Out of all of Microsoft’s Office programs, Excel is one of the most universally used. What started out as a fairly basic spreadsheet program has evolved into a must-have business tool. However, the more you use Excel, the more data your workbooks will accumulate.
Keeping these workbooks organized and easy to navigate can be a challenge. We can help with that. Check out our short Excel: Tips and Techniques for Managing Workbooks training video, available to you free and on-demand.
Technology moves fast and furiously. In this modern world, you need IT services for your business to run as smoothly as possible. The last thing any well-run company wants is for their IT issues to trip up working conditions so your employees are frustrated, and not being as productive as they should be. Ideally having the right technology in place can help your business to be more profitable in the long run. The question then becomes, is it better to have your IT department in-house or outsource those services? There are actually many terrific benefits to outsourcing your IT services to the right qualified professionals.
Here are 8 essential reasons to leave it to the pros at a managed IT service company for all your technology needs.
Reason #8: Increased Productivity
When companies have their IT services in-house, this can take up time and reduce productivity among the staff. It’s been shown that Managed Service Providers (MSP) who have all the right credentials can implement IT solutions for you in a much faster way. The speed and efficiency an outsourced IT company can give you will allow your business to operate at full capacity much faster in the long run. Less IT distractions equal a better working environment for your staff.
Reason #7: Focus on Core Operations
If you and your employees have to worry about IT glitches and struggles, it’s going to carry over into your daily working environment. That takes away the focus on your core operations. Your managers and employees have limited time to do their job. There are only so many work hours in a day. They can do their jobs better without having to get sidelined by IT problems they shouldn’t have to deal with.
Reason #6: Smaller Business Can Compete
Smaller companies sometimes can’t afford the kind of IT services that larger, more established companies use. By having an MSP who can give you the kind of technological advance that larger companies can afford, will make it easier to compete with the “big guys” on a global scale.
Reason #5: Risks and Threats Are Handled
Most outsourced IT companies are available for risks and threats 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s something they monitor all the time. They will be able to handle and manage these threats for you seamlessly to keep your company operationally rock solid.
Reason #4: More Security
Security and compliance issues are less of a problem with experienced IT professionals. Hardware crashes, viruses, data corruption, and backup failures are less of an issue when outsourced IT people are constantly looking out for your company’s security.
Reason #3: Implement New Technology Faster
When you outsource your IT and need updates to be made to your technology, the professionals are going to be able to put that new technology in place much faster. They can also do these updates in off-hours that won’t interfere with your working day.
Reason #2: More Experienced IT Professionals
A company that focuses solely on IT is going to have all the right credentials and certifications in place that will allow you to have the most experienced professionals in your back pocket. A highly qualified MSP also has the most up-to-date training and ongoing education of everything involved in the technology sphere.
Reason #1: Less Expensive IT Costs
This is by far the most important reason in the minds of most companies, the bottom line. By not having your IT department in-house, you are going to be saving serious monetary resources. It’s just less expensive to outsource your IT costs with an MSP that works efficiently and allows you to pay only for the services your company needs from them.
Protect Yourself from Potential Attacks Via Chrome Extensions
Learn two simple ways to set the privacy and activity settings for each Google Chrome extension on your browser and steps the company is taking to protect users.
Google’s Chrome web browser is a popular choice for businesses the world over. Managing the extensions gives you more control and faster results when using Chrome to its best. Here’s a closer look at Chrome add-ons and how to use them effectively.
And with emerging cyberthreats targeting browsers, now is an important time to know your way around the extensions.
What Is the History of Google Chrome Extensions?
Google introduced Chrome in 2008. By 2010, there were more than 10,000 extensions available in the Chrome Web Store. Today, the company does not release the number available, but it’s estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
That growth brings with it an increasing vulnerability to attacks via vectors embedded in extensions. The company does work to keep malicious extensions out of its store but mistakes are possible. Other extensions can invade users’ privacy.
Should I Uninstall All Chrome Extensions?
Deleting all extensions is not necessary. Instead, use these two helpful tools to manage your extensions better and control permissions you provide to the add-in.
1. Use Extension Icons
To the right of the address bar, you’ll find icons representing the extensions you’ve installed. If you right-click on an icon, you’ll see an option titled “This can read and change site data” with three options:
When you click the extension
On [the site you’re on]
On all sites
The default is the first option, which limits the use of the extension to user-activated times. If an extension is “loud,” meaning it uses a lot of bandwidth, these settings can provide more control.
2. Use Extension Settings
If you click on the hamburger menu icon to the far right of your address bar, you can click on the option “More tools” and click on “Extensions.” This will bring up a screen with a box for each installed extension. Click on the Details button for any extension you want to modify. You’ll see the three options again, but also an option to add the URLs of specific sites on which you want the extension activated.
