So you’ve bought into the whole social media and online marketing idea and you’re Tweeting, posting to Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging and using Google+ (not to mention dozens of other online tools and resources) to promote your company.
Whew!
However, here’s the little “gotcha” to all of this that you might not have thought about: how do you manage all of this? And  how can you keep an eye on these various web sites to make sure you’re not missing a customer service issue, negative post or even a sales opportunity? The answer is Hootsuite.

This is one of my favourite secrets about how we manage our company’s social media updates…

Hootsuite is an online aggregation tool that allows you to review and manage all your online postings and presence through a simple, easy to use interface. All in one place, you can manage your company’s Twitter accounts, your personal Facebook account, your company Facebook fanpage, your LinkedIn posts, your WordPress blog entries and even more. You can even assign rights to any of your accounts to other team members without ever giving up a single password.

Other helpful features of HootSuite include:

• Monitor social mentions of your name or company wherever they happen.
• Pre-schedule posting to happen any time in the future.
• Easily post your message across multiple social media sites with the simple click of a button in your HootSuite portal.
• Create custom reports to see where your traffic goes and what is working.

Not too long ago Google introduced Google+ in an effort to take on Facebook and Twitter in the social networking war – and given the fact that over 20 million people have already started using this feature since it was introduced last June, there’s a good chance it will continue to gain ground and popularity among web users. But what is Google+ and how will it affect the ranking of your company’s web site – if at all?

Google is attempting to combine the most popular features of Facebook and Twitter into a centralized social hub where users have the ability to share content with specific groups of people called “circles.” As users build these circles, they’ll be able to see web sites that members of their circles have +1’d (is that a verb?). There’s also a group video chat feature called “Hangouts,” and a user-defined topical news feed similar to Twitter’s hashtag called “Sparks.” While positive (or even negative) reviews from users online have always been viewed through the lens of skepticism, Google+ will add a level of validation to those reviews since you only see the +1’s from people in your circles.

While it’s still too early to tell how Google+ will affect your company’s SEO, it’s safe to assume that Google will reward web sites that get lots of +1s because of the web’s evolution to become more “social” and user driven.

The bottom line to all of this (and a key ingredient to any company’s success online OR offline) is good old fashioned customer service. These days it’s easy for any disgruntled customer to post a negative comment online. And once it’s posted, it’s practically written in indelible ink. Get enough negative reviews and your reputation will definitely take a hit. Additionally, it’s important that you monitor your company’s reputation online and encourage happy clients to post positive comments about you.

Since Alexander Graham Bell made the first phone call to his assistant Watson, the phone has come a long way. And now thanks to Internet technology, it’s possible to make phone calls over the Internet using VoIP technology or voice over Internet Protocol (IP).

While there are a number of advantages to a VoIP system over a standard phone system, the biggest reason companies switch is to save money. It’s not uncommon for a company making a lot of long distance calls to save 50% or more on their phone bill. Of course, there’s no guarantee of this since there are a lot of different VoIP systems and the amount of money that you will save really just depends on which system you buy – and in some cases, no savings will make up for poor sound quality or dropped calls. So what are the pros and cons?

The upside is that most business class VoIP systems will offer you the same features you’re used to with your current phone system, including call forwarding, call waiting, conferencing, voice mail, and (depending on what your current phone system is) additional features like the ability to share data, applications and even transmit video in addition to voice so that you can see and hear the person that you are talking to.

Of course, there are some downsides you need to consider before jumping on the VoIP bandwagon. The biggest problem with VoIP systems is the sound quality. In some cases, it’s a bandwidth issue that will cause problems, but it’s not the only one. Since the voice data is being broken up into a series of packets and transmitted over the Internet, there could be moments of silence, broken voice patterns, echoes, delays and static sounds. Sound quality is the #1 complaint most VoIP users have about the service.

Another issue is that VoIP systems cannot be used if there is a power or Internet outage. A traditional phone can function during a power outage because the phone company transmits electricity over the phone line. This electricity is used to power the phone (cordless phones being the exception). That way, even if the power goes out, the phone will usually still work because the phone’s power is coming from a different source.

From our research, the best scenario to use VOIP is if you have a high speed fibre internet line in your office. If you’re using a cable or ADSL connection, we find that it often just doesn’t work well and what happens is the VOIP provider blames the internet connection and the internet company blames the VOIP provider.

In the end, you’re the one who gets frustrated and it hurts your business. If you see a really good business case for going VOIP, then look at it but tread very, very carefully.

