Imagine an IT service that could revolutionize your business. The moment you sign up, your company will instantly be overwhelmed with oodles of dollars, raining down from heaven, via the magic of (drumroll please)...the Cloud. Have you heard this before? Okay, maybe this is a bit exaggerated, but we’re sure you’ve heard of the Cloud and the supposed revolutionary transformation it can have on your business. The real question is, what is its true impact? We’ll take a closer look in this article.

You might say that many businesses sign up for the Cloud because it is touted as a revolutionary technology. And if you’re one of those that has already hopped on the bandwagon, you may actually be among the soon-to-be disappointed.

The reasoning behind this is simple. Businesses who get the most out of the Cloud know which specific problems it will solve for their organization before they even sign up. They know which workflows and tasks can benefit from, and have their efficiency boosted by, Cloud technologies. And they’ve identified how the Cloud can rewire their work processes.

The true purpose of the Cloud

Did you catch the word “efficiency” in the block of text above? If you did, then you’ve identified the true value the Cloud brings to a business. Don’t believe the hype that the Cloud will somehow magically boost your bottom line. Although it has that potential, the Cloud is all about efficiency. It can save you time searching for important documents, updating software, and replacing documents stored on a lost laptop. And it enhances efficiency and collaboration among your staff. What's more, when your business is in the Cloud, your business is everywhere. And that means increased efficiency.

Where businesses go wrong with the Cloud

Besides jumping on the Cloud bandwagon without considering where it can benefit your business, a major reason the Cloud fails for SMBs is because they’ve chosen the wrong vendor. The truth is, some vendors are going to try and oversell you on Cloud services you don’t need. Instead of getting a whole suite of Cloud services such as software plugins, a new Cloud infrastructure and development platforms, maybe your business would benefit much more by just keeping it simple with Google Apps. Sometimes pork and potatoes are going to beat a steak. It really just depends on your objectives.

Secondly, if you’re a small business, make sure the IT provider you’re talking to caters to small businesses. If their target customers are large enterprises, you’re likely going to be overpaying for a service that doesn’t align with your business model.

Does the Cloud really add value to my business?

Have no doubt that the Cloud can improve efficiency if you know where to implement it. A study of 757 SMBs by Exact and the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research found that one in five SMBs surveyed had implemented Cloud technologies, and 78% of those were operating at levels above industry standards.

In conclusion, is adapting the Cloud going to instantly start making you money? Likely not. But it will impact your business in other valuable ways for the long run. You’ll have increased flexibility, scalability, improved processes and streamlined workflow. Is all this good for business? Well, what do you think?

To figure out how the Cloud can effectively fit into your business model, contact us today.

Are you tired of waffling around on social media in an attempt to boost business? Maybe you have accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit and more, but you seem to be making little progress. To make matters worse, you’ve gained less than 50 Facebook likes since starting out. What gives? Well, there are some sensible social media strategies that can pull you out of the trenches. Read on to learn how you can put them into action.

Undoubtedly, the most important strategy to use in your social media plan is...to have a strategy to begin with. Know how much time you can dedicate to social media, block out the hours to focus on it and don’t waste that time checking out friends’ vacation photos or celebrity twitter feeds.

If you don’t have a strategy, you’re going to waste time posting irrelevant updates that won’t engage with your audience. To help you plan an effective social media strategy, here are three crucial tips to get you off on the right foot.

Initially focus on the big three

Most social media experts agree that the three platforms that generate the most business leads, engagement and brand exposure are Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. When you’re getting started, your efforts should be primarily focused on these three. After you’ve gained followings here, then you can start forging paths into YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest amongst others.

Post at prime exposure times

Studies have shown that around lunch and dinner time are ideal posting times (since everyone is uploading photos of their meals). As for which days, many marketers agree your posts are most likely to get noticed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So these are the times to deliver those high-impact messages you’ve been randomly shooting out.

Find the value in your post

On social media, you should always be focused on selling your services, right? Wrong. Only 15% of your posts should concern news about your business and its products. The other 85% should focus on providing fun, valuable and timely content.

When you create a new post, you should ask yourself what’s in it for the customer. What do they get from reading it? Seriously, why is someone going to share your post or talk about your business unless it adds value to their life? Think about the posts you share personally. Do they provide value to your friends and family? We’re guessing the answer is yes.

For more tips on how social media can create buzz for your business, contact us today.

