We have reports from a number of our clients of a new phishing attack coming in via email. Some have asked if this email is coming from our company. It is not.

Please delete the below email immediately – it will likely lead to a virus or malware being installed on your machine if you click on the link.

From: System Administrator [mailto:info@support.com]
Sent: March-12-12 1:23 PM
Subject: Warning Your Mailbox Has Exceeded

IT Service,

You have exceeded the limit of 23432 storage on your mailbox set by your WEB ITSERVICE/Administrator, and you will be having problems in sending and receiving mails Until You Re-Validate. You have to update by clicking on the below link and fill out the information to validate your account.

Please Click the link Below or copy paste to your browser To Validate Your Mailbox

[LINK DELETED]

Warning!!!
Failure to do this, will result in limited access to your mailbox.
failure to update your account within Three days of this update notification, your account will be closed permanently.

Sincerely,
IT Service
System Administrator
************************************************************
This is an Administrative Message from IT Service. It is not spam. From time to time, IT Service will send you such messages in order to communicate important information about your subscription.
************************************************************

I’m often asked about the ROI (return on investment) for technology. Truth is, I don’t believe you “invest” in technology. Investments are things that provide a measurable, quantifiable return for your money.

Of course it can easily be argued that technology does provide a return for your money. If you don’t think so, try communicating with your clients and market without e-mail or tracking inventory with pen and paper.

And the right technology applied with a smart strategy can certainly give any business owner a strategic advantage in faster delivery of goods and services to customers, greater productivity, lowered production costs and the like.

In fact, there aren’t too many businesses that can operate without a few core IT applications. But the reality is that your bank account is going to be a bit lighter after you install that new upgrade or technology, so how do you know if that IT upgrade or project is worth the money?

The right way to look at the true price of any IT project or upgrade is to look at TCO or “total cost of ownership” and not just the PRICE of the project or upgrade. For example, if you buy a car, the price of the car is only one cost of owning it.

You also have to consider insurance, gas and routine maintenance like new tires and oil changes to get an accurate look at what you’ll pay. Therefore, the total COST of owning a car is far more than just the price tag – and a cheaper car up front can end up costing more in the long-haul if frequent repairs are needed.

In IT, the same principle applies. You have to look at the TOTAL cost of a particular IT decision, not just the price tag, when comparing options.

For example, the real cost of not upgrading a network may actually be higher than spending several thousand dollars on new equipment and upgrades when you accurately assess the total cost of maintenance, service fees and poor performance.

These days, many business owners are looking at “going to the cloud” because they want to save money. And in many cases, it will do just that, but the cost savings will often come in the form of cheaper devices, less maintenance and low (or no) upgrade costs over a 3 year period – not in a month to month service fee.

So before you say “No” or “Yes” to that next IT project, make sure you are taking into consideration the TOTAL cost of your decision, and make sure you are talking to a true pro who understands the difference between the price of something and the total cost.

If you are interested in learning more about Cloud Computing, please click here to see more details on a webinar we are holding on March 8th.

Email is everyone’s favorite application. Since its introduction, it has revolutionized the way we communicate, both personally and professionally.
It has had a major impact on how companies market themselves, communicate with vendors, send out press releases, rally employees and alert clients to their latest and greatest promotion. The ease, low-cost and speed of email in marketing is the biggest reason why our inboxes are overflowing with spam.

In response to the ubiquitous outcry, “I hate spam,” governments have crafted new regulations surrounding the use of email; and if you are one of the millions of companies using it for marketing, then it’s important that you familiarize yourself with these laws. But the danger doesn’t stop there…

Even if you don’t get caught for violating the rules of email usage, you can still end up on a blacklist with the major ISPs. Once you get blacklisted, you are considered guilty until proven innocent, and ALL the email you send won’t get through, even to people who want to receive it—a consequence that could end up hurting your business more than a fine.

So what are the basic guidelines of email marketing?

First and foremost, make sure you are only sending email campaigns to people who have solicited (requested) to be on your distribution list. This is called “opting-in” or subscribing, and emails sent to these folks are considered “solicited email.” You are perfectly within your rights to send them messages; but if you got their email address by any other means and they did NOT specifically request to be on your list, that’s considered “unsolicited email” or spam.

Next, make sure you provide directions on how a person can remove themselves from your distribution list in EVERY email. The best place to put this information is at the very bottom of your message. You should also include your full company name and contact information at the bottom so no one can blame you for cloaking your identity—another legal “no-no” of email marketing.

Finally, when sending email, we recommend using a service such as ConstantContact. This web-based application will help you manage your email distribution list with automatic opt-out and opt-in tools and will keep your email server off an ISP’s blacklist.

Naturally, you want to make sure the information you are sending is interesting and relevant. No one wants more junk filling up their inbox so the better you are at marketing, the better your results will be. Email is not a magic marketing bullet that will solve all your marketing problems, but used correctly, it can certainly help you reach more customers and build stronger relationships with the people you already do business with.

If you’re looking for a challenging technical support job where every day is different and you’ll use industry-leading tools to help businesses eliminate frustrating computer problems, then the following position might be suitable for you.

