Blog | Managed IT Solutions For Businesseshttps://acsapp.com/blog/2024-03-28T06:56:07-04:00ACS IT Services Blog
Is Your Backup Solution Sufficient?2015-01-13T00:00:00-05:002024-03-26T20:29:58-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/is-your-backup-solution-sufficient/<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/backup-solution-sufficient.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 486px;"/></p>
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<p>As businesses store and create data, it becomes more and more likely to disappear. Even more annoyingly, it seems that backup solutions that used to work fine, are not working so well any more. While this is nothing new (remember Zip Drives?), it DOES mean that it's a good time to revisit your backup options and make sure that if you really need your data that you are protected as well as possible.</p>
<h2>Local Backup</h2>
<p>For a backup, it’s not a bad idea to have a local backup of your data. If you purchase a couple external hard drives, they can easily be set up to backup your data. This is a good solution in case something happens to your main hard drive or if you accidentally royally mess up a document (provided you have it set up properly). </p>
<h2>The Perfect Storm of Disk Failure</h2>
<p>We still recommend doing a remote/offsite backup of critical data to protect against the "perfect storm" of disk failure. What is the perfect storm of disk failure? Our chief engineer, David, explains it like this:</p>
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<p>The unfortunate fact is, as drives get bigger, they are going to be more common. That is because 1 bit in 10^14 (100,000,000,000,000 – a 1 followed by 14 zero’s) is likely to have an Unrecoverable Read Error (URE)*. That may seem like a very large number, but when you realize that that is about 12.5 TB of data, you’ll understand that it means that 1 in 6 – 2 TB drives is going to fail in a way that some data cannot be read from it. Data can be written just fine, but reading from parts of the drive will not work. When you can’t read a portion of the data, that whole file thus cannot be read. If the file is a single Word document that cannot be read, it’s not such a huge deal. But if the file is part of a backup file, that’s a large portion of your data that is lost. Looking at buying a 3 TB drive? You just went from a 17% chance of having a URE to a 25% chance. And according to Murphy’s Law, if you do have a failure, the data that will be lost will be the most highly valuable data on the disk.</p>
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<h2>Offsite Backups</h2>
<p>Having terrabytes of data is a lot different than the days where small groups of files were backed up on floppy disks. That is why we highly recommend also doing an offsite backup. Many providers, including the one we partner with, not only use Enterprise level drives, but they also copy the data across <strong>many </strong>disks. If any one disk has an URE, there are others disks with the exact same data on it. The chances of all the disks having an URE in the same spot is astronomically high.</p>
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<p>If you are concerned about losing your data, we would be happy to review your current setup and find out if you have what you need. Please call us at 877.404.8224 to learn more!</p>
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<p>*SATA (the common type of hard drives today) specifications state that an URE rate of 10^14 is an acceptable rate. Consumer grade drives will likely be very close to these specifications. Higher grade (Enterprise level) drives might have up to 1 in 10^16 bits (about 1250 TB) before seeing a URE.</p>Do You Need to Be HIPAA Compliant?2014-11-04T00:00:00-05:002024-03-27T20:49:45-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/do-you-need-to-be-hippa-compliant/<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/Do%20You%20Need%20to%20Be%20HIPAA%20Compliant.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 256px;"/></p>
<p><br/>Lately, we have gotten a lot of questions and concerns from customers about HIPAA compliance. Because security is a big piece of that and computers are central to the question, we are going to talk a bit about HIPAA compliance this month on our blog.</p>
<h1><br/>IT Companies Are Not Experts in YOUR Business</h1>
<p><br/>First, it is important to note that your IT company cannot be responsible for knowing whether or not your company <strong>needs </strong>to be HIPAA compliant. That is a regulatory & legal business matter, and we cannot keep track of all the regulations for every industry and stay on top of our own. We love helping businesses succeed, but we simply cannot know everything about every business.</p>
