This won’t be all that shocking to you. One of the secrets to fewer computer and network problems is making sure you’re not operating using old hardware and outdated software.

Therefore an obvious solution to this is to be proactively planning to upgrade hardware and software. When a business is not doing this, it is typically because of one of the following two reasons:

1. A business owner is trying to save money and doesn`t see the benefit of buying new hardware or software;
2. A business owner does not have the proper information available to them in order to make effective decisions and implement a strong plan.

In most cases we see, it’s the second reason so I’m going to focus on how to solve that.

This doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Every type of hardware you have as part of your IT infrastructure has an expected life span. Computers will last you 3-4 years before having more chronic problems and slowing your staff down. Servers are typically good for four years and network devices are around the same.

On the software side you can expect Microsoft to come out with a new version of Office every three years. For your accounting or Line of Business software, you can expect it to be updated on a regular basis as well. If you’re not sure what to expect, a simple look at the history of upgrades will tell you.

So that’s the simple part, here comes the more difficult challenge. How do you know what you have and collect the information regularly for analysis and planning? If you had someone going around to each computer, network device and server looking at their age, power, warranty status and software you might need to hire someone extra.

The solution is to ensure your IT partner has the technology and skills to be able to collect this information automatically, analyze it for you and present the information to you in a manner that you can make quick and effective decisions that you’re confident in.

For your servers, you should know how old they are, when the warranty expires and when you’ll likely need to replace them as this will be a large expenditure in your budget.

You desktops and laptops should be equally transparent. First you should decide if you’re going to be on a three or four-year replacement cycle with your computers. This will depend on how your team is using them.

Then you can plan out on an annual basis how many computers need to be replaced and put it in your budget. Most businesses don’t replace all their computers all at once. They usually do 25-35 percent of them a year.

In order to do this you should receive a full inventory of your machines and a recommendation on which ones should be replaced this year. If you incorporate this into your annual budgeting process then it becomes very straightforward.

Where the problem lies is when you get a surprise half way through the year that you need to buy 10 new computers or you start having a bunch of them break and productivity grinds to a halt for your team.

Your network devices are an important consideration as well. The risk of downtime increases with age and for the relative cost of these devices, it’s better you budget to replace them on a four-year cycle than wait for them to fail and have your office down for a few hours or more as a result.

The time to do this planning is on an annual basis as part of your IT plan and then review it quarterly to ensure it is being implemented. This is a great way to be proactive and prevent all sorts of headaches for your business.

Think for a moment about why you take your car in for routine maintenance. You know that if you don’t get the oil and filters changed and a few fluids topped up that your car is going to have problems.

They may not happen right away but the longer you neglect your car, the more risk there is that something will go terribly wrong. It’s either do the proper maintenance or deal with your car’s gas mileage getting worse and maybe it even breaking down at the side of the highway.

Computers and servers are much the same way. If you neglect them and don’t perform regular maintenance, they will have problems. Sometimes it will just be minor, such as running slowly, but it could be worse and lead to a catastrophic crash.

You need to make sure your IT plan includes a strong maintenance schedule for your computers and servers. It doesn’t need to be done manually and it should be done outside of regular business hours.

Maintenance should be happening at least weekly. Here are the 5 main things your maintenance should include:

Microsoft Windows updates – Microsoft is regularly fixing bugs with their software and closing security holes. This applies to servers and computers, both their operating systems and other Microsoft programs like Office. If you’re not doing these updates, your systems will have more problems and you’ll get frustrated regularly.

Third party software updates – many programs and websurfing rely on Java, Flash or other Adobe products like Reader. In recent years hackers have targeted exploits within these programs to get viruses onto computers. These need to be updated regularly to protect your environment.

Server optimization – an efficiently running server can make your office run more efficiently and prevent downtime. There are numerous tasks you can do on servers to speed them up and increase reliability.

Computer optimization – same with computers. If you ever feel your computer is running slow, you’re right and it’s probably because it needs to be better optimized.

Device firmware updates – last but not least, your network devices have something called firmware running on them. Just like Windows updates this gets updated regularly by the manufacturer for both functionality and security. These should be done at least quarterly.

If you’re not having maintenance done on your network, give us a call and we’ll help you change that!

Organizations that have a firefighting approach to IT instead of a proactive one usually don’t have any sort of IT plan in place. Fires pop up and they are doused but there is no long range planning to prevent these fires from coming up in the first place.

The way to aggressively tackle this challenge is to develop a forward looking IT plan for the next 3-4 years. When it comes to technology, planning more than a year in advance can sometimes be a challenge but you should still be able to map out the big things such as:

• Server(s) life and replacement
• Email – hosting onsite or migrating to the cloud
• Security plan – how your business is being protected from external threats
• User support – what users should do on a day-to-day basis when they face issues
• Proactive monitoring, management and maintenance – what is being done on a week-to-week basis to prevent issues
• Computer inventory and replacement cycle for next four years
• Line of Business applications upgrade path
• Mobile device management (BYOD or company-owned)
• Firewall and other network device software renewals and replacement plan
• Backup, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

The first step is to decide on these elements and get them written down. Now you have a game plan for your IT that will help you avoid big surprises and allow you to deal proactively with your technology to prevent issues.

