Learn from the past and discover why a Codefusion Communications Inc. Business Continuity Appliance could save you from disaster. Here is a little video slideshow that shows you a few facts.
Get your Free Backup Audit Now
Related Blogs
by Jeff Brodie
- Image via Wikipedia
Cloud Computing is a form of computing in which all applications, information and resources are managed in a virtual environment. The term cloud computing, specifically the use of the word “cloud”, it meant to represent the nature and structure of cloud computing. Cloud computing involves virtual hosted environments allowing users to connect to the services being hosted over the internet.
Google Apps is a great example of cloud computing as companies to no longer require the need for installed word processing software, in house email servers, multiple IT personnel and many more cost saving advantages. Google Apps allows companies to access all services including email, website hosting, calendar, document editing/creation and much more directly through a web browser. The advantage to using Google Apps is increased productivity, security, lower IT costs and data backup. Microsoft has also entered the cloud computing realm by integrating its current software such as Word and outlook with online storage and easy accessibility.
New Microsoft applications, such as the Office 2010 : OfficeWeb will be accessed on the web and be utilizing cloud computing through the Microsoft Live portal. Should you wish to consider any of these applications of cloud computing please contact us at 416-335-9390 so we can make your operations more productive through the many integration opportunties available in the cloud. As a Microsoft Small Business Specialist and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner we can assist with authority and a history of working with computer telephony integration with a wide variety of vendors.
by Jeff Brodie
Best in Class Businesses are usually the most profitable and suceed in meeting their objectives.
What are some of the things that Best-In-Class Businesses do to improve their results? Best In Class companies pay great attention to their business processes and develop productivity tools to enhance their operations.Best in Class does not only pertain to businesses and sales but also to charitable organizations and non profits in improving their contribution rates and donor communication. The use of technology is key to that success in meeting sales or donation objectives.
As a start when analysing your business processes consider how much is repetitive actvity that does not add value to the organization and depletes or demotivates employees. Employ the principle of entering data once and using it many times through database design and management. Some of the enablers to allow this to happen transparently are good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software in conjunction with your telephone system. This is accomplished through screen-pops, email integration with your CRM system,real-time web visitor tracking and analytic tools.
Small busineses can operate as nimbly as Fortune 500 companies when they have their core competences supported by technology. At Codefusion your computer support and network support are key to this success .
- Image via Wikipedia
We are Microsoft Gold Certfied Partners and also possess the Microsoft Small Business Specialist designation. Assisting you to do what you do better is important to us. As your technology partner we give you a security blanket as well as assure you are up to date with the latest,effective integration of your telecom and computer support. Please call me at 416-335-9390 if you are interested in enabling your organization to be Best In Class and leverage our experience and staff without having to hire additional staff or consultants
Should You Upgrade to Windows 7 ?
This is perhaps the most-talked about question about technology in most businesses recently, especially after the introduction of Vista. We can answer this question best by looking at the question from both technical and business points of view..
From a technical point of view, the best news about Windows 7 is that it runs extremely well even on outdated hardware. It was tested on a Pentium 4 C with 1 GB RAM as well as on one of the new notebooks in a lab, and it worked well on both, outperforming many other Operating Systems. Looking at performance Windows 7 provides a good reason for you to upgrade.
From a features point of view, lets look at standalone vs a Windows Server 2008 R2 running on your network supporting your applications. If the standalone features meets your business needs,you have an easy choice.. The BitLocker feature for example, might be good for laptop users from a data security point of view, while AppLocker would be helpful for better control over what can and cannot run on each system and the parameters you want to implement.
What about the business facts you must consider? The launch of Windows 7 is coming at an opportune time when we are slowly coming out of the economic recession,have made operational efficiencies and are getting back on the growth track. During tougher times, IT budgets had been reduced, and organizations put all their hardware purchases on hold. It makes sense to get all newer more powerful machines with Windows 7. The requirements of your business integration require a good look at also. Are you integrating your telecom and business applications together in an integrated fashion?
