Blog

Cloud computing makes big news in the races – and gives us a chance to talk about the benefits of data solutions!

There’s an old saying we just made up that says, “When a trend finally wins a horse race, you know it’s here for the long haul.” We’re specifically talking about the big news that, after a break that involved skipping the Kentucky Derby, the racehorse by the name of Cloud Computing racked up a big in the Preakness race. Maybe not so exciting to those who don’t follow the races, but hey, 1) there’s a racehorse named after a data solution, and that’s pretty fun, plus 2) this gives us an excuse to talk about the advantages of cloud computing to businesses that are still considering adopting cloud solutions.

Scalability

One advantage that smaller businesses sometimes miss when reviewing the benefits of cloud computing is the innate scalability. It may not seem like much in your current business model, but when the time comes to expand, open new branches, increase your customer base, or fulfill a greater number of orders, cloud computing makes growth far easier than it used to be. By pushing customer, order and inventory data into the cloud, it becomes effortless to upgrade many of your business functions to deal with suddenly larger (or, in some cases, suddenly smaller) numbers. Without cloud computing, the process requires replacing hardware and generally spending far more time and resources on meeting new demand.

Automated Data Entry

Data entry has become revolutionized by a combination of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, allowing software to become much more open-ended and smarter about filling out forms. You’ve probably experienced a little of this when Google, Apple or another brand offers to autofill address and contact forms for you based on information stored in the cloud. Data entry solutions do much the same thing, except they are more complex systems that access a larger variety of information about the company and (within chosen limits) the customers. This reduces human error, reduces the need for data entry positions, and helps the workflow process speed up, making it an easy option for the average company.

Collaboration

A lot of people talk about collaboration in business, but in cloud computing, this has a very direct definition: The ability for multiple people to work on the same document, at the same time, from remote locations. Google Drive, for example, is one of the more common (and freed) collaboration tools used by small businesses and students where teams need to work on the same document together, but are kept from physical meetings by complex schedules. Editing, commenting, and chat features allow people to collaborate on a document in an online setting instead, which again speeds up workflow. Even common doc software like Microsoft Word is beginning to embrace this cloud-fueled collaboration.

Efficient Management

All right, let’s take the above example: If you have everyone working on the same document, how does a manager tell who is responsible for any particular action? Through in-depth tracking, of course, and cloud computing also provides that. Microsoft Teams, for example, allows managers to see at a glance who is teamed up on any particular file and then look closer to find out the precise history of changes to the file, and who made each change. If check-ins or confirmations are required, the cloud can send them to manage systems immediately to save even more time.

Client Connections

All this internal communication is also bolstered by external connections. Cloud storage and cloud data, in general, are much easier to share with clients and customers as needed. This is an excellent way to share large files with prospects and exchange information quickly to answer important questions.

Automatic Updating and Syncing

When a cloud-compatible system needs an update, there’s no reason to mess around with physical discs or data sticks – it can simply download what it needs right off the Internet. The same goes for syncing. Via the cloud, when you update data on a program using one device (say a smartphone), that program will be updated on all devices (your desktop and laptop too) when you log back in. Data backups are handled in a similar way. Basically, all improvements and changes to the system are easier and faster to arrange.

We’ve covered plenty of the general benefits of cloud computing here, but there’s a whole world of more specific advantages for your Omaha company, ready to be customized from available services. Learn more about the latest IT services by contacting InfiNet Solutions today! We’re available at (402) 895--5777 or [email protected].

Just in case you missed it, Omaha Magazine ran a story on April 1 that featured InfiNet Solutions (which was itself based on a story about us that ran in the Faces of Omaha section called “Managed IT Services” – p. 36). We’re not trying to be boastful, but it’s nice to get some official recognition in our community for what it is we do best – Omaha IT services!

We feel that, obviously, this is the best kind of advertising one can get – to be featured in two prominent Omaha publications as one of the city’s finest IT companies – and we hope you agree!

Here are some related FAQs for you on this subject below:

Can you tell us more about what you do best – IT network managed services?

We’d be happy to! Absolutely! Basically, we understand what it takes to be among the top IT support companies in Omaha. We make sure our standards of excellence and quality inform all our IT strategies with optimal results for our clientele.

What’s included in your managed services program?