For businesses, maximizing profit while reducing costs is one of the most important goals. Since many companies nowadays hugely rely on technology, investing in virtualization could be a worthy decision in the long run. VMware is a software company that has offered cloud services and virtualization software for businesses since 1998. VMware has recently announced the release of its new vSphere 6 virtualization software. Read on to find out exactly what vSphere 6 is and how your business can profit from it.

What is vSphere 6?

After three years of development, VMware has finally released vSphere 6, the latest version of its virtualization platform. vSphere 6 is a cloud system that turns physical resources into virtual ones. It also allows users to run multiple operating systems and applications on a single computer. The new vSphere 6 is equipped with new capabilities to suit the needs of business users.

What are its new features?

vSphere was recently updated to version 6 and, along with the update, a number of new features were added that could prove useful for businesses.

• Content Library - This new function enables users to store virtual machine templates, applications, ISO images and script into a centralized management tool of vSphere, the vCenter. It is very useful when you need to install files or maintain your infrastructure. With Content Library, you can keep everything in one place, allowing easy access when needed.
• vMotion - Migrating data can be one of the most daunting tasks for administrators. With vMotion, you can move an active virtual server from one physical server to another without downtime. vMotion will retain the network’s connections and perform non-disruptive live migration with a high speed network connection. The whole process takes merely seconds to execute, so users won’t even notice that the server has been moved!
• Fault Tolerance - On those rare occasions when your company is facing power outage, the damage can be severe. vSphere 6’s Fault Tolerance protects up to 4 virtual CPUs and allows your applications to keep running in the event of server failures. This feature ensures zero downtime and prevents data loss. Fault Tolerance is needed for applications that require continuous protection.
• NVIDIA GRID vGPU - VMware partners with NVIDIA to bring high-quality graphics to their virtual machines. GRID vGPU provides exceptional graphics when sharing desktops and applications on a virtual server. In the past some applications were impractical to use on a virtual server, due to their need for high-quality graphics cards. But GRID vGPU can bring those applications to life on a virtual platform without the need to install a high-end graphics card.

The new vSphere 6 packs in a whole load of new features and innovations that will bolster many enterprises’ virtual performance. If you’re interested in integrating VMware into your business, contact us today to find out how.

From an early age, we’re all taught to be wary of strangers. Don’t talk to them, don’t smile at them and, whatever happens, do not accept candy from them! As we become adults, we know it’s okay to talk with strangers and meet new people. But as technology has evolved, there’s a new type of stranger lurking in the shadows who may still pose threats to even us grown-ups. And while they likely won’t offer us candy, they may be asking to connect on LinkedIn. So how do we handle it? Here’s a look at some reasons for accepting or rejecting that LinkedIn invitation.

Why to reject

Rejectors of stranger invitations have a common argument that’s hard to dispute. If you connect with a stranger, and a trusted member in your network (who you actually know) asks for an introduction to that connection, you may look a bit silly saying you’ve never met the guy. This scenario can obviously be a bit awkward. And LinkedIn rejection enthusiasts like to use this argument as their trump card to silence the opposition.

To go along with this, they may further ask what would happen if that stranger started requesting introductions to valued members of your network? Again, you might find yourself in an awkward situation.

The core philosophy of any LinkedIn invite rejector is that your network should be made up of people you know and trust. Some people see a connection on LinkedIn as an endorsement of that person. If strangers in your network have a bad reputation that you don’t know about, and others see that you’re connected with them, it could be a bad reflection on you.

Why to accept

More people seem to lean toward connecting with LinkedIn strangers than against. But does that actually make it the right decision? Why do people choose to accept invitations from people they don’t know?

People with 500+ connections appear powerful, even if most of their connections are with strangers. Seriously, think about it. Who would you be more likely to trust, a person with 70 connections or one with over five hundred?

More connections also mean a higher chance of being found. More and more recruiters are jumping on the LinkedIn bandwagon and, whether you’re looking for freelance work or for a new job, LinkedIn is a great place to be found. The more connections you have, the easier it is for you to appear in search results.

What’s more, a higher connection count can lead to your profile reaching a larger audience. If you have a business, feel like you have something to say or just want to speak your mind in a professional manner (save the posts about your drunken exploits for Facebook), LinkedIn presents an excellent opportunity to get your voice heard. And the more connections you have, the more people you’ll have the opportunity to influence.

