Archive for the ‘Hardware’ Category

Backup and Cloud Storage

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Earlier in the month we wrote a blog about getting a new computer or fixing your old one if it breaks.  We mentioned the fact that you should back up your precious files and pictures so it is easier to move them and so you don’t lose them if something on your computer breaks.

We received a lot of questions from people about how they can do that and whether they should back up their home computers.  So we decided to write a blog about it, to let everyone know their options.

While most people think Backups and Cloud storage are for businesses, we also think that home users should use these for their own files too.  The solutions we cover here are really not meant for businesses, so if you are interested in solutions for your business then please contact us and we will be glad to help.  Even small businesses on a tight budget have greater needs than most home users and so we have plans to help you.

What is Cloud Storage and How Does it Differ From Backups?

A backup is a copy of the original file kept in a different location (preferably not on the same computer), which is sometimes compressed to save space.  The backup can then be (expanded and) restored to the original location or another location if something should happen to the original file (deleted, disk or computer broken or stolen, virus attack etc.).

Cloud Storage is using the internet to store your files, which is the same as storing them on someone elses computer.  An example of cloud storage is when you upload your pictures to flickr or Facebook.  There is now a copy on their computers and they back them up.  So if you do lose it on yours then you can get it back from them (though it may be a reduced size in this example).

How Do I Use Them and How Much Does It Cost?

Costs vary, but they start from FREE (we like that word!).

Lets start with backup.  Most computers have some sort of back up program built in.  You click it, start the wizard, tell it what you want to back up and how often (e.g. nightly) and where to store it and as long as your computer is on it will back them up.  We suggest you have a large enough second drive to hold your backups and keep a few (usually a weeks worth).  A portable hard drive is fairly inexpensive (less than $100) to hold all your data, or you may be able to share it with one or two computers in the house.  If you don’t have one then we suggest a USB stick (they can be 32Gb and getting bigger) and either copy the files over or use the backup program.

The reason we say another drive is so that if your computer breaks, is stolen or gets a virus then you have the files somewhere else where they can be recovered.  There is nothing more disheartening than us explaining to a customer that we cannot recover their family photos when a drive fails and they didn’t have them backed up.  Those moments in time are lost forever.

Another way is using online backups.  There are many companies including ourselves who provide this service for a small monthly fee.  This time you download their small backup program, configure it in much the same way (files, how often etc.) but this time you have to be connected to the internet and they send it to their servers for storage.  This is backup and cloud storage in one.  Now your files will be safe even if a disaster struck your home.

A word of warning about some of these company’s advertising.  When they tell you they have unlimited backups or storage, don’t get overexcited.  You can only upload so much data at a time over the internet.  Gigabytes of data takes days of non-stop sending from your computer and the next backup cannot start until that one finishes.  So take a step back and have it explained to you properly and don’t choose one company over another for unlimited data only.  It is just a marketing ploy.

The downside of these backups is they are only  backing up your file and not your full disk.  This usually makes little difference to the home user (but is critical for business use) but it means that if your computer fails and you have to replace or fix it and start again you will have to install Windows, all your programs, the online backup program if you used it and then restore your files – which can take a long time and then not be guaranteed to work.

There is another type of backup that takes an image of your disk and backs that up, meaning the full system.  It works in a similar way to the other backups but it is doing everything and not just the files.  Then your whole system can be restored including Windows, your programs, your desktop, favorites and everything else in one click.  We provide this type of backup for home users starting at $10 per month.

Whichever type of system you use you should always periodically check the state of the backups and do a temporary restore to make sure the file will work.  The number of backups we have seen that were never tested until they were actually needed only to find out there was a corruption and everything was lost is staggering.  All for the sake of a few minutes to check.  With the free backups on your computer it is hard to check.  With these online programs it should be easier.

With our system, because we image the whole disk we can perform two checks. First we can open the whole backup as another drive (e.g. F drive) on your computer and you can copy files over from it or just open them up as if they were on your main drive.  Secondly we can create a virtual copy of your computer on your computer or another computer to make sure the whole system works if needed.  Not bad for $10?

As we mentioned before, Cloud storage is similar and often goes hand in hand with backups.  There are a number of places, including Google that will allow you to upload files for no charge.  Other places will let you store and share certain types of files.  And if you have email hosted by these companies and have a lot of storage (e.g. Gmail will give you something like 2Gb of email) then send yourself your important files as attachments and store them in a folder on your email account.