Most of our managed services agreements include guaranteed on-site support visits as part of an agreed-upon schedule, plus reviews and maintenance of computers, servers and networking hardware, as well as software support. Whether you need remote support or on-site support, we’ll always be sure to meet or exceed your needs.

Do you cover business telephones as well in your contract IT services?

Of course! If you need to add business telephone solutions to your managed services support contract, we’ll make sure you have the peace of mind regarding your VoIP, hosted PBX or other network phone setup to be able to focus on growing your business.

Could you elaborate more on your approach as IT consultants, please?

Sure thing! As your go-to IT consultants in Omaha like our team of highly-skilled experts to be able to respond to and remedy any challenge or issue that may arise, with 24/7 Help Desk support standing by to field your requests for assistance. Also, to be a standout among Omaha IT companies requires being equipped with more expertise than the average tech support company, and knowing how to inspire client loyalty in an ongoing fashion.

What industries do you provide IT services for?

We’ve done a good amount of work for companies in the following industries:

• Architecture and engineering firms
• Healthcare facilities and clinics
• Small businesses
• Law firms
• Senior care facilities

But, no matter what industry you’re in, or the scope of your business operation, and regardless of your IT challenges – InfiNet is here to help you achieve your business networking goals.

Excellent! Sounds like you’re the best-managed service provider in Omaha for my money. When can we get started? 

As soon as you contact us at 402.547.4300 or at [email protected] and we can do a summary evaluation on how our Omaha IT services company will be able to deliver you the best results for your IT networking requirements!

The right age to buy a smartphone is a tough decision for parents. Most experts suggest middle school age children are more likely to handle the responsibility of owning a mobile device.  

There’s little doubt over the appeal tech has for children. Each holiday, most kids are likely to fill their wish lists with the latest video games, tablets, and mobile devices. As more of their peers start showing off their own smartphones, your child may become insistent on having his or her own device. Experts warn though of buying smartphones for children who are not yet responsible enough.

Average Smartphone Ownership Stats

According to data compiled by Influence Central, the average age of children getting their first smartphone is on the decline. Back in 2012, the average age was 12. In 2016, the age is 10 with some children getting their own devices as young as 7. One reason cited for the decrease? More and more parents are tired of loaning their own devices to children eager to play the latest and greatest app.

Age Versus Maturity

Experts can’t seem to agree whether age or maturity level should be the biggest factor when deciding on the appropriate age of ownership. According to a recent 2017 interview featuring Microsoft founder Bill Gates, he banned his own children from carrying smartphones until the age of 14. His children weren’t permitted unrestricted use after this point either. Gates went on to say he doesn’t allow cell phones at mealtimes and he sets limits on screen time.

Although many experts claim between the ages of 12 and 14 are fine for children to own a smartphone, many watchdog organizations like Common Sense Media stress the importance of judging a child’s emotional readiness too. A few considerations:

• Would you describe your child as having a strong sense of personal responsibility?
• Does your child have a tendency to misplace important things often?
• Will the phone be required for safety concerns such as picking up from practice and going over a friend’s house for a sleepover?
• Would your child be able to follow the rules regarding the smartphone like not texting during school?
• Is your child the type to retreat into games and apps and not engage with others?

The answers to these questions will help you make a calculated decision over whether your child is ready for a phone or not. Remind your child that the smartphone is a privilege and can be revoked due to misuse. Since you may only need a smartphone temporarily for your child, don’t get locked into a long-term mobile contract. Purchase a prepaid or month to month phone plan.

When Not to Buy a Smartphone

Caving to peer pressure isn’t a valid reason to buy your kid a smartphone. Just because all of his or her friends seem to own one, doesn’t mean you have to purchase a device to help him or her “fit in.” Don’t buy a smartphone as a toy for your child either. If your child wishes to play mobile applications, there are kid-friendly tablets available with more restrictions in place.

The bottom line is later you can wait to buy your child a smartphone the better. Videos, apps and messaging can all become addictive. If you buy a smartphone too early, you will have a harder time controlling screen time limits.

If you are giving a presentation and part of it involves a shared display or handouts of a spreadsheet what can you do to keep the group awake? Let’s face it, Microsoft Excel is an excellent tool for organizing and manipulating statistical data, but when sharing your spreadsheet with others, your spreadsheet has to be interesting and informative.

How Do I Get More Information into an Excel Spreadsheet?

