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With the right guidance and advice, strategic IT planning can set your business on a path to greater success in 2018 and beyond.

2017 isn’t quite behind us yet, but already many businesses are turning their attention to the year ahead. Planning out your objectives and goals for the coming months is a great way to make sure your business is prepared to meet those challenges, and that starts with taking a look at how you faired in the previous months. Now is the time to make sure your plan for 2018 is ready to go and covers all aspects of your business. This means focusing not just on your operations, but the many moving parts that keep your operations running.

Did your business meet all its goals and objectives for 2017? Hopefully, you were able to cross most, if not all, of your goals off of your list. But those areas where your business might have come up short, or the objectives you didn’t quite get around to tackling are a great starting point for your plans for 2018. And while it’s important to keep the big picture in perspective when making decisions that will have an impact on your future success, it’s just as important to focus your attention where it’s needed.

I’m talking, of course, about your business technology. Have you thought about technology and the role Information Technology can play in making sure your business continues to be successful? Information Technology plays an important role in every company’s success, regardless of how big or small your operations are, or what your company specializes in. Technology is the driving force behind just about everything a modern business does, from accounting and administration to shipping and manufacturing, and all things in between.

Having the right technology in place to improve, enhance, or completely change the way your staff works can make all difference, both short-term and long-term. And having the right IT strategy can help to make sure your business is in a position to accelerate growth, increase operational efficiencies, and ensure maximum productivity for all departments and employees. Strengthening your internal operations through innovative technology investments can be a game changer for your business.

Of course, it’s not just the things that happen behind the scenes that need to be a part of your planning. The right strategic IT plan can ensure your team is able to market your business to your ideal audience and help your sales teams to win new sales opportunities by staying a step ahead of your competitors. The agility and speed offered by today’s technology, when implemented correctly and used to your full advantage, allow your staff to do more for your clients and prospective clients and exceed expectations.

It’s just a matter of knowing where and how you want your business to grow in the coming year, what changes need to be made to make that growth happen, and how to get the most out of the technology at your disposal.

If your business doesn’t have a strategic IT plan ready to roll out just yet, now is the time to talk to trusted technology professionals about your goals and learn what your options are. Your business can and should use technology as a foundation to build up a framework for success in the coming year. Whether it’s something as small as upgrading your accounting software to help streamline payroll and billings, or something as huge as finally migrating your systems and servers to a cloud-based platform, planning is everything.

Don’t let that fact that the focus of this planning is on your goals for 2018 keep you from starting this conversation in 2017. Procrastination will only hold you back, and keep your business from benefitting fully from everything new technology can bring to the table. You don’t have to run out tomorrow and start making purchases, but the sooner you start planning, the sooner you can start putting that plan into motion.

You might have a very clear idea of the kinds of changes you want to see and the milestones you intend to strive for, and that’s great. That certainly will help guide your business. But if all you have is a vague idea of where you’d like to see your business end up when 2018 comes to an end, that’s where advice from an IT professional can make a big difference. Just knowing what services and solutions are available for your business to choose from can help guide you onto the right path. It’s just a matter of knowing which questions to ask.

Or better still, working with an IT support provider who knows which questions need to be asked to help your business leverage technology into massive growth and success in 2018 and beyond.

Ready to start on a strategic IT plan for 2018? Contact InfiNet Solutions at [email protected] or (402) 895--5777 today to book a consultation with a strategic IT advisor. We’re the technology experts businesses in Omaha trust.

How Modern Marketers are Using Technology to Learn from Target Audiences

Marketers are continually challenged in the modern marketplace. Whereas marketing used to be a very internal, company-controlled business strategy, the digital transformation has opened up an entirely new realm of marketing possibilities. Companies across the world are now developing dynamic and interactive corporate identities in their online spaces.

Furthermore, that identity is largely shaped by customer interaction. Social media networking allows corporations to be ‘humanized’ and followers are able to engage directly, providing praise, feedback or grievances. In order for any modern business to remain competitive, companies must work with and learn from their customer base in order to better shape brand messaging, product development and organizational culture.

Industry Transformation: How Marketers Are Realigning Themselves for the Future  

With this new, digital marketing universe upon us, marketers are looking for the best ways to optimize online connections with consumers. Determining the best ways to learn from audience interaction to build strong, resonating corporate identities is a top priority for any modern marketer whose paying attention.

The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) established the Masters Circle, an elite program that brings together America’s top marketers, to tackle some of the toughest challenges faced in corporate tech-marketing. Recently the ANA facilitated a chat-series with marketing giants, in hopes of highlighting the key challenges and opportunities that marketers face.

Let’s check out how leading corporate organizations are adapting to a completely new marketing landscape:

• Consumer-Oriented, On-Demand Business Models

Now more than ever, customers want services on demand. The internet has made it easier than ever for consumers to get what they want, when they want it, often from the comfort of their own home. For consumers, modern commerce has to be convenient. However, convenience looks different to every consumer.