For those students looking for places to store their school coursework etc. then look out for our blogs and next months newsletter.  This will focus on “Back to School” and one installment will be on storing and sharing those documents.

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Posted in Backups and Disaster Recovery, Best Practices, Business, Computers, Hardware, Software | No Comments »

Prolong Computer Life

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Prolong Computer Life

At this time of year we see more problems with computer hardware, especially in Texas, due to the heat.  This article will give you some ideas on how to extend the life of your computer, protect it during this heat and also what to do if your computer does fail – it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go and buy a new one.

Keeping your cool

The number 1 cause of most computer failures is heat.  Whether this is the processor overheating, the hard drive (the two most common causes of failure) or another component, it usually boils down to heat (excuse the pun).

Modern processors are now often two processors on one chip doing billions of operations a second all on a very thin piece of silicon.  This generates enormous amounts of heat and would literally melt in seconds if it weren’t for the cooling on them.  They are also sensitive to heat and often the cooling that comes with a computer isn’t always adequate.  Laptops are even more vulnerable as they are cramped inside a small box with little or no room for fans and vents.  And the battery in a laptop intensifies the heat (have you touched one after it has been on for an hour or so?).

To keep a desktop cool then you may want to try the following:

  • Keep it out in the open so air can circulate and get rid of the heat. We see a number of computer desks that have a small compartment to “hide” the tower inside.  But where does all the heat go?  It stays in there to heat it up.
  • Buy some extra computer fans for the case. Most cases have vents on the front and back (and some even on the sides) where you can put extra fans.  These can be purchased online or in some computer stores relatively cheaply.  They usually attach by 4 simple screws and plug into the computer power supply.  Just one or two extra fans may make all the difference.
  • Turn on the air conditioning.  Computers really like it cool. And they really do not like it when the room temperature is over 80f without some extra cooling.
  • Buy a small desk fan.  One of those small fans you can buy in most home improvement and similar stores will help a lot too.  They move the air over the computer which helps keep it cooler and more importantly moves the hot air away (and hopefully out of the room).

There really is only one way to keep a laptop cool and that is with a cooling mat (unless of course you want to have a small fan pointing at it).  These mats are available online and in most computer stores. They are a hard plastic tray with (usually) 2 fans on them.  You sit the laptop on the tray and the fans keep the underside cool.  Try and find the ones that are powered by USB instead of their own power supply so that it plugs into a USB port on the laptop.

Also it helps to keep the computer clean.  Desktops suffer from this more than laptops. Those vents in the computer (and often computers are sitting on or near the floor) collect dust and start to block up.  We recommend removing this with a vacuum cleaner (gently and the type that is either portable or has a hose attachment to do this) on a regular basis.  If the vents are blocked the air cannot escape and so the heat stays inside, no matter how many fans you have.

Keep it Running

We recommend keeping your computer running all the time, especially if you use it on a daily basis.  This is because most electronics do not like being turned on from cold.  The components are cold and suddenly get a lot of hot electricity through them, and also when you turn on an electronic device there is usually an initial power surge into the system.

However, that doesn’t mean a high electric bill and waste of electricity.  There are power saving methods in the computer to help this and still leave it on.  We recommend you look at these (some have default settings) and adjust them to your needs. For example you can set the screen to turn off after 30 minutes of no use and the hard disks after 1 hour.

Laptops have to power saving modes – one when plugged in and one when on battery to conserve even more power.

It’s Broken!

Never fear, all is not lost.  Sometimes they can be fixed and other times a new part can be ordered instead.

Firstly check whether it is in warranty. If it is then contact them, if not then get it to a reputable computer repair place.  Let them diagnose it.  Before you hand it over to them, make sure you get an estimate on how much the diagnosis will cost and then make sure they do not do any repairs until they give you another estimate and you accept it.

Once you find out what the problem is, then you will have some more options.  It may be cheap to just replace the part.  For example a 500Gb hard drive can be about $75 or so.  A new processor around $130.  And labor for these should not take more than an hour at most.