My computers work, so why should I replace them?

Computers are a staple requirement for most employees in most businesses today, much like a desk and a phone.  The  difference is that desks and phones are designed to last for many years, computers are not. After three years, computers are mostly obsolete due to advances in both hardware and software technology.  After four years, a computer has worn out and is likely to fail; compare it to a 16 year old car – would you rely on it as your primary source of transportation?

Old computers cost you money.  How you might ask? Consider an employee that loses 6 minutes per day due to computer related issues, this works out to 30 minutes per week and 2 hours per month.   For a $15/hour employee, the loss to your business is $30/month.

The average business desktop on a 36 month lease is $30/month, the same as the lost time, but with the added advantage that the cost can be written off as an expense!  Further consider that employees that work on outdated computers are often frustrated and less productive than ones that have current hardware.

When you factor in increased moral, efficiencies of current software and faster hardware, a new computer can actually make your business money! If you are interested in learning more about how to replace your old computers, call us at (416)913-8998, or email us at blogs@tdcnet.ca.

It doesn’t matter how solid your security system is – any hacker or online thief can figure out a weak password in a couple of hours through trial and error. Don’t risk being a victim of a security breach and data theft. Avoid these passwords that are especially easy to crack.

If you think using ‘password’ as your password is no big deal, then it’s time to rethink.

Security experts have recently compiled a list of the worst passwords users can choose, and ‘password’ (not surprisingly) is at the very top of the list. Weak passwords make your information more vulnerable simply because hackers can guess them. It may be easier to pick a password that you don’t have to think about, but it’s a choice that you may come to regret.

To help you avoid common password choice mistakes that users make, management application provider SplashData has compiled a list of the 25 worst passwords to use:

1. password
2. 123456
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx
24. michael
25. football

Make a smart password choice

Experts advise using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols when creating your passwords, and to avoid things that anyone might be  able to guess, such as birthdays and anniversary dates. Passwords with eight characters or more are safer and it’s best to use different passwords for different accounts and websites. Use a password manager to help you keep track of all of your passwords if you’re finding it difficult to remember them all.

No matter how sophisticated your security system is, a weak password gives hackers and online thieves an advantage. Helping all the users in your organization understand the importance of password strength will help you secure the IT systems in your organization.

If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us so we can develop a comprehensive and custom security blueprint that meets your specific needs.

It’s that time of year again—time to make your New Year’s Resolutions. We wanted to help you do that for your business so we’ve come up with 10 suggestions for how you can improve the security and performance of your computer network.

1. Get a better backup system – you need to ensure your critical business data is properly protected. If you’re still using tape drives or not employing the latest professional-grade backup software, there’s no bigger New Year’s resolution that you should have. You should have both an onsite and offsite backup of your data that allows you to restore files fast. Your backup should also be image-based, not just file-based. Data loss can happen from human error, hardware/software failure, fire, flood, theft or other disaster. Every hour that you’re without your critical business information could cost you thousands of dollars.

2. Examine Cloud Computing – do you wonder if Cloud Computing is right for you? In many cases, parts of your IT infrastructure can easily be put in the cloud to save you money and give you better service. It is important to talk to someone who can honestly assess your situation and tell you the pros and cons of making the switch to the Cloud. It’s not for every business but it’s worth exploring closely.

3. Get rid of those clunky old computers – we know that no one really likes spending money on new computers but think about how much unproductive time your staff spend waiting for their slow machines to boot up, load programs or restart when they freeze. You can get an entry-level business desktop now for as little as $600. How much is it costing you having your staff sitting around waiting for their computer to load programs or dealing with computer problems?

4. Upgrade that slow, productivity-sapping server – new servers are light years ahead of the ones made three, four and five years ago. Your company is less productive and less profitable with a server that’s slowing everyone down. Plus, you can now use new technology to reduce the number of servers in your business and therefore lower operating costs.

5. Change network passwords – most businesses regularly have employees leave, including those who were involved with supporting the computer network. Changing passwords regularly will improve security.

6. Do a full security review – we’re seeing all sorts of increased threats from hackers these days and you need to make sure your security approach is up to date. There are many parts to your security that you should examine including password strength; anti-virus software; and getting a strong firewall that will prevent intrusions, attacks and other malicious activity.

7. Provide Help Desk support to all your staff – the last thing you want is your team wasting time on computer problems. Given them access to Help Desk support from techs that can remotely fix their issues and make them more productive.

