Are You Paying Enough for IT Support?

By: Dan Bremner

Several years back, I was referred to a prospective customer, a successful business with about 25 employees in the Chicago suburbs. In my meeting with the owner and the office manager I learned that they were paying their existing IT provider a flat monthly fee to manage their network and computer systems.

September 2015 – Office 2016 is Here!

September 2015 – Office 2016 is Here!

It’s been a big week for software releases. First, Apple released the latest iPhone and iPad operating system, iOS 9, to go along with their newly introduced devices. Then Microsoft released Office 2016, with a huge focus on collaborating and making use of the shared cloud storage that comes with Office 365 subscriptions, OneDrive and SharePoint.

Windows 10, Part 2: Beyond the Start Menu

Windows 10, Part 2: Beyond the Start Menu

Microsoft’s newest incarnation of the now 30-year-old Windows brand was officially released to the computing public last week. Much of the online commentary has focused on user-interface aspects of the new OS, such as the newly redesigned (again!) Start menu, the ability to run the newer-style (Metro/Modern) apps in a window instead of full-screen, and the new virtual assistant known as Cortana. Understandable, since that’s what most users will notice and see, and that’s where Microsoft received the most Windows 8 criticism.

Windows 10, Part 1: Release News

You may have seen some of the press, or even a “Windows 10 is coming” notification on your desktop along with an offer to “reserve your upgrade”. By the way, if you’re only half-paying attention don’t worry, you didn’t miss Windows 9. Microsoft decided to skip a version and go right from Windows 8 (and 8.1) to Windows 10.

Worst Case Scenario

“Worst Case Scenario” thinking can help your business be prepared. No one likes to think about it, but what would you do if your office burned down, or flooded, or if thieves walked off with everything in your server closet? More to the point, would your business be able to survive?

Secure Email: an Oxymoron?

Email security is on my mind today for a couple of reasons.

With my oldest daughter off to Marquette University in the fall, the “college fund” my wife and I have been saving into for years is no longer a deposit-only thing – we need to start tapping into it to pay tuition bills. So I’ve had to exchange some documents (via secure email) with my financial advisor to get accounts linked so we can transfer funds and make those tuition payments.

Should I Subscribe to Software, or Buy It?

Software vendors are increasingly using a combination of carrot and stick to induce customers to sign up for their subscription-based software licensing. The “carrots” tend to be extra features or permitted uses, while the stick may be higher prices for traditional perpetual licenses, or discontinuing the perpetual license (almost) entirely, as Adobe has recently announced.