The choice is yours

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to connecting with strangers on LinkedIn. It comes down to personal preference and objectives. If you want your network to be trusted individuals you actually have a relationship with, then it’s better for you to reject those stranger requests. On the other hand, if you’re looking for more opportunities and are self-employed, connecting with strangers can be a great way to drill up more business.

But there is middle ground, too. Maybe you don’t connect with just any old stranger (like that guy who works for the Bank of Nigeria), but if there is someone who is a friend of a friend or who works in your field, it might be worth connecting with them. Remember, your friends were once strangers too, so maybe that request from Bill who works at your local hardware store will turn into a blossoming business relationship. You’ll never know if you don’t try.

If you’re looking to learn more about LinkedIn and other social media platforms, contact us today and see how we can help.

We have become acclimatized to ever-present threats to the security of the information and files we share and store online. But we all still want our data to be as secure as possible and, following high-profile breaches such as the celebrity photo leaks of 2014, if anything the issue of online security is even more prominent in our minds. Since those leaks took place, the security of Apple platforms has in particular been the subject of public scrutiny - it is therefore good news that Apple has now extended its two-step authentication feature to popular applications FaceTime and iMessage.

After the fall-out from the celebrity photo leaks, Apple extended the two-step authentication process (also known as two-step verification) to iCloud, the online storage platform at the center of the scandal. The feature was initially introduced only to the user IDs for access to Apple accounts; the motivation for the launch of that extra security measure was the hacking of a journalist’s data back in 2013. But what is two-step authentication and how does it work to protect your data?

The premise behind two-step authentication, which experts recommend all businesses implement as part of their security strategy, is actually pretty simple. Usernames and passwords are all too easily stolen by malicious parties, whether by phishing emails or a more sophisticated hacking attack. So, rather than typing just your username and password to access your account, the password is teamed up with a four-digit verification code which is newly and uniquely generated each time you attempt to access your account.

The verification code is delivered by text message (meaning that to use the two-step verification feature, you’ll need to have a cellphone to receive the SMS on). As a result, even if a hacker manages to get hold of your password, unless they also have your phone by their side then they won’t be getting into your account. This authentication method is already used by organizations around the world including banks, mobile service providers and other companies who recognize the added layer of security that it brings. And now you can give yourself the same level of protection to ensure that only you can FaceTime your family and send iMessages to your friends.

Fear not, there’s a backup plan to ensure that you can still access your accounts if you happen to forget your password or if something happens to your phone so you can longer receive authentication codes. Apple also provides you with a 14-character recovery key that will get you back in if all else fails. To enable two-step authentication for your FaceTime and iMessage applications, login to your Apple ID account, select Password and Security and then click Get Started under Two-Step Verification.

To find out more about using two-step verification and other security measures to protect your business, contact us today.

Disasters, whether man-made or natural, can happen to anyone. While most people will admit this, a lot of us still have the mindset of “it won’t happen to me.” However, according to one study, storms and extreme weather alone have personally affected one-third of small business owners. And that doesn’t include other disasters such as earthquakes, fires or theft. So if you don’t want your business disrupted in the event of a catastrophe, it’s time to prepare for the worst. Here are a few ideas to get started with a business continuity plan that will ensure you are ready.

The difference between disaster recovery and business continuity

While it’s easy to overlook the differences between a disaster recovery and business continuity plan, there are actually some key variations you should be aware of.

Disaster recovery is the restoration of business operations and IT infrastructure after a disaster has already occurred. Business continuity, on the other hand, is focused on maintaining business operations and profits throughout a disaster. While disaster recovery is mainly focused on the slice of time immediately following a disaster (how you replace your equipment and restore IT infrastructure asap), business continuity looks at the bigger picture - the continuity of the company as a whole. It ensures you can run your business and maintain profits during the process of recovering from a catastrophe. It generally includes a disaster recovery plan as part of it.

Creating your business continuity plan

The first step in creating your plan is to identify which of your IT assets are vulnerable to disaster. To do this, you need to ask yourself some important questions, starting with what might happen if you were to lose the functionality of a specific asset for a day, a week or even longer. Answering this question will help you identify your most critical IT assets; the ones that are integral to your business operations.

Here are some other important questions to ask when drafting your business continuity plan:

• What is the purpose of my business continuity plan?
• What disasters can affect my IT infrastructure?
• What are my key business areas?
• Which different business areas, assets and departments depend on each other?
• What is the longest amount of time I can go without functionality of IT assets?

