Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

With each new generation comes a new group of workers, and attracting good, quality help can be difficult. Even if you can find good help, it can be a challenge to keep. A study at Cornell University has proven that workplace flexibility can greatly improve the odds of finding good employees - and keeping them around.

Big data analytics are changing the way that businesses handle their marketing endeavors. You might even have a data collection strategy yourself that’s helped you make changes to your business model. However, do you understand why these changes are being made?

IT can be a tricky concept to the business owner, and we all know how touchy technology can be at times. It can be working one minute, then completely incapacitated the next. This unpredictability is one reason why the concept of help desk support was created. It’s an important way to assist individuals when they need help most.

Your IT staff deals with your technology on a daily basis, and that same technology is necessary for your company’s survival. In a sense, your IT staff holds the future of your business in their hands. This tremendous responsibility demands a certain level of trust from the business owner, but sometimes they might have other ulterior motives in mind. How can you tell if you’re being fooled by your IT staff?

When you hire a new employee, you make it clear what the job’s expectations are. You expect them to be productive, and you provide them with an environment that’s conducive to getting the job done. This leads us to ask a fundamental question about workplace productivity: How much responsibility do you have in aiding your employees’ productivity?

What’s the point of archiving company emails? After all, it takes up a significant amount of storage space that might be used for other, more important information. Maybe it’s because you’re forced to do so by some regulation, but there are other reasons that archiving your email is a good thing. Whatever the reason, you’ve made the right choice by archiving your email.

Do you get some of your best ideas somewhere other than at your desk? Ever get a brilliant game-changing idea while walking the dog, driving home from work, when out at a restaurant, or even in the shower? If you do, then you’ve experienced the frustration of forgetting your life-changing idea before you get a chance to write it down.

We’re all hooked on our email. It has revolutionized the way businesses communicate, and in many cases, it can be a major distraction. If you’re a small business trying to manage your own Exchange server, you’re probably aware of how much a headache email can be. Do you really have time to host and manage your own email solution?

If you asked any of your employees whether they would prefer to work at home or in the office, we think it’s a safe bet that they would answer “at home.” Working remotely has several well-known benefits, including less commuting expenses, spare office space, and increased employee satisfaction. Despite these advantages, many employers are hesitant to let their staff work from home. Why is this the case?

Outsourcing your company’s IT services is an easy way to cut back on IT costs. For years, outsourced IT has been a growing trend with more companies making the switch, but just because your businesses has outsourced its technology services, doesn’t mean that backsourcing isn’t a valid option.

For American retailers, Black Friday is the biggest and most competitive day on the shopping calendar. Consumers reap the rewards of all of this competition by taking advantage of deep discounts on their favorite items. Competition like this is a win-win for both parties! Can your business benefit like this from an infusion of friendly competition?

Some businesses embrace Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies in the workplace, while others aren’t so sure. If you think that employers are the only ones worried about BYOD policies, you might be surprised to learn that employees are just as concerned about it as their employers. Of course, their reasons are entirely different, but are still valid reasons to be on edge.

Before Microsoft officially releases Windows 10, beta versions are first given to select business leaders like CIOs. This is a standard practice for software manufacturers because it helps them to work out real-world bugs before publicly releasing their product. What do CIOs think of the Windows 10 technical preview? Inquiring business minds want to know.

A thorough data backup is important for your business continuity plan, and so is a fast and efficient disaster recovery solution. What's that? Aren't those the same thing? Unfortunately, the two concepts are far from the same thing, but many business owners are still under the impression that their data backup is also a disaster recovery solution.

As technology continues to improve, workers are able to be more efficient and do more with less. In the name of efficiency, new technology changes things, including the office layout. "Hoteling" is the latest office trend in workplace efficiency, and with the right technology, you can organize your office in this new way and gain maximum collaboration out of your team!

One California restaurant owner has recently taken on an interesting marketing strategy that goes against all conventional wisdom. Co-owner David Cerretini of the Italian restaurant Botto Bistro tells his strategy to USA Today, "I want to be the worst restaurant in the San Francisco area!" Strangely enough, his approach seems to be working.

What's the licensing status of your company's software look like? If you've not been intentional about this, then your business may be using several unlicensed applications. You may be thinking, "Everything works fine. No big deal." Sure, it's no big deal--until you're caught!

A lot of today's companies are taking advantage of the money they can save by switching to an outsourced IT provider, but they all have their reasons. The reasons why they outsource their IT may vary by company, but there are always constants that can help you figure out what you should expect from your IT.

The point of all these cool smartphones is to make life easier, improve productivity, and communication, but how sure are you that these devices are making things better? One restaurant did a study where they looked at their business both before and after the smartphone revolution. Their findings may make you lose your appetite for mobile technology.

Of all the computer company rivalries going on, one of the largest and most well known is Apple vs. Microsoft. The storied competition between these two software giants has driven innovation forward for more than thirty years. Today, the frontlines of this battle take place between the two company's mobile divisions, and now there's a third major competitor in the mix.