When you do this, you should know you will be ahead of many small and medium-sized businesses, including some of your competitors!

However, just having a plan in it of itself isn’t going to do much for you. You need to work with your IT partner to implement that plan. Here’s the methodology we recommend for that.

Your plan should be developed by your IT partner with your involvement, discussion and approval. Then you should insist on meeting on a quarterly basis (either in person or by phone) to ensure progress is being made and important milestones are getting hit.

There should be full transparency about the state of your IT that you can see from an executive level and evaluate the effectiveness of your approach. You should also be receiving monthly reports to further improve that accountability and transparency.

The other parts of your business have a plan and a budget. IT should be treated the same way and you`ll see the results!

Written by Brendan Howe

Over the weekend I was thinking about the apps I use on my iPad that I’ve found most useful for both work and play. Here are three that I would recommend if you have an iPad or Android tablet (there are versions on Google Play for all of these as well).

1. Songza – I was introduced to this one over the weekend. It’s a fantastic and free way to stream music. If you’re looking to rock out to ‘80s music, listen to the top-downloaded songs on iTunes or play some appropriate dinner party tunes, this service is great. I would expect they will begin charging at some point but for now it’s free and you could spend hours just browsing through the different selection of music.

2. DocsToGo – I’ve stopped taking notes on paper when I go to meetings. I just flip open this app, and take notes similar to what you would do in a Word document. Then when I’m done the meeting, I email off my notes to those who need them or just save them onto our network  You can sync this with your computer as well. DocsToGo also has a spreadsheet and PowerPoint-like program so you can view and edit those types of documents as well. The cost for this app is $9.99 for the regular one and $16.99 for premium. I have also heard a lot of people talk about EverNote lately for note taking which I’ll be trying out shortly.

3. GoToMeeting – sometimes I feel like I should be on the Citrix payroll for how often I talk about my love for GoToMeeting. For about $30 a month, we use it throughout the week at our office for meetings when people are remote, recording internal training, client meetings and video conferencing with peers south of the border. The app for iPad is free and allows you to start a meeting really quick or join a scheduled one without needing to call in. My favourite part is the high definition video conferencing for a low definition price!

I’m always interested in hearing about apps other people are using for work or play. Please share! It’s amazing how well we can customize our tablets and smartphones to help our lives.

Written by Brendan Howe

There’s good news this week for long-suffering Blackberry users who haven’t yet upgraded to the new Blackberry – a new model with a keyboard will be out by the end of the month.

I have spoken to many Blackberry users who are loyal to the once-popular Canadian device but haven’t yet upgraded because they’re either locked into a contract or they want to have the device with a keyboard. The Z10 came out recently but without the keyboard many Blackberry users have gotten used to and cite as the reason they don’t want to switch to other devices.

Blackberry’s new Q10 will be available from the major carriers on April 30, and they’re already taking pre-orders for the device.

You’ll see from the picture with this blog that it looks similar to existing Blackberrys but with the new Blackberry 10 operating system. This should help all those out there who don’t like typing on a touch screen device.

We’ve had a Blackberry Z10 in our office since it came out and we’re quite impressed with the device. It’s definitely put Blackberry back into the game allowing them to compete again. Previous issues like slow websurfing are fixed, social media integration is strong and clunky BES servers aren’t needed any more. There is still, however, a big lack of apps for Blackberry when compared to Android or Apple devices but many Blackberry loyalists seem to be able to deal with this.

Overall, it looks like this could be the next step in Blackberry’s resurrection. If you’re thinking about getting a Q10 but aren’t quite sure, give us a call and we can help you with your decision or help you get it set up!

Written by Brendan Howe

2013 could be the year many people forget about their home computer and spend most of their time on a tablet device, according to a new survey by Gartner Inc.

On the corporate side, we’re seeing more tablets being used in offices across the GTA in addition to work PCs, however this study predicts that at home, consumers will be getting rid of their PCs altogether.

It’s an interesting but not unsurprising trend that we’re seeing. Gartner expects 2.4 billion worldwide devices to be shipped this year, a 9 percent increase from last year. That’s PCs, tablets and mobile phones.

What is changing is the mix between these devices. Desktop and notebook sales are expected to decline by 7.6 percent while tablet sales will increase by 70 percent over last year.

What’s this Mean for Your Business?

There are some implications of this that I’d urge you to consider when you are making technology decisions for your company.

First, consider that your staff may start looking for ways to do work on a tablet at home instead of on a PC or they may expect you to supply them with a notebook to take home.

Your team is going to be increasingly tablet-aware and this will ease the integration of tablets into your office for business reasons. It can even be seen as a benefit to your team to give them a tablet they can also have for personal use.

Also important are the security considerations this brings. Just like when computers are connecting to your network, you need to make sure the tablets connecting are secure and you have some control over your corporate data. There are various ways to ensure passwords are implemented on these devices and there is an ability to remotely wipe data if there’s ever an issue.

