mobility to increase productivity

How to Use Mobility to Increase Productivity in the Office

Mobile solutions are critical in integrating business and technology. Businesses failing to invest in mobility technology risk being left behind. This means incorporating mobile technology into every aspect of the business, to keep employees as connected as the customers being served.

In our mobile world, employees need access to network resources when they’re away from the office. Remote network access makes it possible to work from anywhere — whether connecting from a hotel room, telecommuting, or uploading data from a customer site.

Mobility in the Workplace

Most businesses already have some form of mobility technology in use. Productivity and efficiency increase when employees can access applications and files remotely, attend meetings virtually, and collaborate with teammates in real time.

Anytime, Anywhere Access. Remote technology applications allow users to stay productive away from the office with anytime, anywhere access to their computers. Mobile technology is all about on-the-go convenience; to be able to transfer files between devices without email or USB drives. Or be able to print documents from a remote computer to a local printer. With services such as these, IT can perform maintenance without interrupting end-users.

Flexible Work Hours. Mobile technology helps with a lot of human resource dilemmas. A team member being on site in Denver, but still be able to attend an important meeting in New York. Or when a key staff member is home with the flu. Inclement weather, remote workers can still get tasks done when the roads are closed, or the office has no power. Remote tech eliminates unnecessary travel and the need for onsite data exchange.

Boosts Collaboration. Cloud computing can also improve productivity. Employees can easily access installed company software while away from the office. This is another way of addressing the needs of remote workers. Employees everywhere can access and work on the same files without emails back and forth with changes. Easier collaboration improves productivity; by making information sharing quicker, projects progress faster.

And it’s only going to get better! Research shows that technology-related productivity in the workplace has increased by 84% since the 1970s. Mobile phones, email, and business software are responsible for the increase, according to a report by O2 Business. 22% of further growth is predicted for 2020 as internet speeds increase and more business choose tablets for the workplace.

Mobility Device Management

The growth of mobile devices in the workplace creates new concerns for secure access to sensitive information. A mobile device management plan will keep all mobile devices accessing your work network secure and even allow for remote deletion of data if an employee loses a device or leaves the organization. Talk to us if you need to manage all of the mobile devices accessing your network and want to ensure you have the right security in place.

 

school and technology

Schools and Technology

As technology evolves at a rapid pace, it is natural that we see more of it used in the classroom. Technology is allowing children who learn in non-traditional ways to thrive. Innovative tools are being used to teach everything from penmanship to physics. Let’s examine just a few of the interesting ways that technology is being utilized in school.

iPads and Apps

More and more iPads are showing up in schools across the United States. They are an excellent tool because of how versatile they are. An iPad can be used in elementary school all the way through to high school and college. Research can be done with a few taps of the fingers. They are excellent tools for brainstorming, creating presentations, aggregating information and working in groups. Their portability makes using them simple.

There are thousands of educational apps that can be used on an iPad. Elementary school children can learn to spell, practice their English and math, while high school students can learn chemistry through apps that allow them to see close up images of everything on the periodic table. Apps on iPads turn learning into games, which makes it less painful, especially for those who struggle academically. With so many choices, there is an app for all students and their needs.

Twitter

It seems reasonable that teachers want to keep their students off social media. However, in upper grades, teachers are using it as a learning tool. Since kids’ attention spans are steadily decreasing, it makes sense for instructors to use Twitter to send out information about a subject to their students. Kids can use the social media outlet to tweet questions about assignments, and read the answer in a tweet from their teacher.

Class Web Pages

Teachers have been using the Internet to create web pages for their class that can be used in many ways. Some post important announcements, but they can be customized any manner the educator sees fit. The site can include a class blog, photos, homework assignments, downloadable material and more. What makes class websites work so well is that they can be accessed from home or mobile devices.

Podcasts

The web contains literally thousands of podcasts about anything and everything. Teachers are searching and finding ones that are relevant to the subject at hand. Instructors are recording lectures to supplement lessons and creating their own podcasts for students to listen to on their own time. Interviews with authors can be used to supplement books the students are reading, to listen to at home or to be downloaded in class. In some cases, teachers have had students make their own podcasts to discuss their ideas on what they are learning about, or to document the progress they have made throughout the year.

reduce business technology expenses

Ways to Reduce Business Technology Expenses

Whether you resolve to trim off a few pounds, budget better, or communicate more with the ones around you, you can use the same goal setting strategies to improve your business. Technology has a place in your business and your budget. In 2015, embrace technology in a way that saves you cash and IT headaches. Consider the following to reduce business technology expenses in 2015:

Trim the fat

Get rid of excess and focus more on effective uses for your company’s technology. Now is the perfect time to do an audit of your business’s equipment. Look for anything in the budget that is repeated, unnecessary, and costing you the most money. If you are unsure of how to evaluate your technology and infrastructure, seek help from a professional team. IT support services from Teknique IT can complete a full system evaluation, including software, security, and operating systems, and tell you what can stay, what needs to go, and what you need to maximize efficiency and productivity.