What Can Go Wrong with Browser Extensions?
There are several risks to installing browser extensions. Here are a few of the ways extensions can do harm:
Malicious intent. Malware can be installed unknowingly that uses your computer for other purposes. Kaspersky, for example, noted a recent example of extensions that made money for the hacker by clicking on pay-per-click ads.
Hijacking. If a hacker steals a designer’s credentials, an extension can be compromised by changing the functionality or inserting malware.
Purchases. Extensions are hard for designers to monetize. That’s why many are eager to sell their code if approached by a buyer. Users are usually unaware if extensions change hands, meaning a previously well-intentioned add-on can be repurposed.
Is Google Addressing Extension Security?
Google recently announced steps it’s taking to combat the security issues with extensions. Among its changes:
More granular user permission options
A requirement that extensions only request access to the minimum amount of user data needed to operate
Expanding privacy rules for extensions. Those that carry user communications and user content will join those that handle personal or sensitive user data and need to post privacy policies
Proactive steps combined with Google’s efforts are critical to keeping your browsing and data safe and secure.
10 questions to ask while considering outsourcing your IT services to a provider.
Many companies are outsourcing their IT functions due to convenience and budgetary constraints. Small- and medium-size businesses can focus their hiring of staff for their core business, and hire an IT consultant for their expertise and efficiency. However, even with the growth in IT consulting, there are several things you should consider before signing a contract.
It easy to fall prey to assumptions when interviewing consultants to outsource IT services. Packaged services don’t always include additional IT support, management, maintenance and security needed for your business’ network. When agreeing to a contract, look carefully to make sure it contains everything you need. Here are some questions for you to ask when interviewing a new consultant.
1. How do you support security compliance?
Often IT providers support security compliance through their package bundles which include an array of features and components. On this list of features you should see firewall configuration, vulnerability patching, incident response, intrusion detection systems (IDS), demilitarized zones (DMZs), intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and more. These features should be included by default to protect your data and hardware.
Dependent on your industry and client list, you should have a good idea of the level of security necessary for your network to ensure compliance and proper security documentation. Discuss this with any providers you interview to match the level of security needed to protect your business.
2. How do you manage service integration?
In order to stay competitive, your company needs to fine-tune service integration. Standard Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) capabilities require integration and automation from your IT service provider to minimize errors and provide secure and effective on-demand service delivery.
3. How do you support incremental outsourcing?
In order to reduce risks associated with outsourcing, you can divide the requirements you need into manageable projects. If you provide a specific set of deliverables to your service provider to work with in a trial setting, you can better assess their completion. You have the option of having the work done on your premises or remotely to better prepare for completely outsourcing managed services.
4. Do you provide a service-level agreement (SLA)?
The service-level agreement (SLA) is one of the most important factors in outsourcing IT services. This agreement is where the service provider details the list of support actions they will provide including end-to-end program management and deliverables to your company.
The agreement should lay out how the provider will take on the project from your company, deploy a small remote or on-site team to coordinate and complete the work. Included in the agreement are delivery dates, the effectiveness of the work, surveys to ensuring the quality of service, and timeframes for the availability of services and service request response times.
5. How flexible is the SLA?
Can the provider grow and change as your business does? Changes within your company should be reflected by the services provided for your IT needs. As you grow, your company will hire more people, take on new projects, add new departments and functions, and have a need for scalable IT infrastructure from your IT provider. In fact, your service provider should have expertise in their field that includes the knowledge and experience to custom-fit a scalable infrastructure that you need for your company.
6. What kind of experience do you have?
If you look at managed service providers by price alone, you may find that you don’t get the expertise you need. It’s better to outsource your IT services needs to an expert that’s completed hundreds of projects successfully. Extract the most value from an experienced partner to gain peace of mind over the quality of work completed. Included in the experience is the latest training and tools available to best protect your company’s data.
7. How do you handle IT strategy vs. emergency support?
If your company has a strategic IT strategy, you need a service provider that can act as a partner in this process. Your service provider should be the expert resource to assist in your strategy. If all they do is take orders and offer emergency service, they are not the right fit for your company.
8. Who will govern our IT services?
Your SLA should include an understanding about who will govern and take responsibility for your IT services. By including a foundational governance framework, you will set the tone for future accountability and start with a shared understanding for your team and your provider’s team. This framework determines which entity makes specific decisions to support organizational principles.
9. What is your reporting process?
Formal reporting should be listed in your SLA and include the standard set of reports provided and a timeline for delivery of those reports from the provider. The frequency and scope of the formal reports between the provider and in-house manager should take place according to the schedule. However, many providers offer informal reports as work is completed.