This means that modern-day marketers need to get to know their customers and build on-demand business models that cater to client preferences. Furthermore, it’s important to understand the different preferences of different target markets. An on-demand business model for Millennials will look much different than an on-demand business model for Baby Boomers. Building consumer profiles for all the targets you wish to reach will help you build on-demand business models that reach consumers on their terms.

• Innovative Marketing Technologies

Technology is revolutionizing the way countless companies do business. In terms of marketing strategy, organizations should be utilizing tech innovation to strengthen their connection with consumers. The relationship between IT and marketing is much closer today than it ever has been before, and companies of all shapes and sizes should be capitalizing on that reality.

Using technology to better navigate online interactions with consumers offers huge benefits. It allows organizations to be more instant, precise, social and adaptable. Developing tools for online integration and consumer analysis allows business owners to identify trends and adapt marketing strategies to better reach target markets. This offers huge growth potential and allows companies to optimize productivity and better identify profitable opportunities.

• Rebuilding the Marketing Skillset

In the past, the marketing strategy was limited to the boardroom. Marketing specialists would come up with the ways they thought consumers would be most effectively reached. However, technological innovation has changed that game entirely. In turn, business owners need to realign their marketing skills tool-kit to optimize customer interaction and make the most out of marketing efforts.

Social media analysis, search engine optimization and digital analytics are a huge part of expanding the marketing skill set. Furthermore, it’s critical for businesses to develop a ‘tech-marketing curriculum’ to help train old and new marketing employees on strategies for successful online marketing.

For traditional marketing specialists who are used to ‘controlling the conversation’, giving up power to the social media jungle can be difficult. However, embracing the online consumer market helps modern marketers optimize influence by developing skill-sets that are data-driven and market-relevant.

• Consumer Empowerment & Community Connection

Another key part of the digital marketing revolution is focused on the empowerment of consumers and the championing of community causes. First, empowered consumers who have a say on digital platforms are made to feel as though they’re part of your business team. They’re empowered because they feel like they have a direct influence on the products and services you offer them and the messages you send them. This offers the potential to create a strong bond between the company and consumer and lays the groundwork for loyal, long-standing customer partnerships.

Additionally, going a step further to include a social responsibility strategy in your overall marketing effort offers HUGE benefits. Bonding with consumers to identify community causes they care about allows your company to serve as a champion for these causes. By identifying these causes and using your online platform to support and promote them, you build trust with consumers and position your company as an ally in ‘fighting the good fight.’ Most of all, championing community causes means your company is giving back, and that’s never a bad thing.

• Make Marketing Fun Again

Above all, the key to optimizing your marketing strategy in a digital climate is all about bringing the fun back to marketing strategy. Online audiences are led by young, digitally-engaged consumers. So, business owners need to find the ways to excite this consumer base and revitalize some of the older target market groups.

Getting to know your online audiences is a huge part of ensuring your marketing strategies are fun and engaging. Treat your marketing strategy like a craft or an art form. Get diverse and inclusive – work to ensure that all members of your target market can resonate with your messaging. Inspire your target markets to think, dream and act. Most of all – create incentive and include consumers in your process. Engage your consumers and invite them to help you develop products, services, and brand identities that stand out.

Going Forward: Lessons Learned from the ANA Chat Series

All the information above is a summary of the insights provided by key marketing experts from consumer giants like Walmart, Lego, and Facebook. Taking the time to digest these ideas is a critical first step in revitalizing your marketing strategy to meet the demands of the digital marketplace.

No one can say for sure where the marketing world is going because tech innovation is continually evolving the digital marketplace. Therefore, it’s critical for modern-day marketers to stay adaptable and continually work alongside tech development to optimize messaging and maximize target reach.

Change isn’t easy but so long as business owners remain open to evolution, marketing strategies of the future will foster tangible connections with consumers that will help promote corporate growth and profitability. Furthermore, using technology to transform your marketing strategy and optimize your relationship with consumers, lays the foundation for a corporate identity that will stand the test of time.

“Before the Parade Passes By,” the great song from the Broadway smash musical, “Hello, Dolly,” talks about getting ready to move out front while there is still time left.  When it comes to fundraising, though, non-profit organizations that don’t jump on the technology bandwagon could indeed find that the donor world is passing them by.  In a world where it seems like donors hold onto every single penny with every ounce of their strength, how can you shake the money tree to get their dollars to fall into your coffers?

Donor and volunteers alike are pulled in multiple directions by the extraordinary number of non-profits looking to capture their attention.  It used to be that local charities only had to compete with each other, and the occasional United Way or March of Dimes appeal.  Now it seems that every local incident, national tragedy, or natural disaster spawns a monumental fundraising effort.  Even donors who previously contributed on a regular basis suddenly find they don’t have enough discretionary income left at the end of their paycheck.

Although certain organizers have no problem starting a GoFundMe page at the drop of a hat, it seems like the more established, traditional non-profits are stuck in a well-worn rut.  They send out the same address labels and yearly calendars, host the same fundraisers, and rely on the same celebrities, but really don’t pay too much attention to building strong relationships with their donor base.  Maybe they have a website, but they shun other techniques which could really raise their online profile and radically change the game for them.