Go on a budget

Stop delving out money for your IT systems and device overhauls. You do not need the latest and greatest products to maximize your business’s operations. You need a solution that embraces the varying degrees of your company’s existing products and one that is scalable to meet your changing needs over time. Businesses spend the most on IT when something goes wrong, instead of focusing on service and maintenance to prevent IT complications. Many businesses utilize outsourced IT companies that provide 24/7 support and assistance for a flat, monthly rate. Instead of billing for services as a company needs them, flat rate IT support stays on top of the entire system and its updates all the time to monitor and prevent potential complications. It is cheaper for a company to pay a monthly fee instead of having to pay for large overhauls, fixes and updates.

Communicate more

Businesses lose money when employees and managers are unable to work. When a company’s technology goes down, the company suffers a sudden loss, or company employees are out of the office, work does not have to stop. Remote access and cloud services allow all employees to continue to work so that the company’s bottom line is not affected. Cloud services also encourage more collaboration among employees and other business partners. Some businesses save thousands of dollars every month by allowing their employees to work remotely, instead of paying for office space and utilities.

Unified communications are also another approach to improving communication and saving money. Unified communications packages provide business owners with the latest technology, services and features that all play well together for a seamless communications experience.

Plan for the worst

Technology is helping businesses owners prepare for the unknown. Malicious activity, weather disasters, human error, and IT failures can all disrupt business. If a business does not have a continuity plan that includes data recovery, recuperation is painful and expensive. A business needs to ensure its operations can pick up right where they left off, without compromising security, sensitive data, and public perception. Managed services and cloud computing both support businesses in the event of a disaster and ensure that the company’s data is stored safely in an off-site location, not in the computers and filing cabinets that may or may not survive a devastating loss.

wine bar

Growing Trend of Wine Bars

Wine bars started appearing in the 80’s and 90’s, primarily in large cities, with an upscale and glamorous feel. Patrons could stop in before a show or after a dinner date to enjoy a fine glass of wine then move on. While these places still exist, they barely resemble today’s laid back, rustic and retro, neighborhood wine bars.

Basic History of Wine in the US
Wineries have only been in the United States for about 40 years – starting with a handful of wineries in California in the 70’s. The success of those wineries meant no longer depending on wine from countries like France or Italy. Not surprisingly, California and it’s Sonoma and Napa Valley regions are known to produce the bulk of wine in the US, with New York State coming in a distant but respectable second with its Finger Lakes region. What may be surprising, is that there are over 8000 wineries in the Unites States, with all 50 states producing at least some wine.

Wine Went Social
With the growing number of wineries, and thus greater availability of wine, it makes sense that wine has gained popularity and wine drinking turned into a mainstream activity. Wine is no longer just for the fine dining crowd but has evolved into a social experience – particularly with the evolution of the wine bar. A wine bar opening used to mean a city had reached a certain level of sophistication. But as their popularity increased, wine bars began cropping up in smaller towns and cities, places where you’d find a favorite neighborhood bar. They are as common and frequent as a coffee shop now.

Wine Bar Environment
Many wine bars of today tend to be laid back, with the intent for customers to linger and enjoy the experience in a non-stuffy environment. Customers are encouraged to experiment and learn about wine, not to be intimidated. There is an eclectic feel to many of these places, some making their homes in re-purposed old buildings or barns on the winery grounds. You may see exposed beams, reclaimed wood, or old brick facades, paired with comfy seating, and warm lighting. Some are a bit funky, with the goal of providing an alluring and welcoming ambiance. Much like a coffee-house, customers are encouraged to spend an afternoon catching up on work or meeting a few friends for a relaxing evening. You might even find the gang from Teknique IT in a local wine bar!

The Food & Wine
At many wine bars, you’ll find local wines or wines from small growers who don’t have large distribution capabilities. This provides a great opportunity to discover amazing new wines.

Usually you won’t find a lot of food at a wine bar – not a full meal anyway. The most extensive offering is typically a cheese & charcuterie plate, with scrumptious cheeses, meats and accompaniments like mustards and relishes. All designed to make the wine the feature, not the food.

new website

New Year, New Website, New Marketing Partner!

As the New Year approached, we were working hard behind the scenes and making a lot of changes to serve our customers better, including the creation of a new, mobile responsive website, and partnering with an IT Marketing company.

The development of our new website means you can get the information you need from any device – your laptop, desktop, mobile phone, or tablet. We’ve added custom videos to show you in about 90 seconds how we can help solve your business challenges and bring you closer to your goals. And, we’re building a free information resource center with whitepapers and ebooks on technology topics you need to know about to improve the efficiency and productivity in your workplace. You can refer to our resource center monthly, as we’ll consistently add new resources in our effort to keep you informed.

Our new website also features this blog! We’ll of course cover the technology stuff you expect and need to know about, but we also plan to keep it interesting with a wide variety of articles that talk about:

  • Food & Wine/Cooking
  • Boating
  • Travel/Camping
  • Sports
  • Family
  • School Districts/Education

If there is anything you would like to see covered in the resource center or on this blog – please don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know. We want to answer your questions and provide useful information for you – so speak up and let us know what your current challenges are!