Outdated printers, the lack of a printing workflow, and an over-reliance on hard copies may be contributing to your rising printing expenditures. With some creative problem-solving and fresh ideas, you could drastically reduce your printing budget. Start by following these four tips. Replace outdated printers Depreciated or cheap printers may be still be functional, but they are most likely also taking a huge chunk of your budget than you may realize. Any piece of equipment that is seven years or older will require frequent repairs, and often causes more trouble than it?s worth. Because old printers are most often not under warranty, fixing them is more costly and challenging. It?s also difficult to replace parts for old printers, since manufacturers have likely stopped making them for older models that have been phased out. When you replace outdated equipment with newer, multi-functional printers, you?re investing in hardware that will pay for itself with increases in productivity and efficiency. Don?t Buy Unnecessary Supplies A poorly managed printer environment could result in a stockpile of cartridges, toners, and reams of paper. This happens when, for example, an employee uses a printer that?s about to run out of ink and makes an unnecessary request for a new ink or toner. This is more common than you may think, and can definitely take a big chunk out of your budget. By assigning a dedicated printer manager, you can avoid this situation by automating supply replacement. Choose a specific employee to proactively place orders when supplies are about to run out. Be Strict with Process Workflows Submitting expense reports, filing reimbursement forms, and other administrative tasks require a proper document workflow to be successful. Without a strict guideline, employees and administrative staff can end up printing unnecessary documents trying to follow their workflow. Automate your company?s document-driven processes to reduce or prevent redundant print jobs that result in stacks of abandoned documents. Not only is it a waste of money and resources, it can also be a security and privacy concern. Go Green The best way to save money wasted on printing is to eliminate the use of paper as much as possible. By designing a document management solution, you can reduce paper consumption drastically, which will end up saving you money. It may not be possible to do away with document printing in every department, but those who can do their jobs without printing should be encouraged to do so. Printing lengthy email chains that can be discussed in a meeting is just one example of a wasteful practice that should be avoided. If you are looking for more ways to save on your printing costs, contact Info Advantage today at (585)254-8710 to talk about how we can save money on your IT budget.
Laptop touchpads can be difficult to work with. If you?ve ever been stuck in a frustrating situation where your touchpad isn?t working properly, you know what this feels like. In a worst-case scenario, touchpad problems can cause data loss and a loss of productivity, leading to downtime that directly affects your ability to work properly. If you?re having touchpad problems, try these five troubleshooting tips. Keep in mind that some touchpads are more prone to difficulties than others. Some devices will have better quality or more calibrated touchpads, and if your device has been bothering you and preventing you from getting work done, reach out to us. We might be able to offer you our assistance. What?s Your Hand Placement Like? If you?re having problems with your touchpad, perhaps the way you use it might be an issue. If you?re not careful, it?s easy for your hand to brush against it as you type, which might make the cursor jump around and mess up your document. If you have large hands, you probably know all too well about this problem. If you?re sitting in a strange position, like on a hammock or a couch, you might also experience a similar effect. You can usually fix this problem just by changing your hand placement, but if the problem continues, you might need the attention of a professional. Can You Remember the Last Time You Cleaned Your Touchpad? It?s natural for your hands to accumulate particulates that will undoubtedly find their way onto your touchpad. Skin, oil, dirt, and other particles collect on your touchpad, making it difficult to use. Plus, if you consider the fact that keyboards are less sanitary than toilet seats, you really do have a reason to clean it once in a while to ensure proper hygiene and functionality. Wiping your touchpad down can help the touchpad read your finger strokes, and may resolve problems with how it works. Are You Using Other External Input Devices? If you?re using an external input device like a wireless mouse, graphics tablet, or a keyboard, you might be experiencing problems with your touchpad. Sometimes, depending on the device, even having a laptop plugged into an electric outlet or a docking station can cause complications with your laptop?s touchpad. Before assuming the worst, try unplugging your external hardware and see if your touchpad returns to normal. Have You Updated Your Drivers? If you?re using an older laptop, you might need to update the driver that controls the touchpad interface. Check with your laptop?s manufacturer to see if you?re using the latest drivers. You can do so by visiting the manufacturer?s website, calling their support hotline, or giving Info Advantage a call at (585) 254-8710. Replace the Touchpad If these troubleshooting tips don?t help your touchpad return to normal, you may need to replace your touchpad. However, this process shouldn?t be attempted by just anyone. Info Advantage?s professional technicians can handle this job for you, as well as troubleshoot other computer-related issues and annoyances that might be complicating your user experience. If All Else Fails, Use a Wireless Mouse If you don?t like your clumsy touchpad, you can avoid using it all together by switching to a wireless mouse. If your laptop supports Bluetooth, there are plenty of options available for your wireless […]