Once you can answer these, it’s time to start planning. Write down your thoughts, and then contact an IT provider like us for assistance. We’ve helped countless businesses just like yours prepare themselves in order to remain operational throughout catastrophes. We can also help you identify potential problems that you may not have thought of.

Need help creating your business continuity plan? Contact us today to see how we can help you stay running and turning profits when disaster hits.

 

Windows Server 2003 reaches end of support in less than 6 months.

At Pro Computer Solutions, all of our Managed Services Clients are completely SAFE from this serious security threat, because they have already completed, or are in the final stages of upgrading to newer, more robust solutions. Our customers are seeing real 2003, now is the time to upgrade – support for Windows Server 2003 will end on July 14, 2015.

What happens if we don’t upgrade? 

Windows Server 2003 instances will, of course, continue to run after end of support. However, running unsupported software carries significant security risks and may result in costly compliance violations.  As you evaluate security risks, keep in mind that even a single unpatched server can be a point of vulnerability for your entire infrastructure. You can read more about Gartner’s perspective on security risks here.

Good news – lots of business value to come from your upgrade.

Upgrading servers is not just a maintenance task. It provides an opportunity to deliver significant business value. Technology capabilities have evolved significantly in the last decade, with the emergence of cloud and new standards for manageability, security and productivity innovations.

If you are a small to medium size business in the greater Kansas City area, Pro Computer Solutions is ready to help you assess your current technology infrastructure and ensure you will be safe from this potential hazard. To find out more visit our website, or call us at 816-229-2290 to schedule an appointment.

 

If you thought your Facebook feed already contained enough pictures of funny cats and other wacky memes, then you’re in for a treat. Fueled by increasing consumer concern about the impact of social media usage on individual privacy - which has already led to the growth of self-destructing image sharing apps like Snapchat - a new arrival on the app scene wants to take things in a different direction to guarantee your privacy. Its secret tool? Cat photos - specifically, bombarding Facebook with lots and lots of them.

But there is more to it than that: the team behind social messaging app Wickr aren’t looking to post images of our furry friends just for the fun of it. In fact, the feline factor is just one feature of the app, known as the Wickr Timed Feed. Wickr actually promises to offer greater security and privacy controls than similar apps like Snapchat - but whereas Snapchat simply lets you set your images to self-destruct once they have been seen by the recipient, Wickr takes an alternative approach.

As well as allowing only pre-approved friends to see your photos within your Wickr feed, the app lets you share each photo through Facebook and control which of your friends can see it. So where do the cats come in? Well, when you first share to Facebook, no-one will see your photo - instead, they’ll see a decoy image of a funky-looking cat. However, Facebook users then have the option to click through to Wickr and, if they are one of up to 151 people you have pre-approved to have access to your real photo, it will be unlocked and the cat will disappear - at least, until the photo automatically self-destructs 24 hours later, as do images on your feed in the Wickr app itself.

If it all sounds a bit like security overkill, then that’s probably because it is. Sharing Wickr photos to Facebook also sounds a little cumbersome, and even more so the process for unlocking a cat-guarded photo, and this could have an adverse effect on widespread take-up of the feature. But it does address genuine concerns surrounding the far and often uncontrollable reach of images and information we post online. What’s more, it appears to be a way to prevent Facebook from claiming ownership of the photos we upload - as much a concern for professional photographers and companies using Facebook for marketing purposes, as for individuals using the platform to keep in touch with friends. Wickr claims that, because the cat photo is all that will be publicly visible unless the bona fide picture is unlocked, that will be the only thing to which the social network could claim to have ownership or reproduction rights.

Whether it catches on or not, the emergence of apps like Wickr is telling of the growing pressure for the usability of social media networks to be balanced with protection for their users’ privacy. It acts as a reminder to businesses to be aware both of potential issues with usage rights for corporate images shared online, and of the need to keep consumer concerns about data misuse in mind when designing social media marketing strategies.

To learn more about how to effectively put social media to work for your business, get in touch with us today.

For Android smartphone fans, the start of 2015 means the release of new products, and better ones too. The world of Android is full of companies ready to respond to customers with high expectations, especially when the number of smartphone users is on the rise. With an extensive range of Android phones out there, how can you determine which one works best for you? Here’s a glimpse of the top four Android phones that you can expect to arrive within this year.