We’re looking for a great communicator and hard worker to join our Help Desk team. This position is most suitable for someone with Post-Secondary IT training and experience working in technical support.

This is an entry-level position with extensive opportunity for professional growth, training and promotion within our company. Required skills include extensive knowledge and troubleshooting ability for PC hardware and software; Microsoft operating systems and programs; Adobe software; Blackberrys; and anti-virus/anti-spyware programs.

TDCNet is a full-service IT and internet solutions company that provides computer and network support services to small businesses.

The successful candidate will become part of our Help Desk team, providing remote support to TDCNet’s small business clients and helping proactively monitor the health and functionality of their networks. That includes:

• Taking telephone or email inquiries and troubleshooting and managing hardware, software or network problems;
• Remotely accessing client workstations and servers to perform regular maintenance and fix issues that arise;
• Providing remote support for Microsoft operating systems and programs as well other common small business applications;
• Providing troubleshooting and support for internet connectivity and email issues;
• Utilizing TDCNet’s innovative remote monitoring and management system to help effectively manage our client networks.

Here’s what our work environment offers:

• A place where all our technical support people get the chance to work on a variety of projects and issues and don’t get pigeon-holed into one type of job;
• Extensive training on our industry-leading remote monitoring and management platform;
• Extensive training from our vendor partners including Microsoft, IBM, Cisco and VMWare and we also pay for our staff to get certified in areas of their choosing (for full-time employees);
• Ability to work with a fun team of people who are the best when it comes to supporting small business computer networks.

To apply, please email jobs@tdcnet.ca with a resume and cover letter addressed to Brendan Howe.

Is your computer plugged in? Do you use a power strip with a surge protector? If so, you are a heartbeat away from disaster and don’t even realize it. The same electricity you depend on to run your computer and network is also trying to destroy your data.

Believe it or not, electricity is one of the biggest threats to your computer network and the data it contains. Here are four computer power problems you must know about and how to prevent them.

1.) Transients – Commonly known as surges and spikes, these are caused by lightning storms, wind, squirrels shorting out power lines, auto accidents, etc. Several times each week these spikes can travel up the power cord into your computer damaging everything from power supplies to motherboards. Conventional wisdom says use a power strip with a surge protector and you are safe. As usual, conventional wisdom is dead wrong. After several months, these surge protectors become useless having been zapped by the surges they were designed to protect against.

2.) Blackouts – Whether momentary or prolonged, the sudden loss of power can corrupt your PC to the point of not being able to start up again when the lights come back on.

3.) Sags – This is when the power drops below normal. Have you ever seen the fluorescent lights flicker for a moment? Then you have witnessed sag. Sags are more common than surges and are caused when equipment like air conditioners, blow dryers, water heaters, laser printers, copy machines and other electrical equipment are turned on or come out of sleep mode. A typical small office will experience 30 or more sags each day. Sags cause many of the weird and unexplained problems computer users complain about every day.

4.) Noise – Ever been watching TV and seen fuzzy pictures and/or white lines or dots when you turn on a blender or vacuum cleaner? This is the result of electrical noise. While a fuzzy TV picture is an annoyance, this electrical noise causes many computer problems including loss of data.
So how do you protect yourself from electrical problems? The most simple and inexpensive solution to all four of these hazards is a battery backup. The battery backup (also known as a UPS or Uninterruptible Power Supply) senses when there are problems with the power and automatically switches to the battery protecting you from computer damage and data loss.

Choosing the correct battery backup for your computer or server can be tricky. Having one with a battery too small is the same as having none at all. For most desktop computers, a battery backup with a 500VA or larger rating should be sufficient to keep you going through momentary power problems. Protecting your server requires detailed knowledge of the server functions and power consumption in order to pick the right battery backup solution.

If you want to better protect your network from power issues, give us a call.

The Canadian government wants you to buy computers to help the economy. This week’s budget includes a tax break for businesses who buy computer hardware and software over the next two years.

If the Budget is passed by Parliament, businesses will be able to write off 100 percent of the cost of technology purchases in the year they’re made. Previously if you made a purchase the cash went out the door, but you had to wait to write it all off as an expense (unless you leased the equipment).

So if you’re thinking about a computer hardware and software upgrade of any scale, it’ll be worth it to make sure you do it before February 2011. And don’t forget to give the receipt to your accountant!

Here’s the explanation from the Government of Canada Website (www.budget.gc.ca):

Providing Assistance to Businesses in All Sectors to Invest in Computers
Budget 2009 proposes a temporary 100-per-cent CCA rate for computer hardware and systems software acquired after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2011. In addition, the rule that restricts CCA deductions to one-half of the CCA write-off otherwise available in the first year will not apply to these computers.

This temporary measure will allow taxpayers to fully expense their investment in computers in one year. The measure will provide stimulus by assisting businesses to increase or accelerate investment in computers. It will also contribute to boosting Canada’s productivity through the faster adoption of newer technology. Businesses in all sectors of the economy, including the service sector, will benefit from this incentive.

It is estimated that this measure will cost $340 million in 2009–10 and $355 million in 2010–11.