Mobile users now spend an average of 94 minutes per day using apps, and 84 minutes searching the web on mobile devices, according to CNN.

One company president I advised was initially hesitant and afraid of the new technology, but followed my encouragement to get an iPad.  Maybe you are hesitant too.

He claimed the biggest difference in his life was having only 10 e-mails to answer instead of 200 emails when he got back from his business trip. He attributed this to being able to answer them all from his iPad easily on the plane in the airport and the in between times of the trip.  He also is reading a lot more with the ease of the new technology.

That company president got a significant increase in knowledge and effectiveness with iPad support.

What could you get out of these tools that you are not yet?

1. Get information faster.  Not just web browsing. Try out apps like Wolfram Alpha.
2. Catch up on E-mail in the in-between’s of life more easily.
3. Keep up on the news that you need.  Try news feeds like Flipboard and FLUD.
4. Follow your social media streams easily.
5. Read books to increase your knowledge.

If you want to eliminate frustration with figuring out your tablet or smartphone, call slashBlue.  Get iPad, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry and iPhone Support that helps you to be more productive.

Most small businesses have some form of data backup. However, that doesn’t mean they can recover from disaster nor does it mean they can continue their business operations.

So what’s the difference between disaster recovery and business continuity?

Business Continuity planning covers all critical business functions.

Disaster Recovery is part of the continuity plan that focuses on the technical side of the business.

For example, we construct a Disaster Recovery Plan that focuses on an expected recovery time. (This is known as Recovery Time Objective, or RTO).  The small business disaster recovery plan accounts for all technology tools critical for business operations AND how to recover in the event of any kind of disaster.  Data backup alone will not restore business operations.

Only by creating a plan, will you have all critical business services you need. Initially, the small businesses we audit are unable to completely recover from disaster.

What are you doing to ensure your business continuity?

For more on this topic, see our business technology blog article.

For Disaster Recovery planning or Business Continuity planning expertise, please contact slashBlue at 651-644-2190 press option two for sales. Contact us now for your disaster recovery audit or find out more.

““They called right away and had us back up and functioning within a couple of minutes. Great job slashBlue!”
-    Dr. Ben, Owner at a Medical Services Company

That is the lost revenue in the US economy due to unnecessary interruptions.  (According to Dave Crenshaw in The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done)

To bring it down to something we can each grasp more readily, Crenshaw states that 2.1 hours are lost every day per person.

Wow!  That still sounds like a lot.  I can’t imagine wasting that much time from interruptions!

There are many statistics out there that make our eyes bulge, but do not seem believable.  So, how much time is really lost to frustrating, ankle biting interruptions? What is the cost of technology interruptions?

Consider what happens when you’re interrupted by an e-mail that comes in. You look away from what you are doing, and you say, “Oh… I’ll just take care of that real quickly.” How often does the “real quickly” take more than just a few seconds?

Often those “Oh, I just need 1 minute of your time” interruptions totally remove you from what you are focusing on. Perhaps that email interruption takes 10 minutes to compose a reply; you have to call somebody that needs to get involved in the issue. Then, it takes you time to get reengaged with what you were thinking on. If you are doing deep thinking it takes a long time. Email is often something you choose to interrupt yourself. It feels even worse when technology breaks and you’re interrupted, frustrated and completely taken out of your focus. 

Poor IT support and technology planning results in lots of interruptions.

So, could you see how interruptions add up throughout your day?  What can you do about it?

1) When you need thinking time, close Outlook e-mail and other applications and only have open what you need for what you are doing and focused on.  If you get a visceral, “But, I can’t do that!” reaction, start small with 15 minutes, and work your way up over time.  Your coworkers will get used to it.  I am now able to have whole days even that I can block out without interruption.

2) Block time when you need to do deep thinking, put it on your calendar, put your phone on do not disturb and let people know that you must not be disturbed during this time.  Once you respect your time, other people will as well and you’ll get more done.

3) Get IT Support that eliminates hassle – Find a managed service provider that plans to avoid interruptions. They must be able to provide evidence that they have eliminated interruptions for people. It is not good enough to just talk about downtime. IT Support are often the worst at creating downtime and hassle. Find someone who removes it.

As a managed service provider (MSP) and IT Outsourcing company, slashBlue is focused on eliminating hassle and frustration from IT downtime and interruptions.  Please contact us for your hassle audit or find out more.

Contact Us to Eliminate Hassle

“slashBlue went above and beyond my expectations to resolve a nagging issue that I assumed could not be fixed. I didn’t realize how much hassle it was causing me every day and how it raised my frustration level throughout my work day. Now, I’m not interrupted, and I have a lot less frustration.” -

Andy, CFO at Financial Services Company

There is much to be learned from Jobs about business, especially if you are a CEO.