Current users of Windows XP who are not planning to replace their hardware, may not see this as the best time to upgrade to the new Windows 7. Win XP users will have to format their computers because they can’t directly upgrade to Windows 7. In either case, you would still have to check for application compatibility, and make sure that all your existing drivers work on the new OS. You should also review your existing network configurations to see if server upgrades would be needed.
As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and Small Business Specialist Codefusion can help you review your alternatives, your business integration and make sure you are getting the best value for your expenditures .
Santa likes to watch his budget just like everyone else, especially with his list of deliverables growing every second. Santa’s Chief Operations Elf Googled for a Cost effective IT Solution – similar to the one he used at home! He got some Nerds and Geeks to come in and recommend that Santa could save big money by going Open Source. Now the Chief Operating Elf was looking at his budget and getting ready to smile all the way to the Bank with a big fat Christmas bonus! So Santa bought the line from the little Red Elf like a hot cup of Cocoa!http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Santa_Claus-SL.jpg/75px-Santa_Claus-SL.jpg
Soon Santa’s entire workshop and network was switched over to some open source RFID state of the art Gift Tracking application. The Geeks and Nerds guaranteed Santa would slash his operational time by 50% and triple his production. His proof was re-enforced with polar graphs and shoddy statistics. They looked good on paper, however when the Gifts hit the Air, they just didn’t have the follow through to make them fly. Santa needed help.
Codefusion did a full 27 Point IT Strategy Audit and saw what the Geeks and Nerds missed. Great ideas, that just didn’t make Santa fly. When it comes to Santa, if the ideas don’t fly, neither does he.
Twas the Week before Christmas and all was a mess
The production systems just didn’t pass the test
The elves were all angry, the reindeer uptight
Santa was worried they wouldn’t be ready for Christmas night.
The Geeks and the nerds all were perplexed
Santa and the elves were more than a little vexed.
While Rudolf was surfing he found a great site-
Codefusion Communications guaranteed results the same night.
So Rudolf made the call, the Team were soon to arrive,
With one Guarantee – To keep Christmas alive!
So the team got to work, not a moment to spare.
The systems were analyzed through each node with great care.
The team had an answer and as quick as a flash
They virtualized the environment and recovered the crash.
The efforts were focused, The results were swift,
Windows was flying and soon so would the gifts.
On Windows, on SQL, on Great Plains and Navision
On HyperV, SAN Storage, .Net had arisen
RFID systems were back online tracking
All of the presents that were ready for packing
Santa was watching from his big easy Chair
The elves were all focused on the Team’s genuine Care
Production was running to Elf’s constant humming,
Santa Face-booked his Fans to say he was still coming.
“I think they saved us, as quick as a pinch”
Well, dear old Santa, for us it’s a cinch.
As Santa flew off and he shouted with delight,
“Thank you Codefusion! To all A Good Night!”
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=80f285b3-2231-4966-9fef-a3c1c549dea0)
Filed under Integrated Telecommunications, Managed IT Support, Toronto Computer Support, Toronto IT Support by on Dec 25th, 2009. Comment. 
- Image by Cliph via Flickr
The first time I read about the concept of the “paperless office” I thought it was a brilliant idea that would revolutionize the way we all do business. Yet despite the obvious logic of the idea, I don’t know of any office that is truly paperless; as a matter of fact, most are just the opposite, swimming in piles of paper documents.
Maybe it’s because most people haven’t figured out how to go truly paperless. Or maybe we simply have some deep-rooted human need to touch the documents we use. Whatever the reason, these enormous piles of paper that never get filed, get lost or waste hours of our time moving, sifting, sorting and searching through them adds up to a BIG cost that can be hard to measure.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Metal_File_Cabinet.jpg/75px-Metal_File_Cabinet.jpg
If you are suffering from ‘paper overload,’ maybe it’s time you considered moving some portion of your paper contracts and files to a paperless document imaging solution. The costs of installing such a system have dropped dramatically over time, and often the hard costs can be easily recouped in a few short months. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider going paperless:
• Reduce clutter & office space taken up by filing cabinets
Once you get the staff into the habit of scanning documents upon receiving them, you can avoid the endless piles of paper around the office and (eventually) get rid of big, bulky filing cabinets that take up space.