But who says non-profits can’t use technology to raise awareness while doing good?   Not Microsoft, of course.  Although they have a vested interest in every entity using technology, they make quite the case for using it properly.  In their white paper, “The New Imperative of Nonprofit Digital Transformation,” they lay out a convincing case for non-profits to follow the lead of their for-profit brethren by incorporating technology into the everyday mentality.

Using Technology Improves Donor Engagement and Participation

Although technology can certainly play a key role in making the non-profit function more cost-efficiently and can be used to keep tabs on volunteer activities, its main benefits can be seen in the fundraising arena.  Take a look at these key ways technology can help raise the level of fundraising to previously-unreachable heights:

• Technology can automate the fundraising process:  Even the most loyal of donors might be tempted to donate elsewhere if they don’t feel appreciated enough.  Instead of performing a mad dance to orchestrate a once-a-year fundraiser, technology can spread out the process of asking over the course of a year.  Your non-profit can create a schedule of events, build messages around them, and close with a giving reminder.  Schedule them into your online system to automatically send emails and update social media pages, and you’ll stay at the front of your donors’ giving queue.  Once they take an action, an automatic email can be scheduled to provide the appropriate thanks.
• Technology creates engagement:  Donors today like to be involved and know what their favorite non-profits are doing.  Use regular Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest conversations to highlight your success stories, and show them how their money is being used.
• Technology builds a data warehouse:  Every non-profit organization has one-time donors, regular donors, and everything in-between.  The secrets to success are to make the one-time donors become regular donors and to keep the regular donors captivated.  But this can be hard to do if you don’t know which donor is which, how much they like to donate, or whether they have a preferred donation time period.  Collect data religiously and then use Customer Relationship Management, or CMR, software to build a donor database so your organization can study it, and communicate more effectively to achieve the best results.
• Technology helps your organization respond in an emergency:  Social media is the workhouse of online communications, and your organization can use it to stand out from other non-profits clamoring for a limited audience with limited funding capabilities.  Use your social media network to raise awareness for a specific activity, or respond quickly to a tragic event.
• Technology gets your non-profit where your donors are:  Donors are not sitting at home waiting to get that next letter from you.  They are out and about, performing a wide array of activities, and using their mobile devices to keep up with the rest of their lives.  Use technology to become a mobile-responsive organization, and you’ll be ready to connect whenever and wherever your donors decide they want to get in touch.

How Can Your Non-Profit Get Creative With Technology?

Using the fundamental donor and database management capabilities is the first step to ramping up your non-profit success, but why not get creative and use technology in other ways to accomplish your goals?  Some examples might be:

• Offer online volunteer sign-up forms.
• Accept online donor payments easily in multiple formats.
• Promote online ticketing for events.
• Sponsor a Facebook fundraiser.
• Hold a silent auction online.
• Create a cool app.
• Automatically Tweet out the results of your next fundraising campaign.
• Add a “Donate Now” button to your website and Facebook page.
• Find a partner to promote a matching campaign, and provide updates on creative fundraising efforts on your social media pages.
• Conduct a quick donor or volunteer survey.
• Make it contagious.  Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge, the awareness it raised, and the amount of money it garnered?  And it all started with an online video and a dare.  Get your donors involved in doing something creative online, and use the publicity to propel your non-profit to newer heights.

Hitch a ride on a wildly successful online non-profit event by getting involved in #GivingTuesday on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  Now in its sixth year, this event reminds us all of the importance of participating in acts of kindness and makes us wonder what we can give to make our world a better place.  Create your own local challenge under the #GivingTuesday umbrella, and then use social media to drive and direct requested donations of time, money, resources, and talent.  It’s the perfect way to get one-on-one with your donor base and build towards end-of-year charitable donations.  Register online at the https://www.givingtuesday.org/ website, and be sure to download the #GivingTuesday Toolkit for some terrific social media ideas.

Answer The Call of Technology Now

For much too long, technology has been used by only larger non-profits or for-profit organizations to increase communication, maximize effectiveness, and support profitability.  But there really is no reason why non-profits of all sizes should not carefully integrate technology into their everyday activities to help support their mission and ensure compliance with regulatory overseers.

There is no difference in the types of technology that are available to non-profit and for-profit organizations; the only difference is in how that technology is utilized.  Non-profits can easily find cost-effective solutions that help meet their unique administrative, communication and service needs.

 

Grateful for Optimization: Why We’re Celebrating Tech Innovation This Thanksgiving

For today’s business owners, technology is tightly woven into everything they do. A strong IT platform is literally the foundation of every modern business, however, it’s become second nature, so its contributions are often overlooked or undervalued. Professionals become so used to technology being a core part of business operations, that they rarely stop to consider just how big of an impact technology truly makes.