Be aware though, that it is sometimes cheaper to buy a new computer, depending on the age of the old one.  This is because technology changes so quickly and the older parts are no longer made, making them harder to find or more expensive to buy than the modern equivalent.  For example new memory is now using DDR3 (don’t worry about what it means) whereas older computers (say 4 years old) were using the old DDR (then came DDR2 and now DDR3).  So a 512Mb DDR memory is about 10 times more expensive than a 512Mb DDR3 as these are now being massed produced.

With new computers starting from as little as $300 then it may well be worth checking if it is worth fixing an old computer.  If you do buy a new computer then you may want your old files transferred to the new one.  This can be a straight transfer if the old hard drive works – even if the computer doesn’t) or recovered from backup if you have it (please back up your precious files to somewhere other than your computer – we see so many people who lost precious photographs because they were not backed up).

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Posted in Best Practices, Computers, Hardware, Technology | No Comments »

iPad Security Breach – At least 114,000 Owners Exposed!

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

new ipad

So you may have thought that the “lost” iPhone 4’s were a bit of an embarrassment for Apple.  How about having at least (these are the ones we know about) 114,000 iPad owners private information exposed?  This included celebrities, government officials (see below) and the Department of Defense! (see more below).

some emails

According to reports on Gawker the breach has exposed the email accounts and the chip ID’s of the early adopters of Apple’s new iPad.  Emails such as those of New York Time’s CEO Janet Robinson, Diane Sawyer of ABC News, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.  There were also a number of DARPA domain addresses which is the advanced research division of the Department of Defense.  One of those email addresses belonged to the highly respected William Eldredge who “commands the largest operational B-1 [strategic bomber] group in the U.S. Air Force.”

DARPA emailsBreach Details: Who did it, and how

The group who did this call themselves Goatse Security who claim to be security experts/hackers looking for flaws so they can be closed and we know they have highlighted vulnerabilities in Firefox and Safari recently.

The group obtained its data through a script on AT&T’s website which was accessible to anyone on the internet (we understand this has now been removed).  They guessed some data, made a fake “iPad request” which allows iPad users to connect to the websites and then wrote a script to harvest this information.  They say that the script had been shared with other parties prior to AT&T closing it down so it is not known how many users were compromised.

Goatse also say they informed AT&T though AT&T claims a customer informed them.  I doubt the latter unless the customer was extremely computer savvy, or was informed by Goatse or a 3rd party with access to the script.

AT&T has confirmed the breach (and the closure) and is investigating the damage.

Apple on the other hand have made no comment.  This is unusual, as to be fair, they have no involvement and it wasn’t the iPad that was breached but the AT&T servers, but we would have thought they would have at least made a statement.

Some Ramifications

There are some serious ramifications here.  AT&T are playing it down saying it is only email addresses.  This time is was – but next time?  Also having an email address of some of these VIPs is worth a lot of money.  And having an email address can lead to much more (just ask the Twitter executives when their emails were all hacked – from one simple email address).  Then there is the DARPA emails.

Worse, AT&T still haven’t contacted customers about the breach!

The New York Times has sent an email to its staff to “turn off your access to the 3G network on your iPad until further notice” and we suggest you all do the same.

Finally, one last food for thought for Apple and AT&T.  If you force people to give you private information (and we are directing this at Apple who force you to buy an iPad with a credit card or other private information so they can monitor your account) then make sure you keep it safe!

We sincerely hope that the extra money AT&T is going to be making with its new 3G data plans will be spent on upgrading its security for iPad owners.

Images courtesy of Gawker.com

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Posted in AT&T, Hackers, Hardware, apple | No Comments »

Ask Holly: Is the iPad Worth It?

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Dear Holly,

I have heard all the hype about the new iPad but I don’t know if I should get one. Is it just a big iPod Touch? What is the difference between a Wi-Fi and a Wi-Fi + 3G and if I do get one, what size should I buy?

Frances.

Dear Frances,

With all the hype surrounding the iPad it seems they did forget to explain to a lot of people all the differences.

Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G

I will start by explaining the difference between the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G model. The Wi-Fi only model will allow you to connect to the internet only via a Wi-Fi connection.  For most users this is more than sufficient. Most people will be using the iPad in and around the home or office. Or they will be visiting their local cafe and other places and can use the free Wi-Fi there. If you don’t have Wi-Fi at home now, it is very inexpensive to buy a Wireless Access Point for your home network and set it up.  Some cable/DSL companies will even let you upgrade your modem for a wireless version which has the access point built in.

