Email Tips!

Microsoft Outlook: Attaching Files, Business Cards
Using Outlook email provides several advantages including the ability to send picture files that might be too large for other email applications to handle. Hotmail, yahoo and other email services are often unable to process certain files in email attachments for a variety of reasons. Outlook is effective at providing users with functional and professional-looking correspondence.

If the file is formatted in rich text instead of HTML or plain text, the file will appear as an icon inside of the body of the message. It will probably be placed between the last line and the signature. Just drag it below your signature line to preserve that classic-letter look.

If the attachment is HTML or plain text, it will appear inside what is called the attached line, which exists underneath the subject line. You can also attach a picture file. The GIF file format often triggers a virus or junk filter alert, but JPEG files will usually get through.

Certain files types include programming code. Examples include HTML, GIF or moving picture files, which can still be sent through email. However, taking certain precautions will improve the outcome. Zipping up the files might help you get through these alerts. The zipped files render the file types inside invisible to the email system.

To attach a business card, just go to the insert tab and look at the three icons stacked to the left of the table icon. They are arranged vertically. Selecting the top icon will allow you to insert a business card.

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Remote Access: Windows 7
Sometimes, PC users in Las Vegas experience technical troubles with their computer and need some help resolving a problem. Windows 7 has two ways that you can allow trusted users to have access to your computer. They can either be allowed to take control of your mouse and do the corrections manually, or you can simply allow them to observe without giving them control of your mouse.

Get Ahead with Remote Access!

Remote Assistance

This method allows a person to either watch what you are doing without any manual control, or you can allow them to control the mouse. The user must extend an invitation before this will work. Without the invitation, they cannot access your computer. This is an important safety feature.

Remote Desktop

Called RDP by most administrators, it allows users to connect to another computer. Then, the user is able to work remotely in a manner similar to someone sitting in front of a computer keyboard.

Go to the control panel and click on remote settings. By default, the assistance is allowed. By unchecking the box, your system will be more secure. By clicking the advanced button, you can allow the computer to be observed but not controlled. The amount of time they will be allowed to access your computer is right below the remote control option.

Back in the remote tab, the default setting for RDP will not allow connections to the computer. The most secure option is Network Level Authentication. Press the “select users” button to add trusted users.

Give us a call to have us help your staff work remotely or to get computer repairs in Las Vegas!

Find Your Files Quickly!

Partitioning in Windows 7 Libraries: Advanced Features

If you have recently upgraded your computer’s components in Las Vegas, organizing all of the information on your hard drive is essential. To do this, go into the main library folder. All partitions will be displayed in blue. Files from one partition can be dragged and dropped to another partition. The default location for saving files is on the private folder, which also called my documents.

Underneath is the public documents folder. Go to the location where you have a picture you want to move. Right click on the picture you want to send to the library and then click on the option that says send to my library. Check to make sure that it arrived in the pictures library.

Go back to the main library screen and right-click on documents. Enter its properties panel. This screen will show you the total file size of that library. If you plan to move or save these folders to another location, it is good to know the exact size of the folder! The same can be done for the other libraries. You can also reset the default save location in this panel. The normal default setting is private and is indicated by a check mark.

No matter how many folders you create, the properties window will always display the check mark next to the default save location. This can always be changed for convenience. In addition, the button labeled “optimize this library for“ has a pull-down menu that will allow you to change the way information in the libraries is displayed. This is a handy feature for SharePoint users.

Please give us a call if you need computer repair help in Las Vegas or Henderson NV!

Find Freedom in File Organization!

Windows 7 Libraries: Powerful Organizational Tools

Computer users in Las Vegas can benefit from the advanced applications of the libraries in Windows 7. These libraries provide an increased sense of functionality and organization. They are essentially containers that point to various data that is located all over the hard drive. Files and folders are now stored and retrieved by new searching and indexing technologies.

The four default libraries are:

• Documents
• Music
• Pictures
• Videos

These virtual folders serve as pointers that automatically retrieve the specified files wherever they are on the hard drive. Many users are still unaware that there are two folders inside of each library. One of them is a public documents folder and the other is a private folder.

To access these libraries, just click on the file icon right next to the start button in Windows 7. This will take you into documents. You can also click the start button to get to documents. In the window labeled documents library, underneath this title there is a link that shows the number of locations where the files get retrieved. Open the link and you will see the private and public locations where your files can be stored.

Pay attention to the add button. This button will allow you to create another partition in addition to the public and private folders that are set there by default. This is a convenient way to organize documents that might not easily fit into the pre-defined categories set by Windows 7.

If you need computer help in Las Vegas or your small business is fed up with your computer problems, give one of our knowledgeable account managers a call to see what ITS can do for you to make your computer repairs easier!

Social Networking and Small Business: Marketing Choices

With the wide variety of applications and online platforms that businesses could potentially utilize to their advantage, sometimes it might seem that there are too many choices available. Every business decision is an investment of a resource; if it is not money, it surely is time. So, which media is right for your company?

There is no one solution that will work for all businesses; however, consider the following baseline concepts:

1. Show, Don’t Tell:
It is more effective to show your customers the end value of your product/service than to merely tell them about it. Why not outsource the creation of vimeos or animated videos that could easily be displayed on your social network?

2. Interactive Interfaces:
Inviting participation through the use of touch-sensitive devices allows users of social media to receive their most desired experience: Connection.

3. Maintain Brand Recognition:
Whether you decide to tweet, email or blog, it is important that your image and brand get reinforced so that you become a familiar sight to your customers.