• Save time filing and searching for documents
An entire universe of documents can be searched in seconds using simple search criteria, such as a word or number in a document. This means less time wasted in searching through paper files, your office is far more efficient and organized, and you’ll be able to respond to customer requests, orders, or questions much faster.
• Reduce or eliminate missing documents
Scanning and filing of documents get them to the right place with few exceptions; that means critical contracts, order forms and files will have much less a chance of getting lost or misplaced.
• Faster, surefire recovery after physical disaster
Electronic documents backed up electronically can be reprinted and saved; documents lost to fire, water damage, coffee spills, tears or other physical damage can’t ever be recovered.
You can also streamline business processes by adding process flow tags to new, inbound documents. For instance, you could add a “Current Review Status” field, electronic routing list, or even a “Document Expiration Date” field to a document – items that are often managed with yellow sticky notes or small routing slips.
A document management solution is something that every business should at least look into, especially if you’re still receiving a lot of paper.
Call us at 416.335.9392 if you’d like to discuss how you could benefit from a Virtual Filing System and learn the various options available for your business.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=b3b811a7-827b-42c5-a5cb-7345c66faadf)
- Image via Wikipedia
A disaster recovery plan doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming or expensive. Start by asking yourself the following questions…
1. Do you back up your company’s data daily to both an onsite and offsite location?
2. Are you absolutely certain that your backup copy is valid, complete and not corrupt? How do you know for sure?
3. If disaster strikes, HOW would you get your data back, and how long would it take? In many cases it takes days and often weeks; what would you do during that period of time?
4. Do you have copies of all the software licenses and discs in a safe location that could be accessed in the event of having to rebuild your server?
5. Would you and your employees have a way to access your network remotely if you couldn’t get to the office?
6. Do you store important passwords in a secure place that company officers can access if you are unavailable?
7. Do you have a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) device in place to keep your network and other critical data operations running during a power outage?
This is NOT a complete list, but it is a good start to get you thinking in the right direction.
Our FREE Disaster Recovery Plan Helps You Prepare (
Since it’s the New Year, we’ve decided to help our clients get their “IT house” in order by giving away a FREE Backup and Disaster Recovery Audit. At no charge or obligation, we’ll come to your office, review your current plan (or lack of one!) and provide a simple action plan on what you need to do to make sure your business can always be up and running.
But take note! We can only make this available to our clients and friends during the month of January; after that, the fee for this consultation will be $395. For more information, please contact our office at 416.335.9392 or visit www.codefusion.com/freebackupaudit
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=9d9196b9-7b19-475d-b57e-19367c2d57de)
Filed under Toronto Computer Support, Toronto IT Support by on Dec 14th, 2009. Comment.
- Image via Wikipedia
A computer virus is a malicious program that attaches itself to another program or file with the intent of spreading or replicating itself. Some viruses cause only mildly annoying effects while others can completely destroy your hardware, software, and files. Almost all viruses are spread by executable files attached to an e-mail. Unless you run or open the program, a virus cannot infect your computer. That is why you should NEVER open a strange-looking e-mail from an unknown source.
Like viruses, worms spread from computer to computer; but unlike a virus, a worm has the ability to take advantage of your computer’s file or information transport feature to spread without human assistance. This is why worms are so dangerous. Left unchecked, a worm could send out thousands of copies of itself from your computer, creating a devastating ripple effect. For example, many worms will access your e-mail address book and send a copy of itself to everyone you have listed. If it is able to install itself on the recipient’s machine, it performs the same broadcast to everyone in their e-mail address book, and so on down the line.
Because of the copying process they initiate, worms use up system memory and network bandwidth causing Web servers, network servers, and individual computers to stop responding. In some cases, like the Blaster Worm disaster, a worm can actually allow malicious users to control your computer remotely.
