​It’s true, we do know a massive amount about phones; we sell them and can help with anything related to the VoIP systems we sell. HOWEVER; your old PBX that’s 8 years old is a totally different thing.  There are many systems we have never seen, and we would not promise that we could even fix them.  If your “old” support team that knows them is unable to do the job, perhaps it’s time you updated. Upgrade to a better system that carries no annual service fees for maintenance and would likely save you 50% or more in monthly charges. VoIP phones can unite your business services and ours have over 90+ features that include free business phones, one per user, free unlimited electronic faxing, no long distance, team chat, screen share, file collaboration, voice mail to email, free auto attendant, phone and desktop apps, and best of all, no long term contracts. Give us a call for a free, no obligation quote for service for 1 to 100 phones.  We think you’ll be surprised. 

The end of the Windows 7 lifecycle is January 14, 2020. "End of life” means  Microsoft will discontinue all support, including paid support; and all updates, including security updates. Windows 7 is currently in “extended support”, meaning Microsoft will offer only paid support and security updates and users should note that even though Microsoft says it will support Windows 7 until January 2020, it began blocking older machines, such as those using Pentium III in June 2018 and can block support for any machine at any time. 

You will need to upgrade to Windows 10, which was released in 2015. It supports apps that can be used across multiple devices; PCs, tablets, smartphones, and supports touchscreen, keyboard, and mouse input methods. Even though there are differences between the 2 interfaces, there are many similarities.  Windows 10 is faster than Windows 7 and you will like the changes once you understand the layout.
It’s important to plan ahead as you will want to have your files backed up to help make the transition smoother (in case of the unthinkable).
​
Microsoft will continually nag you to upgrade, only this time they will let you check “Do not remind me again”.  On the other hand, your I.T. guy should continually remind you to upgrade until it has been done and tested. 

We love to hear the excitement surrounding your move into a new office; however, you might not like to hear what we have to say if you only let us know 1-2 weeks prior. The number one delay you could face is internet connectivity. Oftentimes ISPs will be 4-6 weeks out on new installations. Can you really go that long without internet? You might also find that your current service provider is not on the list of vendors for your new location and you can’t find anyone that knows who is.  You might face losing your current phone solution, especially if you don’t have VoIP phones that can be used over anybody’s network.  The new space might not be equipped with any or enough data drops, and you might have mistaken phone connections for data connections.  You need to view your move as a project. Ask your I.T. person to do a walkthrough with you or your GC to ensure there’s a place for your network equipment and to determine if you have the connectivity you need. Ask them to provide you a list of ISPs that service that address and what the cost is for each provider. Review the needs of your staff to determine if any network equipment needs to be upgraded. This is the ideal time to consider a move to VoIP phones.  You should have a solid date/time scheduled for the internet cut over; in addition to scheduling your I.T. person to move and reinstall all your equipment so there is no downtime.  Remember, I.T. can help make your move a dream and not a nightmare! 

Remember when Kevin downloaded a virus that spread throughout the entire network? Or when Brenda took down the entire email server by sending an email that everyone in the office opened for “TodayisFreeBurgerDay-BobsBurgers.html” ?

Or taped to your phone, or worse, your monitor. (Would you tape your house key to your front door?) You target yourself for a breach by giving anyone easy access to your password if you place it for all to find in a not so “hidden” place. Think of how easy it is to walk by with a phone, snap a picture of your monitor and the sticky-note with your password on it. The cleaning crew, maintenance, and even security now have easy access to after-hours activities because of you! Be cyber-safe and use a password protection program such as KeePass, LastPass, Dashlane, RoboForm or Sticky Password, to name a few. 

​Often companies expect IT to install and support new software and hardware as if they researched, recommended, and received training on it.  IT professionals should be involved when a business makes major technology purchase. They can help decision-makers consider if it will work within their network, does what it claims, if it makes financial sense to use the product, and if the product is secure. By including IT in the process, you help ensure they are equipped to support the technology, and that you're making a good decision and not wasting money.  

The only end result of trying to send an email that many times is frustration. Check for the underlying issue first (is your computer connected to the network?) before trying to send it over, and over, and over again. If you cannot decipher the message error, forward it over to I.T. and they will be able to tell you exactly what is causing the failure and how it can be remedied. 

​Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del, lets you do things such as run the task manager (which lets you see what's running on your computer), change users, lock your system, change your password, or log off.

​I.T. techs love new technology but buying the newest hardware and software can get expensive. If you're using old workstations, monitors, and software, it's probably because those that control the I.T. budget don't like spending money on new tech. 

Within reason, your I.T. team will do everything it can to assist you. However; don't expect I.T. to stop whatever they are working on because you have defined your issue as an emergency. Your definition of an emergency may be different than ours. It's not an emergency if you forgot until today that you needed something today.  We always work as quickly as possible to get all requests completed. We too have schedules and deadlines to meet, so it's likely you may not be next in line.