Counting Our Blessings: The Reasons To be Thankful for Business Technology

It goes without saying that if a company’s technology infrastructure were to fail suddenly, operations would halt. This could result in countless business hours and opportunities lost. A strategic and reliable technology system that literally keeps your business functioning? Now that’s something to be grateful for.

However, the real benefits of modern technology go beyond basic functionality and productivity. It’s the way technology has transformed the very business landscape itself that gives professionals the real reasons to be thankful. A huge part of that that innovation has been focused on web optimization in the Cloud.

Have You Thanked the Cloud Lately? Understanding How the Cloud Changed Business

Recent years have seen a surge of Cloud innovation for business. The Cloud has made it easy for businesses to cut costs and optimize processes without making compromises that impact productivity. No matter the size, shape or industry, any business stands to benefit from Cloud migration. Here are the top reasons why:

• CENTRALIZATION OF DATA

The Cloud offers business owners the ability to centralize business apps and data in one, easily accessible and scalable place. Business owners can also take advantage of administrative controls in Cloud platforms. This allows business leaders to keep a finger on the pulse of all business operations in one place.

• STORAGE & BACK UP SOLUTIONS

In the Cloud, business necessities like data storage and backups are simplified and scalable to meet changing needs and growing business demands. Additionally, recent developments in Cloud security tools, making it the safest place to store and backup data.

• ACCESSIBILITY

Increased accessibility is another huge benefit of the Cloud. Increased accessibility allows businesses to transform their approach to collaborating, sharing information and completing projects. Simply put, the Cloud frees employees from the confines of their office, giving them the freedom to work from anywhere at any time.

Tech Innovation Translates into Business Benefit

In terms of actual infrastructure, there are countless Cloud-hosted solutions designed specifically for business. As mentioned, these solutions help centralize and streamline business data and strategically manage mobility and remote access.

Here are some the leading core business tasks that the Cloud optimizes:

• Communication & Collaboration

Having all business applications and data centralized in the Cloud makes it easier than ever for teams to stay connected with clients and colleagues. From dynamic email platforms and strategic tools for real-time collaboration, the Cloud offers an entirely new way to enhance teamwork and keep lines of communication strong.

• Security & Access

Many business owners are wary about migrating to the Cloud because of security concerns. However, Cloud platforms offer business owners a variety of ways to keep lines of defense strong. Cloud platforms are designed with built-in threat detection and alert tools to help business owners stay ahead of threats. Cloud platforms also offer dynamic controls that manage access to mission-critical data and applications, which makes security management a breeze.

• Monitoring & Reporting

Cloud computing platforms also allow business owners to keep a constant finger on the pulse of business functionality and productivity. Dynamic monitoring and reporting tools not only help business owners keep platforms secure, they also help them identify areas for optimization and increase efficiency.

Limitless Potential: Reflecting on the Cloud’s Strategic Benefits

By removing limitations on when and how employees can get work done, businesses can better tailor services to suit the needs of clients. That flexibility is fantastic for business leaders as well. The Cloud increases the ability to address business more immediately, from anywhere with an internet signal. This makes it easier for business leaders to better manage their team, follow up on leads and address urgent issues as they happen.

Even if issues arise outside business hours, the Cloud makes it possible for business leaders to free themselves from their desk and avoid back and forth trips to the office. Requests can be handled from home and on mobile devices, no matter how far from the office you are or what time of day it is. This allows for increased productivity, a streamlining of business resources and frees up time to secure new business. Who isn’t grateful for increased profit margins?

Thanks to the Cloud, boosts to efficiency and productivity have allowed business owners to be much more strategic. Additionally, the Cloud has transformed business operations across countless industries, making the lives of countless professionals easier. In fact, Cloud has become so valuable to business owners, if often makes one wonder what we ever did without it.

Does your company’s IT infrastructure leave you feeling grateful? If not, reaching out to a local technology firm for guidance could transform your approach to business technology.

If your business technology doesn’t make your life easier, it’s time to make a change. Technological innovation is constantly changing the way professionals do business – take advantage and build an IT infrastructure that you and your employees can be thankful for.

We are issuing a warning to businesses to be on the lookout for the “GlobeImposter” or “Fake Globe” ransomware virus, which is once again making headlines. This variant of the ransomware virus has become part of a large-scale email-based campaign that manages to slip past the defenses of some unsuspecting companies.

GlobeImposter, also known as Fake Globe, is distributed through a malicious spam campaign. This can be spotted by it’s a lack of message content and an attached ZIP file. This type of spam is known as “blank slate”. It can also be distributed through exploits and malicious advertising, fake updates, and repacked infected installers.

As with all ransomware, GlobeImposter encrypts the victim’s files, making them irrevocable without payment. Most ransomware has a built-in file extension filter that will leave executable files intact. This variant, however, encrypts all executable files, rendering the system unbootable as a result.

It is vital that we properly educate our clients and provide the right tools to minimize the serious risk at hand.

While antivirus and firewalls are incredibly effective in reducing risk, you need a more robust security solution in place to defend against the increasingly dangerous threat landscape. To be fully protected, companies will need a proper, reliable backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution with online and offline backup solutions as the ultimate failsafe against successful attacks.

