Computer Tip of the Day: Go To Sleep

computer tip of the day go to sleep

computer tip of the day

Before you clock out for the day, you have one final decision to make: should you turn off your computer? Will it really save that much money? This is the topic of our computer tip of the day.

Like this article notes, sleep mode is a power-saving state that is similar to pausing a DVD movie. All actions on the computer are stopped and any open documents and applications are put in memory. You can quickly resume normal, full-power operation within a few seconds. Sleep mode is basically the same thing as “Standby” mode.

Screen Savers

As you get up from your desk or work station, you might be tempted to walk away and let your screen saver do what it was meant to do, which is to save your screen from… something you might or might not even know. Well, here’s the truth:

  • CRT monitors need screen savers to keep from having an image “burned” onto the screen.
  • CRT monitors look like older TV sets and function in a similar manner.
  • Practically nobody uses CRT monitors anymore.
  • Screen savers do practically nothing for the modern monitor. (It takes an insanely long time for an image to burn onto an LCD monitor!)

Aside from looking pretty or entertaining us as we watch hypnotic patterns (or flying toasters, if you have a really old screen saver), all a screen saver does these days is chew up energy. A screen saver can burn up 140 to 200 watts of power as it performs the calculations to do its obsolete job.

Sleep Mode (Stand-by)

By comparison, a computer that is put into “sleep” mode uses 2 to 8 watts of power. Sleep mode still uses power, yes, but the wake up time is a matter of a few seconds. Your work is still where you left it and you can continue as though nothing snooze-worthy has happened.

Hibernate

Hibernation uses no power. The reboot time is anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, and there is a chance for data corruption, but if you have a lot of computers in your office, the energy savings could be worth it.

Unplugged

The EPA recommends that unnecessary appliances be unplugged when not in use. This is because a small amount of power trickles in constantly to our favorite gadgets and their chargers. This may not be practical at your office, but it is the guaranteed way to ensure that your computers are not consuming any power while they’re not being used for extended periods.

Go To Sleep

For many, the sleep mode provides the right balance between energy savings and work efficiency. It significantly reduces power consumption while allowing you to pick right up where you left off with a minimal wait time. Additionally, the great thing about sleep mode is that you don’t have to do anything. Just set it and forget it. What could be more convenient?

For help with setting up your systems for the best performance and efficiency, contact us. Good night, sleep tight, and don’t forget to turn out the lights!

The Benefits of Office 365 for Business

the benefits of office 365 for business
office 365 for business

Switching over to the new Office 365 cloud comes with some excellent features and benefits. The top benefit is that your company can continue to use the software that it has been happily using for years because the burden is now shifted over to Microsoft. It becomes less worrisome. Due to the shift, there are quite a few other benefits.

What are the benefits of using Office 365 for business?

For starters, you can work with what you know because Office 365 hasn’t changed any of your favorites. Microsoft took note that users don’t necessarily want to give up their comfort zone. The only real change is that they are connected to the enterprise software out in the cloud. Everything else has remained the same so there’s nothing too new to learn. You can continue working without the need to learn anything new which saves time and money which can be great for any business.

Due to the fact that Microsoft is now taking on the full responsibility of security and reliability, your IT team can finally rest a bit and go about some more important things like giving tips to employees on how to get the most out of this software.

Microsoft is also aware that its users may not be completely comfortable with allowing them to do all the heavy lifting so they have provided extensive service level agreements to help put you at ease.

If you were to have any questions, they can help answer them. You may also contact us with any questions regarding this article.

Why You Should Choose an IT Company that Offers On-Site Customer Support

why you should choose an it company that offers on site customer support

on site computer support

Choosing an outsourced IT provider is an excellent decision for any small business. Not only will it save your company money on staffing, training and future technical issues, but you know that you will be receiving support from some of the best trained IT support specialists in the industry.

Like this article notes, many small businesses fail to realize just how important good customer is for the overall health of your business. This can be a huge mistake, since good customer service isn’t just important… it’s absolutely vital.

However, when you choose an IT company, your company may prefer to work with a local IT company. They are able to provide on-site customer support, in addition to online support services.

Having the ability to bring an IT professional on-site will ensure that all issues are fixed in a timely fashion. Also, without any additional expenditures for your company.

