TCD PERSPECTIVE
The computers and your network in your office is your lifeblood. All your business’s communicationand data entry must be protected and secure. Are you concerned about unwanted ‘guests’ having access to your important data? Are your computers safe and secure from malware and software viruses?
There is one way to find out- a Managed Service Provider will design, install and monitor your desktop security with complete IT Management Solutions.
What is Managed IT Support?
A MSP provides proactive 24×7 monitoring and management along with multiple backup and disaster recovery systems, cloud hosting under Service Level Agreements designed specifically for each client. Their task is to ensure that critical IT systems are always available to support core business functions.
Why Managed IT Support?
Unfortunately, maintaining IT systems with an in-house IT staff can be costly and inefficient. An experienced MSP will support all your servers, network appliances and desktops. Your systems will be monitored and supported both remotely and locally 24/7.
Four More MSP Benefits
● Performs complete desktop analysis to locate any internal weak points that could leave your business susceptible to undue and unnecessary disruptions
● Protects yournetworks and computers against threats from- viruses, spam, , unauthorized users, firewalls, and more
● Educates your staff on password security to protect your messaging and data.Makes certain that your mobile devices and in house computers are linked securely and easily
● Delivers 24/7- 365 days a year desktop support to detect potential bugs or any intrusions before they can cause real damage to your business operations
Contact us now
Your business must adapt to the constant changes in the world of technology and cybercrime. Allow the experts at TCD to provide the IT solutions that will keep your business safe and sound. Cybercrime is not going away. Contact at tcyee@tcd.com.au to learn about customized TCD’s Managed IT Services for your business.
With CryptoLocker (a nasty malware) on the rise (127% just this year), and the costs incurred rising with it, it is time for everyone to fight back. At TCD we believe Knowledge is the Best Defense. Here is what you need to know.
Cryptolocker
What is It?
Cryptolocker is a popular and powerful ransomware that forces businesses and individuals to pay ransom for locked up data. It uses social engineering techniques to trick the user into running it. Specifically, a victim receives an email with a password-protected ZIP file attached that purports to be from a well known company. The malware starts when the user opens the attached ZIP file, and attempts to open the PDF. As soon as the victim runs it, the malware goes memory resident on the computer.
Now the drama unfolds... out pops a red alert on the victim’s screen. It comes with a threat: "Pay ransom to an anonymous hacker or all the files will be encrypted — locked up so no one can ever open them again." Hence the term Ransomware.
"WE ARE CALLED TO BE ARCHITECTS OF THE FUTURE,
NOT ITS VICTIMS."
Buckminster Fuller
But that is not the end of the story. TCD is taking action. We are working with our tech partners to analyze these types of cyber attacks so we can detect and detonate them before they deploy. We firmly believe there is no need for our clients to lose time, energy and resources... no reason to always be on the defensive against cyber criminals.
Join us in this fight. The bottom line is that it is time for businesses to be proactive and defeat Cryptolocker and its family of ransomware! Contact us now to learn more. Our next blog is all about what YOU can do to prevent malware from disrupting your business.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2972298/microsoft-windows/10-reasons-you-shouldnt-upgrade-to-windows-10.html
Why it might be wise to stick with Win7 or Win8.1
Back when Windows 10 officially launched, I ran down 10 reasons you should upgrade to the latest incarnation of Windows. Win10 may not yet offer any killer apps, but it provides a compelling combination of features that may tempt you to take the plunge -- the greatly improved navigation for mousers, new browser, facial recognition, and Cortana all rate as significant improvements over what you are currently getting from Win7 and Win8.
Today social media is accessible more than ever! You can access it from home, from school, and YES... from the office. You know your employees sneak in the occasional glance at the Facebook feed, the occasional tweet and of course looking at the hottest YouTube video. Should you care? The answer is yes, you most definitely should.
A report from a Harris Poll for CareerBuilder stated, "after querying 2,138 hiring managers and HR professionals and 3,022 full-time workers across a variety of industries and company sizes to determine the reasons for the steadily increasing decline of productivity we found personal use of technology continues to lead the charge." From personal texting to video messaging on skype to interacting on social media sites... workers have more options to play on their mobiles and computers than ever.
That is why the security team at TCD are adamant that every business whether you have 5 employees or 100 must have an employee internet usage policy. A good employee policy will create awareness about the challenges and expectations of your team as well as curtail the most egregious transgressions. But beware - a policy that removes all personal devices or prohibits all access and texting during working hours is likely to be resented or just ignored.
Another important consideration in creating your internet usage policy is Internet filtering. Blocking social media sites is probably too extreme a measure, but every company must protect itself from the potential liability that malware causes through illegal and virus carrying sites. Likewise, filtering the Internet can also control the network bandwidth that can get eaten up in sites like YouTube.