What Your Company Should be Doing to Stay Secure?

Most internet users today share a common burden: managing the passwords for various email accounts, online portals, and social media profiles. However, for business owners, managing passwords is a whole different ballgame. They have to keep track of employee account passwords, email passwords, software program passwords and most importantly, company Wi-Fi controls.

Unfortunately, Wi-Fi passwords often get put on the back burner and are assumed to not be very important in the grand scheme of business responsibilities. However, neglecting Wi-Fi password management in the business setting can leave companies open to massive cybersecurity risks that threaten their livelihood and continuity.

Back to Basics: What is a Wi-Fi Network Password?

A common misconception is that wireless network passwords only involve internet access. In reality, much more than web access is at stake when it comes to wireless network passwords. Wireless broadband routers allow administrators to manage their company networks through a specified account. Anyone who knows this account username and password can log in to the router, which gives them complete access to the router’s features and information about connected devices.

Most manufacturers set up all routers with the same default username and password. The username is often something straightforward like “admin” or “administrator.” The password field follows suit using simple defaults like “password” or “public”. However, users are given the option to personalize and change router passwords from the default settings to customize and better secure networks.

What are the Risks? How Weak Wi-Fi Security Leaves Business Networks Exposed to Risk

It’s incredibly important for business owners to change default passwords when setting up a new router. The default passwords and usernames for leading market routers are well known among hackers and cybercriminals. In fact, this info is often posted publicly on the internet for anyone to find.

If default passwords are left untouched, anyone who comes within signal range of a company’s Wi-Fi router can attempt to log in. If they make it inside, they can change passwords and settings, wreak havoc, shut down the router and hijack the entire company network. While there are limits on a Wi-Fi routers signal reach, in many cases it extends outside the office to surrounding buildings and homes at the very least.

Strategic Protection: How to Better Secure Your Company Wi-Fi Network in Uncertain Times

To avoid the risks outlined above, business owners should have clear and explicit Wi-Fi password SOP’s in place. Implementing hardline policies for managing Wi-Fi security is the best way for business owners to keep company networks on lockdown and safe from invasion.

Here are some strategic considerations to keep in mind when developing Wi-Fi security policies:

• Change default passwords immediately upon install

As mentioned, changing default passwords immediately is critical. To do this, administrators can log into the router’s console with the current password to then set a new, strategic password. Administrators should change the username as well if the router offers this capability.

Also, note that changing the default password to a weak one like “123456” or “password1” does not help. Choose a strong and strategic password that hasn’t been recently used and is difficult to guess.

• Schedule regular password change dates

To maintain network security for the long-term, implement a change of the administrative password periodically. In fact, experts recommend changing Wi-Fi passwords every 30 to 90 days.

Planning password changes on a set schedule help make it a standard practice in your office. It’s also a good standard practice for managing passwords in other areas like email and other online accounts.

• Be Smart with Storage of Passwords and Password Policies

Whatever you do, don’t undermine your efforts to stay secure by storing password policies and login info inconspicuous or easily-accessible places. For this kind of information, it’s probably best to develop and on-paper, hard-copy approach to storage. Storing this information on the company network leaves all of it exposed to potential risk or loss.

Office managers or administrators should have a designated place where a binder of Wi-Fi password information can be kept. The binder should contain password change policies, including dates of previous and upcoming password changes. Additionally, keep a record of recently used passwords as well as a designated section for the current one. This avoids reusing passwords and creates a master log where forgetful employees can look up Wi-Fi security info as needed.

Open Door Policies: Setting up a Secure Guest Wi-Fi Profile to Share Web Access with Customers & Visitors

Another key consideration that business owners need to make in their efforts to manage Wi-Fi security is network use by customers and guests. It’s become second nature for consumers and professionals to assume they can access Wi-Fi while visiting business institutions of all kinds. Providing business visitors and customers with access to the Internet brings many benefits, but if you are going to open your network to guests, security cannot be an afterthought.

Businesses who do not properly manage guest Wi-Fi leave themselves exposed to considerable risk. Visitors on the network could engage in morally or ethically questionable activities on your company network. They may accidentally or deliberately install malware or ransomware, or visit phishing websites. Securing guest Wi-Fi for business visitors will protect visitors and your network, prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, malware downloads and block phishing attacks. Secure guest Wi-Fi also keeps businesses protected from any kind of legal liability.

Here are some tips for creating secure Guest Wi-Fi profiles:

• Implement Network Segregation

Segregating your network is important for two reasons. First, it ensures that visitors will not be able to gain access to parts of the network used by your employees. Your internal network must be totally separate from the network used by customers and guests. It should not be possible for guests to see your network assets, confidential files, and company resources.

Secondly, in the event of a malware infection due to guest web access, network segregation ensures the attack will not spread from the guest network to your internal network. Businesses should implement a network firewall or create a separate VLAN for guest use and use a software firewall to protect servers and workstations from guest network traffic.