Since the 1950s, the term ‘hacker’ has been vaguely defined as someone who explores the limits of technology by testing them in as many different ways they can. But by the 1980s, the term ?hacker? became associated with users who were caught breaking into government and other private computer systems, leaving the word with a negative reputation. Today, several pioneering ?hackers? run multimillion-dollar cyber security consulting businesses aimed to help protect the average technology user from attacks. So what should you call someone who uses their knowledge for good? ?White hat? hackers Also known as ?ethical hackers?, or ?network security specialists?, these hackers are the heroes of the hacker name. Whether it?s selling what they find to hardware and software vendors in ?bug bounty? programs, or working as full-time technicians, white hat hackers are just interested in testing technology and protecting users. Linus Torvalds is a great example of a white hat hacker. After years of experimenting with the operating system on his computer, he finally released Linux, a secure open-source operating system. ?Black hat? hackers Closer to the definition that most people outside the IT world know, black hat hackers aim to create software and other technology campaigns with the purpose of causing damage. These attacks have a variety of different goals; such as financial harm in the form of ransomware to digital vandalism. Albert Gonzalez is one of the most infamous black hat hackers. In 2005, he organized a group of individuals to compromise poorly secured wireless networks and steal information. He is most known for stealing over 90 million credit and debit card numbers from TJ Maxx over the course of two years. ?Gray hat? hackers A sort of ?in-between? of the other categories, a ?gray hat? hacker does the majority of their work on the internet. This anonymity affords them opportunities to try their hand at both white hat and black hat hacking. Today, there are quite a few headlines making the rounds describing Marcus Hutchins as a gray hat hacker. Hutchins became an overnight superstar earlier this year when he poked and prodded the WannaCry ransomware until he found a way to stop it. During the day, Hutchins works for the Kryptos Logic cybersecurity firm, but the US government believes he spent his free time creating the Kronos banking malware. He has recently been arrested and was branded as a ?gray hat? hacker. The world of cyber security is far more complicated than the stylized hacking often seen in Hollywood movies. Internet-based warfare is not as simple as good guys vs. bad guys, and it certainly doesn?t only aim for big money targets. If you need a team of experienced professionals to help you tackle the complexities of modern cyber security, call Info Advantage today at (585) 254 ? 8710.
Hardware refreshes are often a time of great turmoil for businesses, particularly because of the cost of new servers and the time it takes to migrate data from one location to another. Thankfully, with the advent of virtualized servers, businesses have a viable alternative to the outright purchase of expensive, new hardware solutions. Instead, a virtual server that?s hosted in the cloud offers not only a more immediate reprieve, but can also significantly reduce costs for your organization in the long run. Server virtualization is the act of separating the computing resources of the server itself and allocating them within a cloud-like infrastructure, where they can be delegated and managed according to the specific needs of your business. Server virtualization is particularly helpful for organizations that have a limited budget and don?t have the time or resources to manage multiple hardware solutions, as it?s simple to outsource the care of a virtualized server environment to a third party. Here are three major reasons why virtual servers are your next go-to IT refresh. Virtual EnvironmentsOne of the major boons of using a virtual server is the ability to create multiple computing instances on the same virtual machine. For example, if you have a mission-critical application that only works on a specific operating system, your organization can have a virtual machine dedicated to running it. This prevents the need to purchase an entirely separate server unit just to run one application, and the cost of operation and maintenance along with it. Save on Operating CostsAnother key benefit of virtualizing your servers in a cloud environment is that you?ll be hosting less hardware on your infrastructure. Servers eat up a ton of electricity, and you need to keep them cool with air conditioning in order to guarantee longevity. This in turn creates higher energy costs that can put unnecessary strain on your budget. With server virtualization, you can consolidate your infrastructure onto one device, rather than spread across multiple servers and network components, significantly cutting down on operational expenses. Effectively Manage ResourcesThe convenient part of virtual machines is that you can manage their workloads through a cloud-based dashboard to optimize efficiency. You?ll be able to monitor workloads and adjust them in real time, so as to keep operations moving forward in the best way possible. You can do this remotely, or have a third-party provider do it for you, which is entirely dependant on whether or not you have the IT staff on-hand to handle it. If you?re considering a hardware refresh for your server infrastructure, be sure to consider virtualization, you might be surprised by how much money and time you can save. To learn more, reach out to Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710.