If your company does not have an internet policy or it needs to be updated, contact us now. Every company is different in how they regulate their employees internet usage, but EVERY company should have a policy in place. Let the experts at TCD help.
Click here to download our Internet Usage and social Media Policy...
The TCD team has done our research and we advise strongly that you hold off on upgrading your system to Windows 10. Right now we cannot promise that your software will be compatible with it... and if it is not... it has the potential to create a stoppage in your operations. What we can guarantee is that as it being so new, there are other bugs and inconsistencies in the RTM build. Why be a guinea pig?
If you need further proof- according to Microsoft, "some printers and other hardware might not work, and some software might not install or work correctly, including antivirus or security programs. Users might also have trouble connecting to home or corporate networks". We say for right now it is just too much speculation and potential hassle.
We know they are pushing it like crazy. It is the MS way. But, remember, you have a year to take up the free upgrade offer. Why rush? If you have any questions or just want to talk about Windows 10, please don’t hesitate. Your TCD experts are here at the ready to help... contact us at tcyee@tcd.com.au or call us at 1300 302 823!
At TCD, we believe all YOUR Critical EMAIL Messages must be protected. Their delivery must be ensured. We can take care of it for you!
It is widely reported that 3/4 of email traffic is Spam email. That means your business’s critical B2B communications are travelling on the same internet email channel with all that spam.
With all the anti-spam and firewalls out there managing email traffic, there is a very good possibility that your legitimate email messages are being treated as just another spam email. Deliverability can never be assured!
Here are some reliable solutions to deliver the messages that are critical to your business operations.
Don’t let your business lose time and money because your communication network is not working properly. Don’t let viruses and malware and the million odd spam messages damage your reputation with clients and partners!
Email was not designed for privacy, dependability or security. Let’s go over what you use your email for and how we can control the ever increasing spam problem. Our TCD email experts guarantee to make your email delivery secure and dependable. Set up an appointment here and let’s get started!
Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 is most likely the infrastructure platform that powers your IT system by connecting applications, networks, Web services and Email services. The good news is that it has been a trusted, successful and oh so very popular software. The bad news is that Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 support is ending July, 2015. After July 14, Microsoft will no longer provide software support including hotfixes, security updates, and patches for new vulnerabilities. As they did with XP, they are making it very clear....
The experts at TCD are on it. We have upgrade strategies for every type of business. We recommend that you upgrade to Windows Server 2012 R2 and Exchange 2012 or Cloud based exchange services. With any of these options, you will see real benefits, including increased agility, improved performance and speed of response. The migration period for these upgrades is about 3 months. So we need to act now!
If you are still using Windows server 2003 and Exchange email server 2003, you need to upgrade now and not wait! There is no reason to take the risk of lost data and computer downtime!
It is an old adage that 90% of business is marketing and the other 10% is your idea or product. It seems with the vast digital marketplace beckoning, business owners are finding this truer than ever. The know how to navigate the Internet in order to get noticed, especially for small businesses is an essential ingredient to businesses success.
But the reality is that many small businesses owners find themselves with limited marketing budgets and without a knowledgeable online marketing staff.
Here’s the good news... there are online small business marketing campaigns you can take advantage of without breaking the bank and there are also online marketers (like TMD) who will work with you to plan and set realistic goals to help you expand your customer base and sell more products and services.
In this 4 part series, we will explore 4 small business marketing tools that are cost effective and smart. The first one is Email marketing. This is a perfect place to start as an email marketing campaign can be extremely effective and should not be a strain on your budget or time.
It’s simple- people use email daily, it works, and according to the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co, “email marketing is 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined as a way to acquire new customers.”
email marketing is 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined as a way to acquire new customers
What is stopping you from having a truly professional email marketing campaign?
Is it the time constraints... you just do not have enough time in the day? There’s the writing, the building up of your database and of course the time to follow up. Or do you find that you just can’t write sales copy about your company that does it justice. Maybe you are uncertain how to create a database that you can use for all your emails? We understand and are here to help. The marketing team at TCD have created the small business email trigger campaign solution. We adhere to three important elements- we always pay attention to your audience, the message you are relaying, and we never fall into the common trap of simply blasting out messages that are not substantive.
Contact us now. Email campaigns are cost-effective, are easy to share and your message is delivered quickly. Let the experts at TCD create an email marketing plan that will consolidate your database, keep you in constant contact with your loyal customers and help you build a larger client base. We will guarantee to work within your budget and time frame. Why wait?
Our next article will be about BLOGGING AND HOW IT CAN BENEFIT YOUR BUSINESS .