• Always Change Defaults

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again. Changing default passwords and usernames is one of the most basic security practices. However, it’s often the one that’s most commonly forgotten. There are countless reports of data breaches that have occurred because of the failure to change default passwords.

It is also a good idea to change your SSID for your Wi-Fi network. The SSID should reflect the name of your business and it should be quite clear to your customers which is network is yours. Failure to do this makes it easier than ever for hackers and criminals to set up rogue access points and launch man-in-the-middle attacks.

• Stay on Top of Firmware Updates

Like all tech updates, firmware updates are issued for a reason. They patch vulnerabilities that are easily exploited by cybercriminals to gain access to business networks and devices.

If these vulnerabilities are exploited, your business network can be hijacked by malicious individuals. Businesses should have policies in place that require firmware updates to be installed regularly and promptly, with checks performed monthly.

• Encrypt Company Wi-Fi Network Signals

You want to make it as easy as possible for your guest Wi-Fi network to be accessed by your customers and visitors. However, be sure you don’t make it too easy for hackers to spy on individuals connected to your company network.

Encrypt your wireless network with WPA2 encryption. You can then post the SSID and password strategically to make it as easy as possible for legitimate guest users to access the network.

• Filter Content

Managing and securing guest Wi-Fi also involves implementing and managing controls over the content that can be accessed on your Wi-Fi network. Content filtering is a must for any business offering guest Wi-Fi capabilities. Access to any kind of adult content should be blocked, including: pornography, gambling sites and other web content that is ethically or morally questionable.

Content filtering solutions will also protect your customers from accidental malware and ransomware downloads while blocking phishing websites. Consider using a cloud-based web content filter as they require no additional hardware purchases and allow for remote monitoring.

Increased internet access is without a doubt making life easier for businesses and consumers alike. Access to the information highway is great, but businesses especially need to be aware of the threats posed by anytime, anywhere Wi-Fi access. Keeping business networks dynamically secure with strategic passwords should be at the top of the priority list for any modern business.

Protecting your company’s continuity means protecting your company network. Phoenix Technologies has helped countless businesses implement security strategies that keep Wi-Fi networks dynamic and secure.

There’s no denying that email contacts are the modern-day equivalent of the traditional address book. For modern businesses, digital contacts are a company’s lifeline. They provide the means of connecting with clients, collaborating with team members and communicating important information to employees. Without an organized approach to setting up and maintaining these digital address books, communication lines can be broken and business productivity can take a hit.

A huge number of modern professionals use Microsoft Outlook to send and receive business mail. Whether businesses are using server versions like Exchange or cloud-hosted versions with an Office 365 subscription, developing streamlined procedures for setting up and managing Outlook contacts will save your business time and hassle.

Today’s Rolodex: Using Outlook Contact Lists to Streamline Business Communication  

The contact list feature in Outlook has a variety of streamlining tools to make business communication easier than ever. For instance, with an organized contact list, new emails can be addressed simply by typing the person’s name or selecting it from your contact list. Additionally, if you’re detailed when building your contact list, you can add other personal info like mailing addresses and phone numbers. This allows businesses to use Outlook as their easy-to-manage and scalable ‘digital Rolodex’.

The process of building a contact list will vary among different businesses, depending on their situation. Some companies will be starting from scratch, creating an entirely new collection of contacts, while others will already have some contacts in place. Regardless, keeping an organized list of contacts is the best way to keep track of all the people you communicate with.

Building Your Contact List: Creating, Syncing and Adding New Contacts in Outlook

There are a few different ways to add contacts to your Outlook list. You can manually create a contact with all the necessary details. You can avoid manually adding contacts by syncing a pre-existing list from another webmail provider. You can select someone’s email address to manually add that person as a contact. Or you can use the Outlook Suggested Contacts tab to select familiar contacts to add. Let’s check out the details for each way of setting up contacts in Outlook.

Manually Creating a New Contact

• Open Outlook.
• Select the People icon in the lower half of the left side pane.
• Select the New Contact
• In the Contact window, enter all relevant contact details for this person.
• Select Save & Close.

Syncing an Existing Contact List from Another Source

Export your existing list:

• Pull up your online mail service using your internet browser.
• Select the contacts you want to export and click on the appropriate export command.
• Choose the option of exporting your contacts in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook CSV
• Save the exported CSV file.

Import your contacts into Outlook:

• Open Outlook.
• Select File and then select Open & Export.
• Click the Import/Export
• In the Import and Export Wizard, select the option to “Import from another program or file” if it is not already selected.
• Click Next.
• At the Import a File window, select the Comma Separated Values option if it is not already selected.
• Click Next.
• At the next window, browse for and select the CSV file you exported from your webmail browser.
• The next window will then provide three options:
  • Replace duplicates with items imported,
  • Allow duplicates to be created, or
  • Do not import duplicate items.
• Select the option you want and click Next.
• At the next window, make sure Contacts is selected as the destination folder.
• At the final window, confirm that the CSV file will be imported from the Contacts
• Click Finish.