It could be Facebook, Twitter, iPhone, Kindle Fire, or even article marketing and SEO. One of the keys to a successful marketing experience is narrowing the field to ensure that the tactics used are the ones most relevant to your business enterprise.

The Cell Phone: A Hidden Sales Machine?
If your business needs more sales, and what business does not, why not try tapping into your existing resources to boost your revenues? For example, that cell phone could be as easily used to your customers find you; after all, you have probably used it to find other businesses! The best part of using your phone to attract customers is that it will not cost you an extra penny.

This strategy is known as mobile marketing, and it is very effective. Customers can get information on your products or services, and you can entice them to buy with special offers or even coupons. Research shows that consumers are very responsive to deals that are only available to them online. Since most phones have access to the Internet, the cell phone market is only one step away. If you are worried about how to best reach them, just relax. Informed experimentation is the way to go.

Think about all of the customers you already do business with; you probably already know a lot about their preferences. Coupons could be remitted with information on them that will tell you which strategies you used that were successful. A company website is a critical part of any modern business. The nominal costs involved with linking the website to a cell phone audience is well worth the many benefits!

Marketing is Effective … 1/2 of the Time

Are you looking to revamp your website?  Are you considering optimizing your website for the internet (SEO)?  Do you have a newspaper ad campaign planned?  Are you giving away pens and wonder if it is worth the money you spend? Are you getting ready to do radio ads?

Marketing and IT can work together to make your company successful!

Did you know you can have a tracking number placed on your ad or your website that can tell you how many calls you are getting?  This number can be as cheap as $6 or $7 a month.

You can track Adwords campaigns through a different number.  Ultimately, we can help you use technology to ensure you are spending money wisely.

ITS may be your Marketing team’s best friend, or worst enemy!

If sales is up and the Marketing team is doing a tremendous job, sales may be getting the pat on the back the Marketing team deserves.  Sales could be low and the Marketing team may be creating leads, but the process may be losing the sales.  In these cases, Marketing loves us!

If the Marketing team isn’t concerned about their budget or just want to advertise regardless of the results that occur, we may be their worst enemy.

If you are looking to implement Marketing Plans, and want to know how technology can fit in to make your company more successful, give ITS a call today!

The Kindle Fire – Hot Christmas Gift

Going to get a Kindle Fire proved to be a little different than we were expecting.  Of course the display looks really nice, like most tablets.  The interface is pretty easy, but when I started to read on the Kindle Fire, I didn’t like it as well as the regular Kindle.  It seemed to strain my eyes a little more than I expected, so that didn’t impress me.  Also, I do like the page turner on the right hand side of the standard Kindle rather than interacting with the screen.  So, the Kindle Fire is a strange mix between Tablet and Kindle Reader.  Did I get it, no.  But I can see where some people may like this device.

At $199, it is a great price point for a 7″ tablet PC and expensive for a reader.  For people who are looking at an iPad, this is a lot cheaper, but for those looking at a “old school” Kindle, it’s expensive.

Pros –

• Cheap for a tablet at $199 – Most tablets in this class are $250 to $300 if they are on the Android platform.
• Nice interface to interact with all your media, not just reading.
• Children’s Books, etc in full color
• Basic internet features like browsing and Email are supported

Cons -

• No Bluetooth support (if you want to add a keyboard etc)
• No HDMI output (if you want to connect to your TV)
• No camera like other tablets in a close price point
• Missing the ability to download many aps from the Android market which would make it a lot cooler.

Ultimately, is the Kindle Fire for you?  If you want a reader that will be used as a tablet, it is great.  If you mainly are looking for a cheap tablet, spend an extra $50 or $100 and get the productivity features standard with many tablet PC’s.

Cloud Based Microsoft Office — Office 365

Microsoft Office 365 is the company’s foray into cloud based office applications. It’s meant for people who are constantly moving from platform to platform and want a fixed environment to work on their documents based on the tried and true MS Office platform. It is accessible through most web browsers on any major operating systems, including mobile OS’s.

It brings with it a subscription model that offers far more flexible pricing schemes to customers, allowing them to pay per user, per month, without ever worrying about purchasing a product that could be rendered obsolete within a year or two.

It eliminates practically all installation, deployment, and local maintenance costs, while providing up to 80% of the functionality that employees actually use. In addition, certain plans offer a desktop based application rental agreement as well, allowing customers to use a locally installed version of Office 2010 Professional Plus when available, and the cloud based Office 365 when not. It goes without saying that synchronization between the local and online versions of files is seamlessly integrated in all current Microsoft applications. Office 365 at least demands a review by all corporations. Your local service provider can help think through such a decision.

Archiving Email – A Legal Necessity

If you have a workforce, then you understand the complexities of having integrated technical solutions.  If you have a sales rep that leaves the company, and the IT staff just kills the mailbox of the sales rep on the Microsoft Exchange server, then when a customer claims that they were given an E mail quote, and forwards the E mail to your company, there is no way to validate the customer did not “edit” the E mail prior to sending it back.  Without an archiving system in place that people know how to use, you can be in a vulnerable position.

When coming up with a solid E mail archiving system, there are some elements that absolutely must be put into place:

• Accessibility by your organization
• Quick search features
• Automated process so that if the individuals keep all their E mail in their inbox, the data isn’t easily lost
• Scalability – If your business is growing, what works when you had 3 employees may not work when you have 15 employees.

Give us a call to talk about building a sensible E mail archiving system in Las Vegas