An Important Discounted Service
There is a very smart and cost effective way for your computers to stay productive and reliable. How about letting our experts rebuild them for you? Your PC will ‘degrade’ during the course of a year due to hard disk fragmentation, Virus and Malware and installation of other unnecessary applications (and programs). The normal lifespan of a business PC is normally 3 years due to technology changes. So before they hit that 3 years mark, a rebuild must just be the ticket.
We rebuild many of our client’s old computers giving them extra years of productivity. Here’s the good news! We are offering a discounted service rate for the whole month of February. Get your computer to us before February 15th and we will let you know if a rebuild is the right option... the most cost effective. If it is, you will have it back before the end of the month. Why buy a new computer if you do not need to? We also offer replacement computers, if needed, so you never have any down time.
The rebuild/refresh service normally costs over $450 (depending on the time spent). But until February 15th, we are offering it for a fixed cost of $380. We told you... we have great news!
It’s a great deal ...and the sale will not last forever. So don’t hesitate and contact us now! You can even leave us a message here, if you prefer. We promise to get back to you within one business day.
As the founder and owner of TCD, I have seen some amazing changes in the IT world over the last 15 years. Throughout, I am proud to say we have stayed ahead of the curve, built a loyal client base, while remaining steadfast to our commitment of providing technology solutions that are cutting edge and cost effective.
2015 is a big year for TCD as we are expanding our services and outreach. One such outreach is our new blog page, The TCD Perspective. I am embracing it, though writing one is quite a new experience for me. This blog page is going to be a vital part of our new online presence. Another key element to our expansion and commitment to assist our clients is Our IT Executive Consultancy and our CIO CONNECT icon. (Please don’t confuse this with our DESKTOP Help Button... that is our dedicated maintenance hotline)
In our first blog, we described the 4 different ‘stages’ of Business IT Development as-
1. Problem Solving
2. Maintenance
3. Business Improvement
4. Standard of Excellent
We are committed to assisting our clients during these four phases so when decisions need to be made and thought processes communicated, we are with you step by step. I believe it is imperative that every business owner understands the different resources available during the different business operational stages.
That is why I am offering IT Consulting Support for every level of business development. Your decisions should be made from strength not weakness. That is also why we would like to have an IT strategy-blueprint for every client. We want to be prepared and have the ability to leverage the the right resources at the right moment.
Take for instance - I was called to advise on a client growth and expansion plan, a new interstate office. By getting involved early and understanding the client’s stage of business development, I was able to save them tens of thousands of dollars and lots of time. I leveraged their current IT infrastructure and implemented a state of the art IT based solution.. With their network infrastructure and latest IP telephony, we created a virtual centralised telephone receptionist function. I was so happy that I was able to save them a bunch of money and time. So many times I am called in too late to really help!
I am determined to make it easy for my busy clients to reach me when the big questions and issues arise and discussion and strategic planning is needed. Thus we came up with a creative solution. We are calling it CIO KONNECT.
You just activate the CIO Konnect icon on your desktop or mobile, we make an appointment and begin! Could there be anything simpler? Just hit the CIO KONNECT icon, and we assess your IT blueprint and talk out any and all issues. IT strategies change and we are always here to help. Let’s connect! Let’s do it!
There is no better time than now. It is a win-win. You are protected and I am happy!
Our business precept is ‘we grow by helping our clients grow.’ While we pride ourselves on providing problem solving services, it is our commitment to all four of these practices that allows your business (and ours) to grow and excel.
1. Problem Solving. This initial step involves the initial consultative process whereby fundamental IT issues relating to your
business are addressed and resolved. This phase will help build your confidence in your IT system. By building a strong IT platform, you will be informed and prepared for the future.
2. The Maintenance Mode is how we control quality and efficiency by providing our clients with a Standard Operating Environment. This support procedure is invaluable as it offers businesses ongoing piece of mind knowing TCD will always be there to deliver on repair and maintenance issues.
3. The Business Improvement Mode relates to the exciting realisation that the growth of your business can progress beyond your expectations with the help of our IT business solutions. The technology and know how we provide day in and day out, is an essential ingredient to any business in this digital age. The progression of your business will depend on your technology working for you, not you working for your technology.
4. The Final and Fourth Step is the Standard of Excellence Mode which translates to your IT infrastructure working at 100% by supporting all of your business ventures. TCD is always expanding its capabilities, so we will keep you a step ahead of your competition. We do this by holding our staff and all of our services to the highest standards. Mode Four is operation excellence and what we strive for with every client.
This simple 4 step program is how TCD works with each and every client. We are your partner and we are positioned for success... Let us know how we can help YOUR business grow.
Please send us your feedback and add to the conversation. We are excited about our new blog page. You can look forward to weekly reports on TCD, TMD and the newest trends in the world of IT.