He was a college dropout, and established his reputation early on as a tech innovator at 21 years old, when he and his friends Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded Apple Computer Inc. in the Jobs family garage in 1976.

Jobs turned Apple into the largest retailer of music and helped popularize computer animated films as the CEO of Pixar Animation Studios, which he later sold to Walt Disney Co. He was a key figure in changing the way people used the Internet and how they listened to music, watched TV shows and movies, and read books.

“Mr. Jobs chose the name, in part, because he was a Beatles fan and admired the group’s Apple records label,” said Wall Street Journal reporter, Jim Carlton.

Steve Jobs died on Oct. 5, 2011 at age 56 from pancreatic cancer. His death is a tremendous loss, to not only the company he founded and built, but to the American industry and millions of people around the world. News of his death came a day after Apple unveiled its newest device, the iPhone 4S, without him on stage.

Steve Jobs has not only left a permanent mark in this era, but according to the CEO Magazine, he has also left 3 core ideas that CEO’s should ponder when it comes to business:

1. Passion: Be passionate not just about products but the intersection of design and business values as expressed in products.
2. Accepting: Never underestimate the importance of people, teamwork, and organizational culture in achieving innovation;
3. Revolutionizing: Keep developing new ideas until you reach your goal.

Through all Jobs fame, fortune and business, he maintained uncompromising standards for the company’s hardware, software, and Apple stores.

According to Apple,  the processing power of iPhone 4S is twice as fast as its predecessor, and the graphics performance on iPhone 4S is 7 times faster than iPhone 4.

Here are the big differences you will notice:

Siri :

Siri on iPhone 4S lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you talk. Siri understands what you say, knows what you mean, and even talks back. Siri is so easy to use and does so much; you’ll keep finding more and more ways to use it.

Dual-core A5 chip:

Two cores in the A5 chip deliver up to two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics, and you will  feel the effects. The iPhone 4S is quick and responsive, which makes all the difference when you’re launching apps, browsing the web, gaming, and doing just about everything. No matter what you’re doing, you can keep on doing it, because the A5 chip is so power-efficient, iPhone 4S has outstanding battery life.

The iPhone 4S is great for gamers. The A5 chip pushes graphics up to seven times faster. So games run smoother and they’re even more realistic. And graphics-intensive apps perform even better.

New Camera:

This just might be the best camera ever on an iPhone. And with all-new optics, it just might be the only camera you need. Behind every shot, you’ve got 8-megapixel resolution and a custom lens with a larger aperture. It also has  an improved backside illumination sensor, excellent auto white balance, advanced color accuracy, face detection, and reduced motion blur. It all means that no matter how many people, how much light, and how much action you capture, everything looks exactly as it should. And just wait until you see the photos.

The iPhone 4 will be available with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint on October 14 starting at $199.

Should you buy an iPhone 4S? Here is a brief comparison between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S:

If you want to learn more about how slashBlue can support your iPhone, go to www.slashblue.com.

According to the Wall Street Journal, employees are sometimes responsible for network security breaches. This could be the result of hackers being clever at breaking into companies by misusing kind-hearted employees.

The good news is that small-business owners and their employees may be able to prevent cyber attacks by learning and avoiding the top 5 network security mistakes: 

1. Lack of Education: Most viruses and malware are invited by the user of the computer. If you want to prevent employees from downloading viruses, educate them on common scams, so they don’t unknowingly let hackers into your network. (Search through the blogs at slashBlue)
2. Lack of maintenance: It is critical to keep your security up to date; otherwise your software will be vulnerable to hackers. (If you are business less than several hundred employees, use a managed services provider who will be accountable for this.)
3. Plug and surf: Security needs to be configured. This should include virus protection and a firewall at the very minimum. (To be truly protected, several strategies need to be employed. Ask your IT Support provider what they are doing.)
4. Do it yourself: Setting up a network can be tricky. Small business owners should ask f or advice or even hire help. (Once you have a business that is worth protecting, make sure to hire an expert in disaster recovery and security practices.)
5. Weak Passwords: Everyone knows that a strong phrase for a password, is not “password,” yet this is still the number one password used by computer users. For maximum security a strong password should contain: numbers and letters, both upper and lower case, and even some symbols. (Your IT Outsourcer should be able to help you manage this better. Everyone has so many passwords to remember these days, it can be quite a hassle unless you have the right tools and you are supported well by your IT.)

If you have a business that is worth protecting, make sure you take security seriously.

 At slashBlue, we not only save you time, but also the hassle of applying proper security measures.

If you are lacking a network security plan or have any questions about your network security, visit www.slashblue.com.

Here are 3 keys every executive needs to know to ensure IT is doing their job in planning:

1. Business Justification- If there is not a specific business justification for doing it, such as: increase revenue, reduce costs, improve your staff’s productivity, protect your business, or improve capability to serve your market, there’s a good chance it’s not worth doing.