Wi-Fi outside the home or office is free in many places, but be aware that not all places offer it for free and so you may have to pay to use it while you are out, but there are so many places that do offer free Wi-Fi that you can find one within a mile of where you are usually.

You need the internet access to access the internet, email, iTunes and most apps you use.

Some people want to be “always connected” even when they are away from the home or travelling in the car. To do that you need to get onto a cellular data network (3G or later 4G). There are two ways to do this, either using the 3G iPad or by hopping onto another device that is already connected to the 3G network (called tethering). The iPad Wi-Fi + 3G is to the iPad Wi-Fi only what the iPhone is to the iPod Touch (without the phone calls). The iPod needs Wi-Fi and the iPhone can use the 3G AT&T data network.

The big difference is the plans with AT&T for the iPad compared to the iPhone and other smartphones. There is no contract so you do not have to sign up and pay the monthly fee as soon as you buy a 3G iPad. As soon as you want to use the 3G service you can sign up from your iPad. The prices are $14.99 for 250Mb for 30 days or $29.99 for unlimited data for 30 days (similar to a lot of smartphone data plans). Be aware that although you can cancel at any time, you have to explicitly do that otherwise you will be charged every 30 days for your chosen plan.

This is an easy way for most casual users to get on the 3G network but there is another way, especially for users on other networks such as Verizon, Sprint etc.  A number of heavy users of 3G have a data plan with their cellphone provider. I have mine with Verizon and I use the MiFi that comes with it (I know Sprint has a similar version). These devices automatically connect to their carriers 3G network and allow up to 5 users to connect to them (and therefore the internet) via the MiFi. It is about the size of a credit card and has a secure wireless access point built in. No configuration is needed just push the button to turn it on and it connects itself.

I prefer this method for a number of reasons. I can use my MiFi that I already have for work. Multiple people can hop onto my MiFi (when I give them the password) so if you are travelling, you can have the kids on their iPad/iPods, someone else on  their laptop or any wireless enabled device, all for the one low price.  And I dont have to pay the extra $130 for the 3G iPad. All that gives me much more flexibility.

And there are some apps that will only work over the WiFi network and not 3G. Using the MiFi the iPad is always connected via WiFi and so all the apps will work wherever you are so that is another reason for the MiFi over the 3G iPad, but I should point out that the iPad will automatically switch to WiFi when it can connect to it, which will save your data usage.

There is one downside for not having the 3G iPad and that is the GPS. But with most cell phones (especially Android) having GPS navigation built in I am not sure if that is going to be missed – I prefer to use my small cellphone for navigation that a 10inch handheld.

When you ask about the size, the screen is the same size 9.7 inches so I am guessing you mean the storage size.  The iPads come in three sizes currently – 16Gb, 32Gb and 64Gb and the price difference is $100 between each model. This seems a strange pricing model to me – $100 for a 16Gb increase in storage or $100 for a 32Gb increase – but that is Apple for you.

There is no built in USB port to connect extra storage and no built in SD card slot either. The camera connector kit which is extra has an SD slot which you can use to transfer pictures to the iPad but I am not aware that you can use it for extra storage for other things such as music and video or eBooks. We suspect that this is another typical Apple ploy. They will bring out iPad 2 next year and these will have the extra ports but you will have to buy a new one (just like the 1st Generation iPod Touch. I mean really???!! A music and video player with no speaker built in???).

You can sync the iPad to your computer just like the iPhone and iPod so you can control the storage used on the iPad.  But most people will be using the iPad for videos and eBooks (we wont count email and websites as they wont normally take up much storage on your iPad).  If it was just for music then an iPod will do.  So you have to work out how many books and videos you want to carry around without having to sync with your computer. And how likely are you to buy the iPad 2 when and if it comes out – probably within 2 years (but this is pure guesswork by me based on iPods and iPhones).  If you want the latest iPad2 then get the 16Gb. If you don’t want the hassle of monitoring your storage or will keep it forever then get a larger one. It really will depend on how much you think you will want to use it and only you will know that.

There are some other limitations that you should also be aware of. There are no user accounts on the iPad, just like the iPod so everything is on there and open to who has access to it.  This is not like your computer where each person can have their own private account.  Some people don’t mind this but as Apple is also touting the iPad as a great tool for businesses – then I have to point out the limitations.  I think there will be a software update at some point in time and user accounts will be available – but again this is just a guess on my behalf and I don’t know what Steve Jobs is thinking.