As a side note: Export settings will vary among different webmail providers. For instance, with Gmail, you can select the contacts you wish to export, export a specific group, or export all contacts. However, with Yahoo, your only choice is to export all your entire contact list.

• Creating a New Contact Using Email Address Selection
• Right-click on an email address in a received or sent the email message.
• From the popup menu, select the Add to Outlook
• A contact card will pop up – enter any further contact details required.
• Click Save to add that contact to your master list.
• Using the Suggested Contacts Feature
• Open the Contacts
• Select Suggested Contacts in the left side pane.
• Select the contacts you want to add to your Contact list.
• Drag and drop your selections into your Contact list.

Managing Contacts in Outlook: Making the Most of Your Outlook Contact List

Once you have your Outlook Contact List started, it’s just as important to keep it organized. Making sure you weed out old contacts, verify that information is correct and up-to-date, and manage contact access will ensure that your entire staff experiences the streamlining power that Outlook offers.

Editing & Deleting Contacts:

There’s nothing worse than having a crowded contact list, filled with outdated or unnecessary contacts. Maybe you have old employee info to remove or maybe there’s a stash of an old client’s info that’s no longer relevant. Regardless keeping your contact list groomed is a great habit to keep.

Here’s the step-by-step process for editing or deleting contact info:

• To view the details for any contact, double-click on the contact name or right-click on the name and select Edit Contact from the menu.
• If you need to edit info, make the necessary revisions and when finished, click
• If you want to delete a contact completely, just select the contact and use the Delete key on your keyboard. Otherwise, you can right-click the contact and manually select Delete from the menu.

Dual Contact View

This might seem like a strange feature, but viewing two contacts at the same time can be extremely helpful in organizing your inbox. Perhaps you have duplicate entries for a certain contact and you want to compare info to see which is most recent. Or, maybe you communicate with multiple people in the same office and want to make sure addresses and phone numbers match.

Regardless of the reason, here’s how to pull up two contacts at once in Outlook:

• Double-click on the first contact you’d like to view.
• Select the Cancel button to display the contact card.
• In the card, click on the Pin icon to keep the card visible.
• Double-click on the second contact and perform the same steps to keep the second contact in view.
• Now you’re able to position the two contacts in a side-by-side view.
• Click on the Edit link for each contact card.
• Copy and paste information as needed, from one contact to the other.
• When done, click Save for the contact whose information you revised and Cancel for the other.
• Then, close each of the two contact cards.

Add Individual Contact Lists to the Outlook Address Book

To keep businesses even more organized and productive, the Outlook Address Book helps to centralize company contacts in one place for easy access. Using the Outlook Address Book allows you to access your contacts instantly from within an email message by selecting the To, Cc, or Bcc buttons.

Here’s a step-by-step process for adding your contact list to the Outlook Address Book:

• Open Outlook.
• Select the File
• Select the Account Settings button, then select Account Settings again.
• In the Account Settings window, select the Address Book
• Make sure an address book is listed. If not, select the New
• Select the option for Additional Address Books and click
• Click Finish.
• In the Contacts window, right-click on your Contacts list.
• Select Properties from the popup menu.
• In the Contacts Properties window, click on the tab for Outlook Address Book.
• Click on the checkmark to “Show this folder as an Email Address Book” if it is not already checked.
• Click

Here’s how to access and view contacts once they’re added to the Outlook Address Book:

• Go to your email view and start a new message.
• Click on the To field, and you should see your contacts listed.
• Double-click on the contact or contacts that you want to send mail to.
• Click any contact that you want to Cc and then select the Cc
• Click any contact that you want to Bcc and then select the Bcc
• Hit send and you’re all set!

As you can see, while business contacts are a straightforward concept, Outlook offers a variety of dynamic ways to create, maintain and optimize your digital address books. Staying on top of organizing and updating business contacts is critical to ensuring your company’s line of communication is working as strong as possible. Make sure your company is making the most out of the technology you deploy.

It should be noted that these step by step instructions are for the 2013 and 2016 versions of Outlook. However, the steps for earlier versions are quite similar. If you’ve recently made the switch to Outlook or if you’re looking to get on top of your Outlook Address Book once and for all, don’t feel overwhelmed. Making use of Outlook’s dynamic contact management features will have your digital address book neat and tidy in no time.

Non-profits that utilize technology find that it creates engagement, automates the fundraising process, improves emergency response time, and leads to higher levels of success.

“Before the Parade Passes By,” the great song from the Broadway smash musical, “Hello, Dolly,” talks about getting ready to move out front while there is still time left.  When it comes to fundraising, though, non-profit organizations that don’t jump on the technology bandwagon could indeed find that the donor world is passing them by.  In a world where it seems like donors hold onto every single penny with every ounce of their strength, how can you shake the money tree to get their dollars to fall into your coffers?