2. Responsibility- Many times your IT Support, or IT outsourcing company, will encourage the organization to implement some new technology, but then the success of the project will depend on other users in the organization.  Who will be responsible? Who has authority to execute?  Responsibility without authority doesn’t work.  It is unfortunately common for executives to hold IT responsible will not kidding authority. Out. It is even more common than IT does not articulate well how the technology relates to their responsibility. Make sure your IT support or IT outsourcing will uphold responsibilitly and that you give them the appropriate authority and budget to meet that responsibility. (Look for what they guarantee, and evidence that it is upheld.)

3. The Cost- There is always an initial cost and an ongoing cost. Make sure that you get planning budget numbers that includes everything.  It is unfortunately common that IT can represent the upfront cost, but not the ongoing cost. Total cost is not often considered. But, this is even more critical in IT planning, since shortsighted decisions have large, long-term costs. Ask your IT or managed service provider what the total cost is before you implement their budget.

At slashBlue, we present a total budget with upfront and ongoing costs. 

If you are concerned that your IT planning is falling short, contact us so that you can focus on your business.

Here are 7 ways to help keep your tablet secure:

1. Do not leave it lying around- This may be a common sense thing, but it is violated often. As tablets become more popular they will be more easily targeted for thieves. Tablet devices will be stolen, if you leave it in plain view in your vehicle.
2. Use a password- Although this may not be 100% security, it will block users from accessing personal information.  We have helped our clients to enforce this requirement when appropriate. 
3. Consider enabling remote wirpe/automatic data erasing- With some tablets you can set it up to where it erases your device after 10 failed login attempts. 
4. Limit the capabilities- Setting restrictions such as, access to Safari, YouTube, or other apps will also help the security.
5. Install software updates- Make sure you have the latest security updates to protect against viruses and hackers.
6. Only connect to trusted WiFi networks- When you connect to another network, make sure you know what you are connecting to and who is providing the network.
7. Store your critical data in the cloud, not on the device. – Apple iCloud, Dropbox, Box.net are available as apps so you can access your content on all devices.  

Tablet devices are overall very appealing devices that are difficult to put down, but when put down, make sure they are in a safe, protected environment.  Your IT Support should have guidelines for  these items.

If you need additional  IT Support for an Android tablet, iPad, or other tablet, contact slashBlue.

According to Alan Beaulieu at ITR, the economy is actually on track for modest growth through 2012.

What does that mean for your business?

Do not miss out on this opportunity to invest in your business!  If you do, you may let your competition overtake you!

According to Beaulieu, here are three actions every executive needs to consider:

1. Watch for employee burnout – Many have put in long hours and have been overloaded during this downturn.
2. Borrow before inflation comes, and invest in business for the long haul that will produce cash, move into new markets
3. Invest in competitive advantages, marketing position and customer service.

What does this mean for IT?

1. Take away stress and hassle – Give your employees every resource available to do their jobs. If their computer is slow, or they do not have the tools they need, invest in them now.
2. Take advantage of capital loans, capital leases, and operating leases to fund business expansion and updating your IT environment. (e.g. Our clients enjoy rates of 4.99% or less currently.)
3. By equipping your employees, giving them time back, and eliminating hassle, they will be much more satisfied and your business will grow faster.

During this downturn, our clients have invested this way and grew an average of 14.8% last year versus 3.8% for the overall market.

Contact us for a slashBlueprint business and technology planning audit to give you steps to take now to make your business more productive.

One way that slashBlue is staying green, is by having employees work from home two days per week.  Employee’s of slashBlue save, on average, one hour per day of travel time.  This not only saves time, but uses less gas, and saves money.

For each of our staff, each year, that saves:

• 100 hours of their time.  This contributes to happier staff who can spend more time with their families.
• 200 gallons of gas.
• $770+ on gas.

All of this just by working remotely.

Here are 3 ways to save your company money on utilities and IT services.

1. Go Virtual: Desktop Virtualization is a process of replacing expensive, power-sucking computer workstations with a less expensive option. This not only cuts down on the power needed, but also reduced hardware and maintenance costs because they are easier to maintain. Organizations have learned that acquiring desktop or mobile personal computers, installing software, training and supporting the users of these systems, updating the software on these systems and even maintaining these systems is a costly and time-consuming business.
2. Go Paperless: It is simple, easy, and more affordable. Not only does going paperless cut down on paper and ink, but it is also far easier to file, find, and share documents. Having documents lost or stolen are greatly reduced when “going green” and paperless.
3. Go Remote: This is one of the more efficient “going green” options, because even just working from home one day a week, will cut down on gas significantly. Some businesses are choosing to go completely remote, in return, saving them a ton of money on rent and utilities. For some businesses, that option is not possible, but at least think about going remote one or two days a week.

If you need help thinking about going green, and need IT Support for it, please contact us or visit us at www.slashblue.com.