PICS ITech

by Sally McGhee
used with permission from the Microsoft At Work Site

If you're like a lot of us, you get so much email every day that you might spend as little as 15 seconds scanning a message to determine how it applies to you. Now, imagine that other people are reading your email the same way. If they can't quickly identify the purpose of your message, they'll probably delete it or leave it in the Inbox for "later" -  if later ever comes.

In this article, I give 6 tips to ensure that your email messages are read and get the attention they deserve.

As part of our ongoing backup and disaster recovery process for our ITech S.A.V.E.S. customers, we have instituted a new Backup Guardian service. ITech S.A.V.E.S. (Storage and Virtualization Enterprise Server) is a managed backup appliance and disaster recovery solution takes very frequent backups (as frequently as every 15 minutes) and stores those backups on our on-site device as well as offsite in two geographically different data centers.

Starting this month we will perform monthly testing where backup files will be verified at the co-location level and the ITech Team will check the latest backup file and ensure that it can be restored. We will perform test virtualizations and actually bring up a virtual copy of our customers servers as if they were having a disaster. As each test virtualization is performed, the ITech Team verifies the file system, Exchange, and Active Directory by running various utilities. Results of these tests are available in our ITech portal.

If your company is currently not using our ITech S.A.V.E.S. device to protect your company’s data, I suggest you contact us right away to get the peace of mind that comes with knowing your data is protected. For more information please see http://www.itech-saves.com

used with permission from HP Small & Medium Business Site

Servers can do a lot of heavy lifting for a growing business, from securing data to enabling better sharing of company resources.  But it's sometimes difficult to know when, and if they're a smart investment. There are a few common scenarios in which a server can bring real benefits to a growing business -- read on and see if any of these apply to you.

You need networking capabilities to share files, printers or other resources
It is technically possible to set up a simple network without a dedicated server, with just a few PCs connected together. However, if you want to share databases, files, printers, or other resources, a server makes it much easier. In fact, servers are specifically designed for sharing, so you'll get better control, faster access, easier management and improved security. And who wouldn't want all that?

used with permission from the HP Small & Medium Business Site

One of the most challenging areas of the workplace is communication. It can often make or break your career. What you say to your superiors shapes their impressions of you, and, in turn, can mean the difference between being promoted  -  or being overlooked. While not all bosses are the same when it comes to communication, there are some general dos and don'ts to keep in mind. Here are five of them:

1. Do share your ideas
If you have a suggestion for a process change or potential improvement, don't be afraid to share it. Bosses appreciate employees with initiative and imagination, and they are almost always open to ways to help the business run better. You'll stand out from the crowd as someone, who's innovative and committed to the company's success, two qualities that can significantly boost your career and your professional reputation.

used with permission from Cisco

Every minute counts in a small company and wireless networks are a powerful tool for boosting productivity and encouraging information sharing. With untethered access to documents, emails, applications and other network resources, employees can roam where they need to and have constant access to the tools required to do their jobs.

Here are some of the ways businesses are taking advantage of wireless LANs:

Increased mobility and collaboration
•Roam without losing your connection
•Work together more effectively