The HelpDesk Company Blog

I read an interesting article from the Channel Insider this afternoon.  According to a recent security study they conducted with CompTIA,

“Solution providers say out-of-date antivirus applications and signature files are the most common problem in 38% of security assessments conducted…In 43% of security assessments, solution providers say they find poor password policies, enforcement and practices.”

I have to say I’m not entirely surprised.  How many of us have used the name of a beloved pet, child, or significant other?  Maybe added “123″ at the end if the system requires a combination of alpha and numeric characters? 

You can rely on The HelpDesk Company to keep your antivirus software up-to-date.  And we can work with you to implement a Password Policy for your firm.  However, it’s up to the individual user to ensure that the passwords truly stay secure.

It’s a good quick read that you can find here - http://bit.ly/j2gdB

“The iPhone appears to be gaining more traction with employees of small companies, especially those with 15 to 99 employees…”

So say the experts at the Wall Street Journal in an article on the prevailance of iPhone Apps available for business.  You can check out the full article here - http://bit.ly/iPhoneapps

We are hard pressed to disagree.  Many of our clients were early adapters of the iPhone - more for the cool-gadget appeal than anything else.  We were a bit leary - they didn’t “play nice” with servers in the early days.  However, Apple (not to mention the hundreds of folks writing Apps) has done a fantastic job transforming the iPhone into a business tool.  Did you know there are even Apps that enable us to remotely control our server, manage our spam filters, and even manage the tools we use to monitor and maintain your network?

Do you have an iPhone?  What’s your favorite App?

We’re giving away one of the coolest back-to-school “toys”- and you could be the one to get it!

Easy to use. Easy to carry. 

Get quick, easy access to online resources & digital entertainment.  Check out these specs for the HP Mini Notebook:
• Fun on the Run - less than 3 pounds
• Work & play comfortably on the near-full-size keyboard (92% of size)
• Ideal for email, IM & chatting face-to-face with the built-in HP Mini Webcam®
• Windows® XP Home
• 1GB memory
• Anti-glare display
• Wireless Broadcom 802.11b/g
• ENERGY STAR® qualified
• Retail Value $429

It’s really quite easy, simply make a referral.

We would love a chance to meet some of your clients, colleagues, vendors, or associates who might benefit from our services. We’re looking for clients with at least 10 employees in their organization. We work with traditional businesses as well as non-profits and not-for-profits, so don’t leave them out.

Click Here to Learn More or to Make a Referral

Read this post recently and thought I’d share - http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=52370210&gid=79627&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Estrategicbusinessdesigner%2Ecom%2F2009%2F07%2Fsmall-businesses-deserve-respect-and-our-support%2F&urlhash=l3nD&trk=NUS_RITM_title&goback=%2Ehom. 

 It’s true, Small and Midsize Businesses are the future of our economy.  The numbers don’t lie.  Did you know that locally we have over 7700 businesses that employ between 10 and 50 folks?  That’s according to the Virginia Employment Commission’s Census of Employment & Wages. 

SmallBizResource.com, the “Essential IT Blog for Small Businesses” sees the value in our business model: “Managed services offer too many benefits for smaller companies, especially those attempting to plan for future growth without overextending their budgets or their in-house IT resources.”  Check out Matthew McKenzie’s article discussing the strength of the Managed Services industry to weather the current economic storms.  http://www.smallbizresource.com/bmightyblog/main/archives/2009/07/business_is_boo.html?cid=nl_SBR_WEEKLY_H

The new Monthly Business Care Wellness Review has been consolidated to make it easier to read and save on paper when printing. Clients with forty (40) plus systems should see an average of fifty (50) percent saving in paper when printing. The Computer Assets section now contains CPU/RAM performance data and Windows Patches - this redesign consolidated four (4) sections into one (1). Additionally, the Productivity Software Section now includes listings by Computer including popular software such as Adobe, Autodesk, Microsoft Office, Mozilla, Symantec, Trend Micro and many more. Daily and Incremental Backups are still reported, as well as SPAM Statistics and Employee Internet Usage.

Do you know someone who’s great with people, detail-oriented and looking for a new challenge?  If so, we’d love to chat!  I’ve posted the position on our website (www.TheHelpDeskCompany.com/careers).  Please share it with anyone you’d love to answer the phone each time you call.  Thanks!

How many of us use Google on a daily basis?  Yes, there are still many other effective search engines, but Google is definitely the most popular.  Did you know that you can make Google work even better for you?   

See More Search Results

The default setting is to return 10 results per page.  This provides the fastest search results.  However, if you are looking for something that’s not always on the first page, you are wasting that speed by having to click through multiple pages.  If you click on Google Preferences (next to the search box), you can then change the Number of Results to determine how many you’d like on each page.  We recommend 100. 

Pinpoint Your Search

No need to keep guessing at the perfect search terms.  Use the Google Advanced Search tool instead.  Again, it’s beside the search box.  You can use items like Date, Usage Rights, Numeric Ranges, and more.  For example, with Date you are selecting how recent the page is.  You can select the past 24 hours, week, month, etc.

 Have any of your own tips?  Please share them in a comment.

Todd just informed me that our Average Response Time was 52 minutes in May!  That means that, if you called in for support, emailed a support request, or logged a support request directly into our client portal, you had a Support Engineer working on your issue within 52 minutes, on average.  Not too shabby!  I wonder how much faster we can get that this month?

To say that May has been an incredible month here at The HelpDesk Company would be an understatement.  We added a new member to our team (see article below); welcomed a new client; and received three HUGE compliments - from our industry, our peers, and most significantly from our clients! First, please join us in welcoming our newest client - the Kuehl Shephard Koslowski Group.  We are thrilled to be working with them. On May 13th, we were recognized by the Greater Richmond Technology Council as a finalist for their 14th Annual Technology Builder Award.  Although we did not win, it was an incredible experience to be recognized as a leader in our industry in front of 400 area business and technology professionals. I also learned this month that I’ve been selected as a finalist for Member of the Year for our local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).  This is an incredible honor as I know just how wonderful and generous our members are.  A huge THANK YOU to all of my fellow NAWBO ladies! The crowning jewel for this month, however, came from a long-time client, the Richmond SPCA.  They recently asked me to conduct a training session on Customer Service for their staff members.  I was happy to lead the two sessions last week and enjoyed talking with approximately 50 staff members from the many departments at the SPCA (yes, it takes a lot of folks to lead a top-rated animal shelter).  However, they sent me over the moon when they shared that the two other companies they were having speak on customer service this year were The Jefferson and Ukrops.  WOW!!! We hope that you agree with the SPCA’s opinion and encourage you to let us know if you don’t.  It’s hard to resolve an issue when you don’t realize it exists. Thank you to each and every one of you.  Our clients, business partners, and friends.  I know the past year has been tough for many and I hope that all of you experience a month like we have to let you know that you’re on the right path.