A Trojan Horse received its name because of the way it tricks users into installing it on their computer. To an unsuspecting user, a Trojan Horse will appear to be useful software or files from a legitimate source. Once activated, the damage can be mildly annoying (like adding silly icons to your desktop) to outright devastating (deleting files and destroying information on your system).
In addition to damaging files and destroying information, Trojans are known for creating an entry point that allows outsiders to access your system and possibly even steal confidential, financial, and personal information. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files and do not self-replicate.
How To Protect Yourself From Getting Infected
Since new threats are developed daily, it’s important to stay vigilant about keeping your computer or network’s security current. The most obvious line of defense is up-to-date virus protection that has the ability to scan and clean inbound and outbound e-mail messages. Next, make sure you have the latest security patches and updates installed for your operating system, especially if you are running Microsoft Windows. You should also have a software or hardware firewall installed.
Finally, modify your browsing habits. Do not click on pop up ads, download “cute” screen saver programs or emoticons, and never participate in peer-to-peer network download sites.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=2b5438f9-5045-4c13-93a3-6e82d2c0e5c3)
Filed under Managed IT Support, Toronto Computer Support, Toronto IT Support by on Dec 14th, 2009. Comment.
by Jeff Brodie
There are a lot of people out there today that have suffered from a virus, or some type of malware that has made their computer crash losing all the files and stuff they have saved. Setting your computer up with some type of anti-virus is a good start to ensuring that none of your work or stuff that you have saved will be lost. However, that is all it can be classified as, is a step in the right direction. Having an anti-virus will not always be sophisticated enough to stop all viruses that are out there today. So what you need to do as well is to make sure that you are backing up your system as much as possible. Understand that there are many onsite or offsite companies that can help you with this.
There are companies that will provide you with network management and support as well as system backups both onsite and offsite. Those people, who depend on their PC or laptop for their livelihood, live in constant fear of a system crash and the loss of their most important data. Whether your laptop is stolen or you pick up a virus that eats into your hard drive, you have lost everything unless you have a secure system backup. Picking up a virus that virtually wipes out your hard drive is far more common than many people seem to think “” and it can cost as much as $1000 to have your data retrieved and loaded onto a new machine.
There are many different ways that you can get system backups. If you are not familiar with how to backup your system then there are many onsite, and offsite companies that can help you accomplish this. These companies typically offer quite a few different safeguards that are design to help you keep your computer safe. Most of these companies also offer twenty four hour support as well. Understanding that when you are hard a work it is sometimes easy to forget to backup your system. If you have a computer crash and do not have your system backed up you could lose everything you have on there.
There are so many different ways that you can prevent your computer from having issues to the point where it will crash your computer. If you have just recently purchased a laptop or home pc, most of them in today’s world come with some type of anti-virus already installed on their computer. Vendor backups are also whether its onsite or offsite provide a high level of security and data encryption that is up to date to handle all the viruses out there today. There are also external sources for system backup that provide a piece of software that will have all your installed programs on it.
Many people do not seem to realise that if their computer is hacked or attacked by a virus, they do not only lose their data, but along with it all of the software and programs that were installed on their computer. When you work with a company that offers system backups both onsite and offsite, then you are far more likely to be able to retrieve everything that you thought was lost..
Don’t be at a loss without backup protection. For Toronto Computer Support give me a call at 1-877-335-9390 and we will perform a Network Audit for free on your existing systems. Managing your backups secures your business and gives you peace of mind.
Keywords:
Filed under Managed IT Support, Toronto Computer Support by on Nov 11th, 2009. Comment.
If this is of interest to you call me at 1-877-335-9390 or visit the website and have a Free Network Analysis to discover your potential for this game-changing business strategy. Don’t just take my word for it see what my customers are saying at Toronto IT Support
Filed under Integrated Telecommunications, Managed IT Support by on Nov 7th, 2009. Comment.
