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XFER Blog

XFER has been serving the Livonia area since 1994, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.
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Technology, Security, Best Practices, IT Blog, Cloud, How To, Business, Alerts, Off Topic/Fun, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized, Tip of the Week
Mike

3 Vendor Aspects We will Manage for You!

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Managing your business is demanding. Staying on top of your employees, your inventory, shipments, payroll, and a hundred other things can be draining to say the least. The last thing you need is to add to your leadership burden. Let us manage your technology vendors for you! Our vendor management service will relieve you from these three management stresses.

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Vendor Management Managed Service Provider
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Mike

Organize Your Network with Active Directory

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The whole purpose of having a network infrastructure is to allow different users to access and share needed files and applications. With your data centralized to a server, you will need to have a system in place that allows certain people up-to-date permissions to access needed files from every computer. This is where Active Directory comes in.

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Security Users Network
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Mike

Leave a Big Business Impression with VoIP

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Many small businesses are switching their phone systems to Voice over Internet Protocol and seeing dramatic savings over traditional phone plans, especially when it comes to long distance charges. Once the switch to VoIP is made, small businesses are discovering there are more benefits to VoIP that make their business appear bigger and more professional!

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Small Business Business Managament VoIP
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Mike

Death Star Technology Services

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May 4th is Star Wars Day (May the fourth be with you). In celebration of our favorite space saga, we thought that we would write about our dream job; providing IT support for the mother of all technologies, the Death Star from Star Wars.

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Security Current Events Managed Service Provider
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Mike

Network Firewalls Explained

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You know that having a strong firewall is a key component to having strong network security, but do you how firewalls work? Firewalls take their name from the protective barriers that keep buildings and engines safe from fire. While it’s unlikely that your computer is in danger of incineration, a firewall does protect it from cyber-threats; here’s how!

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Security Privacy Firewall
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Mike

Google Reader Refugees Take To Feedly

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The expiration date for Google Reader is set for July 1, 2013. Google’s decision to axe the Reader was not because it was unpopular, but rather, it seems like Google wants to focus their energy into fewer products. This announcement leaves many Google faithful out in the cold, and Feedly has welcomed the Google huddled masses yearning to read free.

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Software Current Events
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Mike

Tip: Use Macros to Save Your Place

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If you are working on a document that is several pages long, then you know the frustration of getting lost in a sea of text. Often overlooked by the casual user, Macros are great productivity tools that can be utilized for several handy tasks, including giving you the ability to bookmark your work areas in a Word document.

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Macro Software Workplace Tips
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Mike

3 Technologies to Help Your Office Go Green

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April 22, is Earth Day. What is your office doing to help save the planet? We talk a lot about business continuity, but none of that matters without Earth continuity. Here are three office technologies that will help your business go green.

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Saving Money Current Events Virtualization
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Mike

Don't Be a Hacking Target

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What do hackers look for when choosing a victim? While there are hackers out there that specialize in targeting high-profile companies and executives (a hacking method call whaling), most hackers do a broad sweep of the Internet and choose the easiest targets. If your company has weak network security, then you have a target on your back.

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Security Network
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Mike

Be Sure to Count the Costs of the Cloud

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Cloud computing is a hot business technology. Research firm Gartner surveyed businesses worldwide and found that 60% have increased their budgets for cloud services through 2014. Gartner also predicts that the cloud services market will increase 18.5% this year. Are you looking to migrate over to the cloud? Here are a few considerations before your business goes cloud crazy.

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Internet Cloud
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Mike

Could Bitcoins become the Next World Currency?

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The Internet has given us many new and exciting ways to transact business. The newest frontier is in regards to a virtual currency called Bitcoins that is unregulated and accepted by Internet users worldwide. Bitcoins may be too much of a novelty for your business to take seriously, but that does not discredit it as an interesting investment opportunity.

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Internet Security
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Mike

A Clean Computer is a Happy Computer

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Hopefully, you have a list of personal items that you regularly clean. Obvious belongings that need a good scrubbing are things like bed sheets, dishes, and your bathroom floor. If your computer is not on your cleaning chore list, then it needs to be. A clean computer is a happy computer, and not disgusting like a dirty one.

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Workplace Tips Technology
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Mike

4 Steps We Take to Fix Your PCs

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What do you do with a broken computer? You can take the time to learn how to fix it yourself, you can drop it off at a computer repair shop, or you can call in a technician. While all of these methods will get your PC up and running again, we think that we have found the best way to handle a broken computer.

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Managed Service Provider Technology Tech Support
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Mike

Coffitivity, What Creativity Sounds Like

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When it comes to listening to music while getting work done, it seems like you can either do it or you can't. Some office workers need absolute silence to get work done. Other people can turn up the volume, tune out the world, and still think clearly. Coffitivity is an audio app that brings balance between the right and left brain.

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Health Technology Workplace Tips
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Mike

See Big Energy Savings with Server Virtualization

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Your electricity bill is the worst. This is because you know that it could be smaller if you only made a few adjustments to how you run the office. Little tricks like turning your lights off will save you money, but to really make a dramatic cut to your bill, you can virtualize your servers.

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Virtualization Saving Money
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Mike

Have VoIP Answer Your Phones

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There are many advantages that come with switching your company's traditional phone system to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP uses the Internet to handle all of your communication needs; this can streamline your communications and save you 50-70% compared to a traditional phone plan. Not only can VoIP save your business operating costs, it can also make your company more efficient.

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VoIP Saving Money
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Mike

Windows Blue: The Next Big Thing from Microsoft

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With Windows 8 firmly established and in full marketing mode, Microsoft is now preparing a major upgrade that they are calling Windows Blue. Microsoft will release full details about Windows Blue at the Build conference in June, and based on details that have been leaked, it looks like Blue will be Microsoft's next big thing.

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Windows 8 Upgrade Microsoft
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Mike

INFOGRAPHIC: March 31st is World Backup Day

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Don't be an April Fool.  Data backup is extremely important for businesses.  If your data isn't backed up, or your backup solution isn't properly tested and maintained, your data could be at risk.  That's why March 31st is World Backup Day!  Check out and share the infographic and ask yourself, what would you do if you lost everything?

 

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Backup Data Small Business
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Mike

The 3 Biggest Reasons PC Upgrades are Avoided

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As an IT company, we get excited about the newest computer hardware and software. We try to convince everybody that upgrades are great, but some people cannot be shaken from their devotion to what is familiar and refuse to upgrade their tech. In our experience, here are the three biggest reasons why upgrades are avoided.

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Security Technology
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Mike

What’s so Great about BYOD?

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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), is changing the look and feel of the modern office. As the ownership rate of mobile devices among American adults creeps closer to reaching 50%, more gadgets are showing up around the office, and they are being used to get work done! If you have yet to embrace BYOD in your office, then you will want consider these 3 advantages.

Tags:
Mobile Office Gadgets Technology
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