8. Recycle old computers – you probably have a bunch of old computers and monitors sitting in a storage room in your office or under someone’s desk. These are just taking up space and should be picked up to be recycled. There are companies we work with that specialize in recycling old computer equipment so it doesn’t end up in a landfill somewhere. And it’s free!

9. Reduce power usage – make your company greener and lower your power bill by taking a few power-friendly steps. There are many ways automation can help with power management. You should also upgrade older equipment which has higher power usage such as those CRT computer monitors, which are both power hogs and very hard on your eyes. Consolidating servers can save tons of power too.

10. Perform regular maintenance on your computers and network – downtime and annoying IT problems can be prevented with regular maintenance on your computers and network. If you’re not doing this now, it’s time to start!

Interested in Implementing These for Your Business?

Start the year right with a full audit of your network to develop your IT plan for the year. Our Network Audits are a 27-point review of the security, performance and reliability of your network and include a full hardware and software inventory, plus checks on the health of your server.

Contact us at (416) 913-8998 or visit www.tdcnet.ca for more information!

Our office is still open during the holidays and we are working with reduced staffing to give our team some extra time off with family and friends.

We’re hoping you won’t have any computer issues over the holidays but in case you do, here are our hours:

- Open with reduced staffing from Dec 28-30th.

- Closed all other days including Mon, Jan 2nd with regular hours resuming on Jan 3rd.

- We will have off-hours emergency service available during the holidays for major issues.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Brendan Howe, Managing Director of TDCNet, was profiled in the Toronto Star, giving his New Year’s Resolutions for BlackBerry maker Research in Motion. Click here to read.

Dear Research in Motion,

You disappoint and frustrate me. I used to be one of your biggest fans and now I’m considering taking my business elsewhere.

Let me explain. I’ve been a Blackberry user since your devices were the size of pagers and were in black and white. I used to work in politics so I would get a new Blackberry sometimes every 6-12 months.

I’ve always been a big Blackberry fan – the little device has been attached to my hip for close to a decade.

I’ve gotten used to how easy it is to “thumb” notes to clients, colleagues and friends. I appreciate how I can stay in touch with the office even if I’m nowhere near it and it gives me the flexibility to be with my family, not chained to my desk. The security features give me peace of mind that my business’ critical information is protected.

For years I’ve been excited with the innovation every new Blackberry brings. I was among the first in line to get a Playbook on the date it came out. I even ignored the fact there was no line and I blogged about why I thought the Playbook was the best thing out there.

I recommended to our clients they buy Playbooks because I believed you when you promised it would constantly improve. I trusted you when you said the Playbook would be able to run Android apps by the summer. I looked forward to the native email app.

RIM, lately you’ve disappointed me repeatedly. I don’t care if your employees get drunk on airplanes but I do care when your pace of innovation slows to a snail’s pace.

You are getting left behind and it’s killing me. I’m considering switching to an Android device or iPhone.

I want to support a great Canadian success story but you’re making it harder and harder every day. I don’t think you get it. The world has changed and you either haven’t seen it coming or are unable to keep up.

It’s about the apps and you just don’t have enough good ones. The world is creating apps for your competitors because you haven’t created the environment to be successful here.

In our case, our line of business software vendors are creating iPhone and Android apps but not Blackberry ones. We’re at danger of falling behind and we’ve brought those devices into our office as a result. I’ve started suggesting our clients look at non-Blackberry options because apps are no longer just for fun – there are a lot of strong business uses for them as well.

The social media apps are also much better on other devices and that’s a concern because we are all using social media more to communicate with friends, family and customers. Other apps on the iPhone and Android do a much better job when it comes to entertainment and fun.

It’s unfortunate the Playbook has been such a flop but it’s for the same reason. It is as good or better in functionality as the iPad, but I can truly customize the iPad into a device suited to me.

I had an iPad for a weekend and was able to make it my own with the apps and information that matter to me. I’ve had the Playbook since it came out and haven’t been able to do that.

I used the two devices side by side for a weekend and there’s a huge difference. The Globe and Mail app on the iPad is most of the newspaper while the Playbook one is just a few articles. I can get Maclean’s on the iPad; I can remote into my computer at work; I can download tons of apps that are fun and can improve my life or work.

And here’s where you really lost me RIM… In one weekend of having an iPad, it helped me potty train my 2-year-old son because, well, there’s an app for that too.

RIM, I really hope your Blackberry and operating system launches in the New Year turn things around. I’m trying to keep supporting you but it’s just getting too hard.

Sincerely,

Brendan Howe