We won’t go into the Flash debate or any of those.  They will play out over time and everyone will settle down again and carry on as normal.

Some of the things I do like about the iPad is the fact that it IS an oversized iPod touch.  A nice large screen, HD (720p) video, all the same apps and workings of the iPod Touch.  If you are an owner of a Touch or iPhone then you will be familiar with most of the workings of the iPad within seconds and if not, then it really won’t take long – that is one thing Apple excels at – easy to use intuitive user interface.

I hope that answered your question Frances. Would I buy one? Not just yet. I have my iPod Touch 1st Generation and got burnt by the lack of speaker and paying for software upgrades. I love my Droid cellphone on Verizon and it does most of what I need, and the Touch does the rest.  I would like an iPad, but I will wait until they upgrade the hardware with USB support and possibly SD support and then I will buy an iPad2.0.  But until then I am happy with what I have.  But if you don’t have an iPod or iPhone or want something for the kids then I would consider it.  But I hope I have given you enough information to make up your own mind.

Holly

Holly is one of ABC123 IT’s top technology experts. She often visits customers sites to help out with their network. You can ask her anything and she will try to answer all your questions. One question will feature in our newsletter each month.

Edit By Holly:  Of course as I published this today AT&T announced they are dropping the unlimited 3G plan for $29.95 and going for a 2Gb plan for $25 with a $10 for each additional Gb used.  The good news is for those already on the unlimited plan you can stay on it, but this really proves my point of the WiFi plus the MiFi from Verizon Wireless is a better option.  2Gb is woefully inadequate for an iPad – when you look at streaming netflix etc. when travelling.

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Posted in Best Practices, Hardware, Technology, apple | 2 Comments »

More Talk, Less Cost for This Local Real Estate Office!

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Remax Texas Heritage Logo

Remax Texas Heritage

RE/MAX Texas Heritage, in Bryan/College Station, recently upgraded their office telephone system with our help.

Their old system was a proprietary digital based system using analogue telephone lines (you know – the type you get from Verizon or AT&T that date back to Alexander Graham Bell) and special phones, all of which increased the cost of the system and increasing the number of lines or handsets when needed.

This old system was also limited by its storage, especially voicemails, and configuration of different routes.

John Byers and Brady Brittain, the two new owners of RE/MAX Texas Heritage, came to us to help solve their problem.

“We did not want to be restricted in what we could do with the new system now and in the future” said Brady.

John also had the vision of having their Agents be able to work from anywhere and still have access to the resources in the office. “I want to be able to allow our agents to be ‘Virtual Agents’ and work from anywhere where they can be connected to the office” he said.

The Solution

Given those requirements and the directive to also “cut costs” we looked at the old system and realized it was more cost effective to totally replace it.

Their new system was a Windows based IP PBX system, Cisco IP handsets, softphones for virtual agents and when mobile and Voice Over IP (VOIP) based telephone lines.

Under FCC regulations anyone is allowed to port their existing numbers from their old carrier to a new carrier, and our process makes it very simple – just a signed Local Number Port (LNP) authorization (a 1 page document) and a copy of the front page of your last bill, and we take care of the rest.

VOIP brings major cost savings to businesses like RE/MAX Texas Heritage. When switched over to VOIP most of our customers save in the region of 80% on their monthly bills!

How is this possible?

Well unlike a traditional phone line where one call means 1 physical wire, VOIP comes over your internet connection. Just as many users can view many web based applications at the same time over 1 internet connection, you can receive many VOIP calls at the same time over 1 internet connection.

As you don’t have to add physical wires each time then you won’t incur those extra monthly costs.

Also as no physical wires are involved you can have as many numbers as you want for little extra cost.

RE/MAX Texas Heritage can take 8 concurrent external calls on their system but has around 30 phone numbers – we will explain why in a minute.

Phone numbers (also known as DID’s) are $1 per month. And the VOIP lines start at $12.75 per month.  Compare that with analogue lines which average $50+ per month per line.  30 numbers would have cost them around $1,500 before they make a call! Compared to the (approximately) $200 per month they currently pay with VOIP, the savings soon add up.