Samsung Galaxy S6

If you’re a Samsung Galaxy S5 fan, the new Galaxy S6 will be just what you’re looking for. Samsung plans to change the overall design of this model following criticism of Galaxy S5’s conservative style. There are rumors about its quad-HD screen with 2560x1440 resolution, metal unibody, a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM, and better camera and battery performance. As usual, the S6 will be available in three storage options: 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB.

Galaxy S6 is expected to debut at the Samsung Unpacked event, scheduled for March 1st in Barcelona. The release date should be around a month after the official announcement. It’s unlikely that Samsung will be making the Galaxy S6 any cheaper than the current Galaxy S5. So far, the estimated price for the 32GB model is around $650, the 64GB model around $800, and the 128GB version could cost an extra $100 more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

The Note series from Samsung has always managed to impress Android users. This means Samsung has to come up with something special to stand out further. Word has it that the Note 5 will employ an Ultra HD, 4K display and a camera with up to 50 megapixels. You can also expect wireless charging and a two-day battery life.

The release date for Note 5 is still yet to be confirmed, but Samsung tradition suggests the launch will be somewhere during September and October. As for the starting price, Samsung’s Note series has always been costly, and Note 5’s additional features could further increase the price up to around $750.

Sony Xperia Z4

After Xperia Z3’s debut in September 2014, Sony has been working around the clock to strengthen its Z-series products. The Xperia Z4 is expected to have a 5.5-inch quad-HD screen with a Snapdragon 810 processor. Sony’s smartphones are well-known for their camera quality, and the Xperia Z4 may pack in an even more impressive camera and image sensor. The new sensor will be able to record videos much faster and smoother than the previous Xperia Z3.

Sony has announced that it will not be presenting Xperia Z4 at the world’s largest mobile trade show this March, so we can assume that it will be released at a later stage in 2015. The price is rumored to be around $600-$650.

LG G4

The one thing LG prides itself on is its innovation, and the new LG G4 is sure to house some extra features. There’s a possibility that the G4 will have an eye scanner to gain secure access to the phone, but a fingerprint scanner would be more likely. LG’s smartphones are already on top when it comes to screen resolution, so G4’s display will probably be ahead of its competitors. Furthermore, a new stylus known as the G Pen will replace the poorly received LG G3 stylus.

Since the G3 is available for $600, we can assume G4 to cost the same or more at its launch. Its release is expected to come in May 2015.

Want to find out how Android phones can fit into your workplace? Get in touch with us today and see how we can help.

Virtualization...the very sound of the word may have you excited about the new opportunities it holds, or your heart pounding in fear of a foreign technology that sounds far too scary. Whatever the case, virtualization isn’t going anywhere. Thousands of businesses are taking advantage of its ability to cut costs and free up office space. If you’re thinking about taking your first step into the exciting world of virtualization, read on. We have some tips that will make the transition easier.

The key to successful virtualization is to not virtualize too much too quickly. Choose one or two items you’d like to test out, and then give it a go. By only focusing on virtualizing a few assets, you’ll be able to accurately measure how much your business is benefiting from virtualization.

Once you’ve decided to make the jump into virtualization, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Don’t virtualize for the sake of virtualizing

If you have 20 PCs running on an older operating system, but they are still producing results you’re happy with, it may be best to save your money and hold off on virtualization until you really have a need for it.

On the other hand, if you’ve been thinking about buying a new server, it may be smarter to consider getting a virtual server instead since the need is already there.

Understand the risks and challenges of virtualizing individual assets

Server, desktop and application vendors have unique and evolving licensing rules concerning virtualization. With vendor licensing audits becoming more and more frequent, you may be in for a major financial penalty if you’re not following the rules.

It’s been reported that one company saved $4 million in hardware expenses through virtualization. However, they lost $52 million for not remaining in compliance with the software licenses.

Try virtualizing more than one asset

If you start out only virtualizing your server and it doesn’t show immediate benefits, that doesn’t mean you should just give up on virtualization completely. The fact of the matter is that virtualization does save businesses millions of dollars every year in IT expenses, giving them a productivity boost in the process.

You can virtualize many physical assets of your business besides servers. This includes applications, laptop hardware, operating systems and more. All the virtualization process does is deliver these assets to you via the internet instead of having the physical product in your office. So if the server virtualization doesn’t work for you, maybe virtualizing another asset will.

Or it could simply be that your IT service provider is the real problem. Maybe you haven’t found the right virtualization vendor that works best for your business. The only way you’ll ever find out is if you don’t give up the first time you encounter a failure.

For more information about virtualization and how to effectively integrate it into your business, contact us today.