Lastly, you should keep in mind that the leading operating system for tablets and smartphones is Android and will continue to be this year. Apple’s iOS and Windows are battling for second place and Blackberry isn’t even on the map in the tablet world.

That likely means the most functional tablets will be Android-based with iPads and Windows-based machines also being an option. Regardless of which one you prefer, you’ll likely have to support all of them for your team. Make sure your infrastructure and Help Desk is ready to support them.

As always, if you need more help, give us a call! Our Tablet Help Desk Line is (416) 913-8998.

Written by Brendan Howe

When I quote out computers to my clients, I ensure that they always have at least 8GB of RAM in their desktops or laptops. Several of my clients have wondered about this practice at TDCNet. I wanted to explain the reasoning behind our recommendation.

As applications get more and more advanced, they need more and more memory and resources in order to function efficiently. For example, Microsoft 2003 requires a minimum of 128MB of RAM in order to be functional, whereas Microsoft 2013 requires at least 2GB RAM in order to work. In order to optimize them, you would need to increase the amount of memory (RAM) that you have present in your computer.

In addition, the more applications that you have open at one time, the more memory you would need in order to do all your work efficiently. It isn’t fun when you are trying to open several programs at once, and your computer slows down, or stop responding. If you are using memory-intensive applications like Adobe Photoshop or Premier Pro, then you definitely need lots of RAM Zdnet recommends 12GB as a minimum for running Adobe applications, given that they are now 64-bit and can really chew through RAM).

Increasing the amount of RAM is also a cheap way to increase the speed of some of your older computers, if you do not have the budget to replace them outright. How much would this cost you? Well, RAM is cheap. You can pick up an extra 4GB of RAM for around $50. Unsure of your options and would like to chat with us about RAM upgrades or other IT-related conundrums, call us at (416)913-8998 or e-mail us. If you are interested in learning more about our IT services, please click here.

Written by Shikha Dhawan

We sometimes forget that the simplest things with computers can really save time and improve productivity.

I had a great example of this today. I use the calculator on my computer all the time. I was finding I was wasting time searching for under accessories after going into the start menu.

While this isn’t that big of a deal, a bunch of little things like this can lead to it taking longer to get things done and as a result, not achieving as much in a day. I’m always looking for ways to get more done faster.

My fix to this problem? Before opening up the calculator I right-clicked and dragged the calculator onto my task bar at the bottom of the screen (Windows 7 users only) and told it to pin there. Now I will never need to hunt for the calculator again.

Every program I use regularly is pinned to my task bar saving me a few seconds every time I open them.

If you’re not doing this too, give it a try. I know it’s a small improvement but I’d like to hear if it makes your day a little easier.

If you have any trouble with this, please let us know and we’ll help you out! If you are interested in learning more about our services, click here or call us at (416)913-8998.

-Written by Brendan Howe

I’m seeing a trend across many businesses these days – people are allowing a huge security hole in their networks because of mobile devices.

It would be rare to walk into a business and boot up a computer that doesn’t ask for a password to log on. The reasoning behind this is obvious. Everyone wants to make sure that their important business files and email are secure.

Now if you walked into the same businesses you would find many people checking their email on smartphones and tablets. However, if you looked at those devices you’d probably find most aren’t secured by a password.

Here’s the problem with that… If you lose your phone, forget it somewhere or it gets stolen, there is nothing stopping someone from looking through your emails and the corporate documents attached to them.

There’s a simple solution to this if your business has an Exchange server (which most do either onsite or hosted in the cloud). Most phones and tablets connect to email through something called ActiveSync. There are settings within that which will force any mobile devices connecting to email to have a password securing them, otherwise email won’t work.

Many offices are allowing staff to bring their own device into the workplace. Forcing mobile device passwords isn’t much of an inconvenience and will ensure you’re not opening up a big security hole in your network by allowing staff to use their own device.

For more on this subject, watch my video tech tip here.

Just when you thought you were finally getting everyone onto the same version of Microsoft Office, a new version is out – Microsoft Office 2013.

Why does that matter to you? Well, if you’re buying a computer today, you are almost forced to go with Office 2013. Let me explain why.

The best practice for software is to upgrade your entire business at the same time. However, that simply is not practical for a lot of companies and most businesses with less than 100 employees don’t take this approach because it’s really expensive (close to $600/computer).

What most businesses will do is buy the less expensive Microsoft Office Home and Business licenses (less than $300/computer) at the time they buy a new computer. This is a different type of Office license that is less expensive because it is computer-specific and can’t be used any further when that computer is replaced.

Which brings us back to what will happen if you buy a new computer today.

Microsoft has stopped selling Office 2010 licenses because their new version is out. If you buy Office Home and Business license (which is less than $300) you have to install Office 2013 and it cannot be downgraded to Office 2010.

If you want to stick with Office 2010 for a while, your only choice is to buy the license that costs twice as much and then use that on your new machine.

If you are going to take the less expensive route, you’ll need to train your staff on the new version of Office. Microsoft has a bunch of short training videos here that you can provide to your staff.

I’ll also be posting a video tech tip on Office 2013 later this week that you’ll want to watch.