Not All Issues Can Be Fixed Remotely

Although most software issues can be fixed remotely, hardware issues typically need a trained IT professional to fix them. Companies that rely only on remote IT support will have to turn to another provider for hardware failures.

Develop Face-to-Face Relationships

It’s nice to get to know the companies that you are working with. Developing a face-to-face relationship with your IT provider will help you to establish a more personal connection. Although receiving IT support remotely is almost always convenient when it is possible, you’ll want to know that you are working with a capable team that can help your business to solve any of its IT related problems. Using on site computer support service providers will help you to establish a relationship with your IT provider.

Help with Installation and Implementation of Technology

As businesses grow, the systems that they use grow with them. This means that you can expect your business to require new hardware and software to be installed with some regularity. An on-site support team can help you to seamlessly install new pieces of hardware and software, allowing your business to run smoothly with minimal downtime.

If you are interested in working with an IT company that provides on-site customer support, reach out and contact us today. We’ll get to know your company and let you know how we can help your business with IT problems today.

Top VM Software for Businesses

prepare early for hurricane season with continuity of operations planning

continuity of operations planning

Virtualization is an effective way to reduce IT expenses. Determining the top VM software for your business requires you to assess your company’s needs.

According to this article, most modern computers are powerful enough to run entire operating systems within your main operating systems, which means virtual machines are more commonplace today than ever.

The size of your business, the size of your budget and what you need the VM software to accomplish are all important things to take into consideration.

VMware is perhaps the top runner when it comes to VM software for businesses

They offer a free trial of the software so your business can determine if it provides the necessary services. It works well for small and midsize business alike. VMware offers slightly more third-party integration and support than other similar products.

Microsoft also offers a quality VM software called Hyper-v

It is a standalone version of the Windows Server. One benefit of this software is that the licensing cost is also part of server license as opposed to being individually licensed. Microsoft offers a free version of their software and may be a smart choice for a business that does not need multiple physical hosts.

VM software called Citrix is the lesser of three most popular options

Citrix is more experienced when it comes to application deployment than VMware, however, both have adequate abilities in this area. Citrix is flexible and has the ability to be run on several different servers. It offers full support for Windows, Mac, and Linux clients the same as VMware and Hyper-v. Citrix is able to meet the needs of both midsized to large businesses.

  • Choosing the right VM software for your business comes down to understanding what your needs are.
  • All three of these products have pros and cons, and one may fit your needs better than another.
  • Each software offers unique capabilities, but their main features are largely the same.
  • Understanding the needs of your business will better help you decide which of these software solutions is the best fit.

 

Contact us with questions or for more information on VM software for your business.

Simple Explanation of a Virtual Appliance

choosing computer management services to avoid dealing with it issues yourself

4cit-compThe idea of a virtual appliance is confusing to some people. These appliances are extremely useful, but it is difficult to understand how and why if you are not a highly technical individual.

According to this article, a virtual appliance (VA) is a virtual machine (VM) image file consisting of a pre-configured operating system (OS) environment and a single application. The purpose of a virtual appliance is to simplify delivery and operation of an application. To this end, only necessary operating system components are included.

The fact is, everyone can benefit from virtual machines and virtual appliances. Basically, it is simply a matter of getting a basic grasp on what they are and how they are used. So, what is a virtual appliance? For the average person, here is a general explanation.

Firstly, we must understand a virtual machine. Basically, it involves a host computer with a large amount of space and processing power. A virtual machine is simply a big file which runs within the physical hardware of the host machine. Then, a piece of software called a hypervisor reallocates the physical resources of the host machine to the smaller virtual machines. This allows for one computer to act as several.

Now, the virtual appliance comes into play. It is a virtual machine image that is preconfigured and ready to run on a hypervisor. They are intended to decrease the time and cost associated with installing, configuring, and maintaining complex software. It is not a virtual machine platform. It is a software image which runs on a virtual machine platform.

You may wonder, “Why do people use virtual machines and appliances?”.

It comes down to efficiency.

If you have one computer doing the jobs of several computers, you cut down on time and cost. It is a more efficient use of resources. It takes less power, physical space, and hardware. With the high volume of computing necessary in many businesses today, the virtual machine has become a solid solution.

Contact us for more information and assistance.