Most of our customers also remark how “clear the line is compared to the old one” when we switch them over to VOIP, in the same way that CD’s and MP3’s are clearer than the old vinyl and tapes (remember those?) for music.

Additional Features

In addition to the cheaper, clearer calls, RE/MAX Texas Heritage was also able to make use of all the additional features that comes with the IP PBX.

They now have an unlimited amount of extensions, so they can add or remove extensions at any time. This is especially useful for setting up “dummy” extensions to be able to have more control over an incoming call and then forwarding it based on some rules you have (such as to a cell phone) without having to buy a physical phone.

There is also unlimited voicemail storage. As the PBX is Windows based (RE/MAX has theirs on a Windows 7 PC) then all storage is on a hard disk.  It is very easy and inexpensive to upgrade that disk or add a new one.

As it is Windows based, voicemail is an audio file which can be listened to on the phone, via a web browser or even emailed to the email address associated with the extension. This is great for RE/MAX Texas Heritage Agents, who can now get their voicemail as soon as a message is left, especially when not in the office.  Even on their cell phone!

The PBX also has a built in fax server. This receives a fax and converts it to a PDF and emails it to the extension’s email address. This is why RE/MAX Texas Heritage has those extra numbers and how they are the only Real Estate office in the area with “Virtual Agents”. Every agent has their own personal fax number – essential when dealing with contracts, offers and inspections all day – which has been configured by John and Brady to forward to their email address.

RE/MAX Texas Heritage also made use of the many different configurations of Digital Assistants, Ring Groups, Queues and dummy extensions that are available in their PBX system, not only for their Agents & Customers, but also for their Property Management side of the business. To provide the best emergency maintenance services (e.g. plumber) to the tenants of the properties they manage, the system will now route the tenant through to the correct maintenance person no matter what time of night it is so the emergency is dealt with immediately, without having to leave a message or call another number.

“We believe we are the only property management company in the area that offers this immediate ‘after-hours-direct-to-maintenance-contractor’ service” said John. “In situations when there is a water leak, or no electricity for the A/C with children in the house, time is critical for our tenants and this service saves valuable time”.

If you would like to read more about how RE/MAX Texas Heritage saved money and increased productivity through their new system then download our free eBook here. For more information on RE/MAX Texas Heritage or if you are looking to buy, sell or rent a property, call them on 979-846-4500. For more information on VOIP systems, call us on 979-985-5301 or visit our main site here

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Posted in Best Practices, Business, Hardware, Software, Technology, VOIP | No Comments »

Verizon and Google Working on a New Tablet!

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

We have heard it reported today in the Wall Street Journal that Verizon is confirming that it has teamed up with Google to produce a Tablet which will take on the iPad hosted by Verizon’s rival AT&T.

Verizon was quoted as saying “We’re looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience”.

There is no news or indication if it will be Android or Chrome OS or what any specs are. There are also no details on any timing.

We do suspect that Google will work on this as quickly as they can in order to get ahead of their other rival Apple. With the recent spats about Flash between Apple and other companies we see them jumping to Google quickly. And with the Android gaining significant ground over the iPhone, this new tablet could give the iPad a run for its money.

We do think that this will be the final nail in the coffin for any hopes of Verizon getting an iPhone or the iPad 3G but in our opinion the iPad 3G is a waste of time when the Wi-Fi only version does everything you need.

Watch this space for future developments.

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How To Save $$$’s On Printer Ink/Toner Costs In 5 Minutes

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Want to save up to 31% on your printing costs?  For one school this amounts to a massive saving of $10,000 in one year! No, you don’t have to change printer, or ink/toner to the cheaper versions.  Nor do you have to use refils, or have any technical knowledge.

The solution? Change Font!  Yes it is that simple but makes a big difference according to Printer.Com a Dutch company who did the research.  They did a study of two printers and used Arial as the reference or “zero” font to measure against as this is the most popular font.

The winner?  Century Gothic, followed by Ecofont, Times Roman, Calibri, Verdana and then Arial.  Century Gothic would reduce printing costs by 31% and Times Roman by 29%.

Why does the font matter?  Well different fonts have different thickness of lines. Bold will use more than a regular font and some fonts have a specific bold counterpart (e.g. Arial Bold).  Also serif fonts – those with short horizontal lines at the top and bottom of each character use thinner lines and so less in than their sans-serif counterpart.