Donor and volunteers alike are pulled in multiple directions by the extraordinary number of non-profits looking to capture their attention.  It used to be that local charities only had to compete with each other, and the occasional United Way or March of Dimes appeal.  Now it seems that every local incident, national tragedy, or natural disaster spawns a monumental fundraising effort.  Even donors who previously contributed on a regular basis suddenly find they don’t have enough discretionary income left at the end of their paycheck.

Although certain organizers have no problem starting a GoFundMe page at the drop of a hat, it seems like the more established, traditional non-profits are stuck in a well-worn rut.  They send out the same address labels and yearly calendars, host the same fundraisers, and rely on the same celebrities, but really don’t pay too much attention to building strong relationships with their donor base.  Maybe they have a website, but they shun other techniques which could really raise their online profile and radically change the game for them.

But who says non-profits can’t use technology to raise awareness while doing good? Not Microsoft, of course.  Although they have a vested interest in every entity using technology, they make quite the case for using it properly.  In their white paper, “The New Imperative of Nonprofit Digital Transformation,” they lay out a convincing case for non-profits to follow the lead of their for-profit brethren by incorporating technology into the everyday mentality.

Using Technology Improves Donor Engagement and Participation

Although technology can certainly play a key role in making the non-profit function more cost-efficiently and can be used to keep tabs on volunteer activities, its main benefits can be seen in the fundraising arena.  Take a look at these key ways technology can help raise the level of fundraising to previously-unreachable heights:

• Technology can automate the fundraising process: Even the most loyal of donors might be tempted to donate elsewhere if they don’t feel appreciated enough.  Instead of performing a mad dance to orchestrate a once-a-year fundraiser, technology can spread out the process of asking over the course of a year.  Your non-profit can create a schedule of events, build messages around them, and close with a giving reminder.  Schedule them into your online system to automatically send emails and update social media pages, and you’ll stay at the front of your donors’ giving queue. Once they take an action, an automatic email can be scheduled to provide the appropriate thanks.
• Technology creates engagement:  Donors today like to be involved and know what their favorite non-profits are doing. Use regular Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest conversations to highlight your success stories, and show them how their money is being used.
• Technology builds a data warehouse: Every non-profit organization has one-time donors, regular donors, and everything in-between.  The secrets to success are to make the one-time donors become regular donors and to keep the regular donors captivated.  But this can be hard to do if you don’t know which donor is which, how much they like to donate, or whether they have a preferred donation time period.  Collect data religiously and then use Customer Relationship Management, or CMR, software to build a donor database so your organization can study it, and communicate more effectively to achieve the best results.
• Technology helps your organization respond in an emergency: Social media is the workhouse of online communications, and your organization can use it to stand out from other non-profits clamoring for a limited audience with limited funding capabilities.  Use your social media network to raise awareness for a specific activity, or respond quickly to a tragic event.
• Technology gets your non-profit where your donors are:  Donors are not sitting at home waiting to get that next letter from you. They are out and about, performing a wide array of activities, and using their mobile devices to keep up with the rest of their lives.  Use technology to become a mobile-responsive organization, and you’ll be ready to connect whenever and wherever your donors decide they want to get in touch.

How Can Your Non-Profit Get Creative With Technology?

Using the fundamental donor and database management capabilities is the first step to ramping up your non-profit success, but why not get creative and use technology in other ways to accomplish your goals?  Some examples might be:

• Offer online volunteer sign-up forms.
• Accept online donor payments easily in multiple formats.
• Promote online ticketing for events.
• Sponsor a Facebook fundraiser.
• Hold a silent auction online.
• Create a cool app.
• Automatically Tweet out the results of your next fundraising campaign.
• Add a “Donate Now” button to your website and Facebook page.
• Find a partner to promote a matching campaign, and provide updates on creative fundraising efforts on your social media pages.
• Conduct a quick donor or volunteer survey.
• Make it contagious. Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge, the awareness it raised, and the amount of money it garnered?  And it all started with an online video and a dare.  Get your donors involved in doing something creative online, and use the publicity to propel your non-profit to newer heights.

Hitch a ride on a wildly successful online non-profit event by getting involved in #GivingTuesday on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.  Now in its sixth year, this event reminds us all of the importance of participating in acts of kindness and makes us wonder what we can give to make our world a better place.  Create your own local challenge under the #GivingTuesday umbrella, and then use social media to drive and direct requested donations of time, money, resources, and talent.  It’s the perfect way to get one-on-one with your donor base and build towards end-of-year charitable donations.  Register online at the https://www.givingtuesday.org/ website, and be sure to download the #GivingTuesday Toolkit for some terrific social media ideas.

Answer The Call of Technology Now

For much too long, technology has been used by only larger non-profits or for-profit organizations to increase communication, maximize effectiveness, and support profitability.  But there really is no reason why non-profits of all sizes should not carefully integrate technology into their everyday activities to help support their mission and ensure compliance with regulatory overseers.

There is no difference in the types of technology that are available to non-profit and for-profit organizations; the only difference is how that technology is utilized.  Non-profits can easily find cost-effective solutions that help meet their unique administrative, communication and service needs.