Before you get more information into your spreadsheet, make sure that a spreadsheet is a right tool for the job. More often than you might think, we use spreadsheets inappropriately. Would an Access database work better? Should you use PowerPoint for your presentation.

If you have decided that Excel is the right vehicle for your presentation, include a text document that is a “welcome” or “about” for the Excel document. This keeps you on track and reminds others what the purpose and mechanics of the spreadsheet are.

While it’s true that most of the spreadsheets we use in our careers are for our own consumption, it is a good practice to talk about your spreadsheet with others. Find out what features they like and which they don’t favor. If you work collaboratively with others in your organization be generous with credit and be sure to mention their names in the about or welcome document.

PivotTables Help (A lot)

PivotTables are important as they take tables of data, often with hundreds if not thousands of rows and help you and others understand the data by summarizing them by the column fields.

For a PivotTable to operate correctly it has to be set up in a certain way; each column needs to contain the same kind of data that is in a “raw” state – that is the data has not been processed yet. The following are some advantages associated with using PivotTables in Excel:

• Simplicity
• Speedily produced
• Multiple dimensions – you can sort data by row or by column
• Allows for interactive analysis

Appearances Do Matter

Your Excel Presentation can be exciting and visually stimulating. Following are some tips that help you accomplish this.

• Consistency: Your spreadsheets will be easier for others to understand if you use only one font, bold headings for data groupings and formulae, distinct shade categories of data (for example shade raw data gray and results in green) and analytical comments should be in italics.
• Create a Logical and Natural Flow: This is done by using the order of Worksheets and the layout of calculations and data to read left to right and top to bottom. An excellent Excel presentation takes the reader through a story – from inputs and assumptions to calculations and finally the results.
• I Want Highly Informative Excel SpreadsheetsMake Data Relevant: To be more informative, an Excel spreadsheet presentation needs to have relevant data and analysis stand out. To do this, try to downplay the non-data elements of your tables and graphs. While you might create axes and gridlines the same color, make them paler than the data points.

InfiNet Solutions in Omaha is your best source for tips, tricks, and hacks as well as news relating to the latest advances in technology. [Phone} or [email protected] us today.

Outlook’s new feature allows you to hold onto deleted emails longer than ever. By setting a later purge date, you can hold onto important communications without cluttering your email folders.  

Most people have likely suffered the heartache of deleting an important email. You search and search again through your inbox and the communication is nowhere to be found. Although some providers archive emails automatically instead of deleting them forever, the emails are eventually purged from the server. With Outlook’s new feature you can hold onto emails longer and not worry about those emails disappearing for good a short month later.

Why Save Deleted Emails?

For each opened email, you have to make a clutch decision: archive or delete the communication? In some cases, like if you receive any spam, deleting the offending email is a no brainer. However, emails from contacts are often different. For instance, if a colleague sends a link to a website you need, you may decide to delete the email after finding the URL. However, a couple months down the road you may wish to bring up the email. If the email has yet to be purged, this saves you the headache of having to get in touch with your coworker to ask for him or her to resend the information. Another case for not prematurely deleting emails is to retrieve contact information. If you accidentally delete an email without copying contact details, you may have a hard time tracking down the sender to get back in touch.

Office 365 Presets

In most cases, deleted Outlook emails are automatically set to purge from the system after 30 days. For onsite Outlook inboxes run on an Exchange server, an administrator is responsible for setting the length of time for emails to stay in the Deleted folder. This timeframe is managed through the system’s Messaging Records Management feature. The default setting is for emails older than 30 days to get moved to a recoverable subfolder. The subfolder holds onto the emails for 15 days before completely removing them from the system. Onsite Exchange users were able to change this default setting in the past, but Office 365 administrators were stuck with losing emails permanently after 30 days. Luckily, the retention policy is now changed for Office 365 and administrators have the option for allowing the purge to take place a maximum of 24,855 days in the future. The date used by the system is the timestamp of the email or the last time the message was edited.

Don’t worry about any of these settings getting rid of your archived items. Once you save an email to a particular folder, the email can only be manually deleted from the server. Keep in mind there is a setting to delete expired items in Outlook within your Office settings. For instance, emails in your inbox have a default aging period of six months while outbox emails age after three months.

If you don’t have any system recovery options in place, prematurely purging Outlook emails can be disastrous. Make adjustments to your purge settings to have a holding place for emails you’re unsure if you should permanently delete or not.