Although we wouldn’t recommend Century Gothic for most text (it was designed for small blocks of text and is also wider so would use more paper) we do recommend Times Roman for the real savings.  At 29% cheaper than Arial it still makes a big savings of about 1 cartridge a year per printer and is designed for large amounts of text.

Of course the best way to save money is to not print at all, or at least only when necessary.  Microsoft changed their default fonts in Office 2007 from Arial and Times New Roman to Calibri and Cambria. Why?  Their philosophy is that the more pleasing a font looks on screen the less tempted someone will be to print.  But for those who want to print – try changing your default font to Times Roman and see how much you save in a year.  Remember to switch the printer to “draft” mode by default and also print on both sides of the paper whenever you can.

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Posted in Best Practices, Business, Hardware | 3 Comments »

Start the year by reviewing your phone costs

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Many businesses are looking for ways to cut costs in this economy.  One way is to look at your telephone costs. On average we save our customers between 50% to 85%.  How? Voice Over IP (VOIP).

Now before you all click away, we don’t mean Vonage or Magic Jack or those other inferior products (though we don’t have a problem with home users using them – they just are not suited for businesses).  And VOIP quality has improved immensely in the last 12 to 18 months.

We are talking about an IP based PBX system linked to a dedicated SIP trunk phone line(s).  Everything goes through your network and out over the internet.  With this type of system it is important that you understand a different type of concept.  A phone number is no longer dedicated to a phone line.  In traditional wired systems that most of you use if you want a 2nd, 3rd or similar number then you had to have another phone line put in and pay for it.  With VOIP you don’t, you just add another number (in our case it would cost you $1 per month extra).

And you don’t have to have that phone number tied to your local prefix as you do with traditional systems!  So if you are in Raleigh, North Carolina and have customers in Los Angeles then you can add yourself a local L.A prefix number and it will ring your office at no extra cost to you. This will save your customers money because they can make local free calls to you on the other side of the continent.

The other advantage (and we make heavy use of this ourselves) is for marketing.  Lets say we have 5 yellow pages ads and want to track them. Then we get 5 numbers ($5 per month) and put one in each ad.  By monitoring the call logs we can see which ad or which book is working for us.  Can you do this for $5?

So, now you are wondering how can you have all these numbers and how do you get more than one call at a time? The trick is in how VOIP Sip Trunk providers work.  A SIP trunk is how you make or receive external calls via a SIP Trunk provider.  You connect your PBX over the internet to the provider and make a secure connection between the two (don’t worry this would be configuredwhen you set up your PBX and is then automatic). You then contract and pay for the number of Concurrent Call Services (CCS) you wish to have.  So if you have an office of 10 employees and you work out that you usually have a maximum of 4 on the phone at any one time then you contract for 4 CCS’.  Of you course you can simply and easily request to upgrade or downgrade at any time.

Now you may want to give each one of them their own phone number, and with some PBX’s (especially our preferred one that we use) you can also give them a dedicated fax number (as it can receive faxes and then convert them to pdf and email to the person). So that would be 20 numbers and only 4 CCS’. So if your employees are on 4 external (whether it was dialed out or it rang in) calls then the next caller would get a busy tone – regardless of which number was called or which caller was on the phone.  You don’t need 20 lines as you would do with your old provider you just need the maximum you think would be in use at any one time.

And how much do these lines cost?  Well our preferred provider gives us two types – an unlimited local or an unlimited nationwide.  The local starts from $12.99 per CCS per month and the nationwide from $29.99 per CCS per month.  But the long distance calls are about 2.3c per minute for local calls, which means you would have to be making around 2500 long distance calls per month before you would consider moving to the unlimited.  We find most businesses spend around $15 per month (including calls) per CCS.  And as we said $1 per month for extra incoming phone numbers.  You don’t need these – you could have just one number and 4 CCS’.  When the first person calls your number it rings your PBX.  Then when a second person rings, it again rings your PBX (which you have programmed how you want these multiple calls handled) and so on until you run out of CCS’.

So if you are looking to save money this year – start with your antiquated telephony and also increase your marketing $ by tracking different campaigns with a $1 phone number.

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Posted in Best Practices, Business, Hardware, Marketing | 17 Comments »