10. How will you adopt new configuration management?
Changes are part and parcel of a business, making managing those changes routine for your IT service provider. For routine changes, your SLA should cover implementation, but if you have a large project then you should discuss management with your provider before implementation. You can initiate a change request to the provider to allow them to complete an analysis of how to proceed. Once the provider has responded with a schedule and any questions they have, you can move forward on the project together. With a system in place to accomplish new projects, it’s easy to maintain proper tracking and logging of work completed.
The purpose of Rules in Microsoft Outlook is to help you organize your email and receive updates if items are changed. Rules can save you time, keep on top of high priority tasks, and reduce the clutter of your Outlook inbox – if you know how to use the Rules Wizard correctly.
Basics of Outlook Email Rules
To set up a Rule, you first select the condition(s) that the email must meet (e.g., certain words in the subject line or from a particular sender), then indicate what you want to have happen when an email meets those conditions (e.g., place in a certain folder or provide an alert). It helps if you think about how you process your email. For example, you get various emails about a certain project, so you place those in a folder for that project. The condition would be that the subject line contains that project name in it, and the action would be moving it to a certain folder.
Creating a Simple Rule
Let’s create a simple rule that takes all emails with a subject line that contains the word “Proposal” and moves them to a folder in the “Smith Account.” Begin by right-clicking on a message in your Inbox. In the list that appears, select Rules>Create Rules. This will open up the Create Rules dialog box.
The Create Rules dialog box is fairly straightforward to use. The first section of the dialog box deals with the rule conditions. Check the Box beside Under Subject Contains, then type Proposal in the text box next to it. That indicates the rule is to apply to all emails whose subject contains the word Proposal. Then, moving down further in the dialog box, check the box next to Move the Item to Folder. A list of available folders pops up. Select the Smith Account folder (note you can create a new folder if needed by clicking on the New button), and click Ok. Smith Account will now appear next to the words Move Item to Folder. Next, click on OK to create this rule.
Another dialog box pops up to let you know the rule has been created. Notice there is a checkbox that says Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder. If you check that box and click OK, this allows the rule to immediately be put to use on existing emails. Otherwise, it will wait until new email messages come in.
For email rules, conditions can include sender, text that appears in the subject line, or who the email was sent to. When an email meets the conditions, then you can choose what happens next.
Available options for what happens in a simple email rule like the one we just created include the following:
Display in the New Item Alert Window
Play a Selected Sound
Move the Item to a Folder
Using Rule Templates
You can access templates for Rules by going to File>Manage Rules and Alerts>New Rule. Here the Rules Wizard gives you access to templates organized under three categories: Stay Organized, Stay Up to Date, and Start from a blank rule.
Under Stay Organized, there are templates for the following:
Move messages from someone to a folder
Move messages with specific words in the subject to a folder
Move messages sent to a public group to a folder
Flag messages from someone for follow-up
Move items from a specific RSS Feed to a folder
Under Stay Up to Date, here are your options:
Display mail from someone in the New Items Alert Window
Play a sound when I get messages from someone
Send an alert to my mobile device when I get messages from someone
Let’s run through a quick example using a Rules template. We will create a rule that flags messages from a certain person for follow-up. Note that this can be applied to an email from people or from public groups. Begin by going to File>Manage Rules and Alerts>New Rule. This will start the Rules Wizard. Under Step 1, go to Stay Organized, select Flag messages from someone for follow-up.
At the bottom of the Rules Wizard, you will see Step 2. Here, you will edit the rule description to meet your needs. Anything underlined in blue can be edited. In the case of a move messages rule, you should see something like this under Step 2:
Apply this rule after the message arrives
from people or public groups and
flag message for follow up at this time
If you click on people or public groups, then you will be provided with a list of people or public groups to choose from. Clicking on follow up at this time will open up flagging options. These include what type of flag to apply (e.g., Follow Up, For You Information, Forward, etc.) and when it needs to be completed (e.g, Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week, No Date, Complete). Once you’ve edited the rule description to meet your needs, click on Next.
This takes you to some additional options for refining the rule, such as requiring that certain words be in the subject or that the email comes through a specific account. Clicking on Next allows you to add exceptions to the rules, such as making an exception for emails sent from a public group or that you have been CC’ed on.
Clicking Next again allows you to name your rule and choose from a few more rule options that are presented next to checkboxes. These rule options are as follows:
Run this rule now on messages already in Inbox
Turn on this rule
Create this rule on all accounts (this only appears if you have multiple accounts)
Once you’ve made the modifications you need, click on Finish. Outlook will provide you with a message to let you know if the rule is only run when Outlook is open. Click on OK, and everything will be set up.
Conclusion
Taking the time to think through how you process email helps you gain control of your Outlook 2016 inbox. Remember that the rules can be as simple or complex as you want them to be. If you don’t know where to start, then use one of the Rule Templates. Templates simplify the Outlook Rules Wizard process so you can get familiar with how it works.
