilities, data movement goes far beyond old megabyte speeds, to ultrafast gigabyte speeds.

The Internet of Things

Interconnected devices and sensors will also be able to make good use of faster 5G speeds, potentially speeding up countless automated processes. For example, air travel will become safer and less prone to glitches that annoy passengers, as every system within the airframe will continually report its status, second by second.

Later Down the 5g Road

Delivery of goods that businesses use to make their own products will become more timely, as more and more traffic control and driving features are automated. 5G nodes will enhance your ability to route traffic more efficiently by quickly reporting on:

  • Traffic jams
  • Accidents
  • Weather Conditions
  • Traffic Signal Outages

Essentially all the unforeseen things slow down the movement of both products and people.

We Know The Secret To Hiring Great Employees

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At Bluwater Technologies, we understand employees are one of the most important assets of a company, especially when a company provides services that require a high level of commitment to corporate clients. We are dedicated to hiring employees who possess not only a high degree of technical skills and knowledge but who are effective problem solvers as well. By following a well-rounded evaluation assessment plan for each prospective employee, we are able to have an “extra edge” when it comes to hiring only those who are able to meet, as well as exceed customer expectations.

Beyond Skills

Of course, we recognize it is vitally important for any prospective employee to possess a high level of technical knowledge and skills in order to provide outstanding service to our clients. However, we go the extra mile by developing a profile of each prospective candidate in order to assess traits such as:

  • Their ability to work with a wide variety of client styles, 
  • Leadership skills, 
  • Communication skills within a team,
  • Problem-solving skills, 
  • and their ability to effectively manage stress and resolve conflicts.

By taking this holistic approach to the overall hiring process, we are able to find the team members best suited to work with our clients.

Successful Onboarding

Once we select a new hire, we know the hiring process doesn’t stop on the first day of employment. In order for new employees to succeed in meeting the needs of our clients, we need to continue investing in our employees. This process starts right away by following an onboarding plan for each new hire. We encourage open communication with our employees and actively engage with new hires early on, encouraging them to feel part of the team as quickly as possible. We convey our corporate mission to new hires, as well as our goals and expectations. As we increase our own levels of productivity more effectively through the process of active onboarding, it enables us to increase our level of service to clients. 

If you would like to know more about Bluwater Technologies and our great team members, please contact us.

Computer Tip of the Day — How to Disable Automatic Update In Windows 10

a computer desk topped with two monitors and a keyboard

One of the new features of Windows 10 is that it automatically updates itself, and there is no real way to turn it off in the Home version. Although updating your Windows system is crucial to staying safe in the cyber world, there are times when automatic updates aren’t wanted. For example, if you have work to finish at a certain deadline, you don’t want to have to sit through an update and reboot. It’s also bad if you have a limited or slow internet connection and you want to wait until you get to a quicker internet connection before you update. Here’s how to get around the automatic update feature.

Set Your Network as Metered

Cellular networks and mobile hotspots are automatically set as metered, but you can set any Wifi connection as metered. Metered connections won’t download updates automatically. Go to your Wifi settings, click on Manage Known Networks, choose your network, and click on Properties to do this.

Change Reboot Hours

If you go to your Updates settings, you can set hours when Windows won’t automatically restart. Just set the hours that it should restart, which can be at night. However, your computer will have to be powered on then for the update to be installed. It also won’t stop the update from downloading during your non-active hours — it just won’t reboot then.

Show or Hide Update Tool

There is a show or hide update troubleshooting tool that you can download from the Microsoft website. Using this tool, you can set certain updates to be hidden. Hidden systems and driver updates won’t be downloaded automatically.

For more computer help, just contact us!

Upgrading the Small Business

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Successful businesses usually start off as visions to be realized only through a duration of hard work. Regardless of whether the business is started in the home or in a more industrialized area, however, a successful business will generally grow and when that happens, in most cases, the computer technology needs of the business will change — computer equipment will need to be upgraded. Entrepreneurs, particularly those running relatively small businesses, typically start off with gear that’s being stored in a closet or already sitting on a desktop. If there’s strong speculation that profits will be coming in or that upgrading equipment will help generate more profit, it’s time to upgrade computer equipment. 

Coming to an understanding of what equipment is needed does not have to be a painstaking task. Neither does learning how to use it. Learning to use computer equipment could be considered a business expense at first, whether it’s time or money being spent. But once minimal knowledge is obtained, it will pay off in the long run. Consequently, saving costs on having to outsource technical support to computer-support firms. There is no exact science, however, on how or when the assistance of computer-support technicians may be used. Through self-study, one may learn what is needed only as it becomes necessary. Whatever the case, the internet is generally the best friend of the small business owner when starting the business. A plethora of information exists therein that can save on having to consult computer-help firms.

Managed Services

In many cases, entrepreneurs starting out don’t have time to research some of the money-saving bits of information that can be obtained from the internet to efficiently run the computer equipment they’re using. In some cases, self-managing computer equipment can also bring on damaging results. This is due to a general lack of insight as to how the technology works. Bluewater Technologies specializes in starting, building, and upgrading successful businesses. Please contact us if assistance is needed in the management of computer equipment.

4 Tips for Being More Productive With Chromebooks

an open laptop computer sitting on top of a table

Although Chromebooks is not nearly as powerful and not nearly as widespread as Windows or Mac machines are, it is still a worthy competitor.

More and more people, including schools and businesses, are using Chromebooks and are benefiting from their lightweight style, quick startup, and simplicity. Here are four tips for using Chromebooks for work and for being more productive while doing so.

Use Android Apps

The newer Chromebooks come pre-installed with Google Play, and some older Chromebooks can get it through an update. There are many Android apps that you can use to increase your productivity. Until now, you only had Google Docs to write in. Now you can download the Microsoft Word app or an alternative like WPS Office. You can also download useful apps such as Evernote, Skype for Business, and even Metatrader 4.

Use Chromebooks Offline

Although Chromebooks are primarily designed to be used with an internet connection, they can definitely be used offline as well. Google Docs can be made to sync offline so that you can use it without wifi and have all changes synced when you get back online. You can also sync your Google Drive storage to be used offline. Again, Android apps will come in handy offline as well.

Split Screens

Chromebooks usually have smaller screens, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have more than one window open at once. You can resize windows just as you can on Windows devices. You can drag tabs to open them in a new window if you need to compare two things side by side. Apps can be opened over Chrome. Pro tip: To quickly split a window so that it appears only on the right-hand or left-hand side of the screen, click Alt + [ or Alt + ].

Use Voice Typing

Getting carpal tunnel syndrome? Google Docs has a voice typing feature that lets you speak into a microphone and have your voice converted into text. Of course, make sure to proofread your work.

Contact us today for more IT and computer tips.