<p><br/>That being said, you are REQUIRED to be some form of HIPAA compliant if you are a Health Care provider, a Health Insurance Provider, or some sort of Health Care Clearinghouse. For more information on what kinds of businesses and activities fit within those categories, check out the <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/srsummary.html">US government informational site on HIPAA regulations</a>. </p>
<p>To be on the safe side, if you are in any health care related business, I suggest you contact an expert to see if you are required to be HIPAA compliant.</p>
<h1><br/>IT Companies ARE Technology Experts</h1>
<p><br/>Your IT Company can help you be HIPAA compliant if <strong>you tell them</strong> you need to be. Not every company is required to be HIPAA compliant and it costs a little more to have the proper security measures in place. In order to keep prices reasonable for everyone, a good IT company is not going to give you more than you need or want. That's why its important to have a relationship with an IT company that you trust. </p>
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<p><br/>Do you suspect your business might need to be HIPAA compliant? If so, please give us a call and we will be happy to talk to you about how we can help get your business HIPAA compliant technology.</p>
<p><span class="buttons"><span class="bodyText">Call us today for a free<br/>consultation - <strong>877.404.8224</strong></span></span></p>
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<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>Social Media Shares - Best of 2014 For Medical Practices2014-10-28T00:00:00-04:002024-03-24T19:52:05-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/social-media-shares-best-of-2014-for-medical-practices/<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/ACS-Top-Social-Media.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 250px;"/></p>
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<p>We have found some awesome articles about how technology can help improve your medical practice. Did you know we share the best articles about your business and technology on social media every day? Check out the awesome that we've shared so far this year!</p>
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<h2>January</h2>
<p>Educate Your Patients with Apps - <a href="http://ow.ly/rI1Vcvia">http://ow.ly/rI1Vcvia</a> @profitpractice</p>
<h2>February</h2>
<p>You have data -- so what? Visualize your #medicalpractice's data -- <a href="http://ow.ly/t2ngv">http://ow.ly/t2ngv</a> via @mgma</p>
<h2>March</h2>
<p>A Lean Intro To Lean #healthcare. Is it for your practice? via @greenbranch - <a href="http://ow.ly/udMDi">http://ow.ly/udMDi</a></p>
<h2>April</h2>
<p>Two quick & easy ways to update your social media presence -- <a href="http://ow.ly/uWxTd">http://ow.ly/uWxTd</a> via @mgma</p>
<h2>May</h2>
<p>Mobile Access & Cloud Use Top the List of #EHRTrends - <a href="http://ow.ly/wibtf">http://ow.ly/wibtf</a></p>
<h2>June</h2>
<p>Using Technology to build a patient centered practice - <a href="http://ow.ly/x6qXS">http://ow.ly/x6qXS</a> #medical</p>
<h2>July</h2>
<p>Provoke your customers, clients & patients. Go on, give it a try -- <a href="http://ow.ly/yrou2">http://ow.ly/yrou2</a></p>
<h2>August</h2>
<p>Patient Reviews Online - stop them in their tracks <a href="http://ow.ly/A1QRO">http://ow.ly/A1QRO</a></p>
<h2>September</h2>
<p>6 Reasons email is great for patient marketing via @GoKareo - <a href="http://ow.ly/BDXLD">http://ow.ly/BDXLD</a></p>
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<p>Interested in learning more about improving your practice through technology? Follow us on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113690249852900620638/113690249852900620638/about">Google+</a> or <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-computer-solutions-llc">LinkedIn</a>!</p>
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<p>Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?%20rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google +">Google+</a>.</p>Social Media Shares - Best of 2014 for Small Businesses2014-10-23T00:00:00-04:002024-03-26T10:17:31-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/social-media-shares-best-of-2014-for-small-businesses/<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/ACS-Top-Social-Media.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 250px;"/></p>
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<p>I realized that it had been so long since I told you about some of the awesome business articles that we share on social media, that I decided to break it up. These articles are great for all businesses, big or small, no matter WHAT you do. Check them out below!</p>
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<h2>January</h2>
<p>Keyboard shortcuts to improve efficiency - <a href="http://ow.ly/rI2ia">http://ow.ly/rI2ia</a> via @attnyatwork</p>
<h2>February</h2>
<p>Work smarter, not harder - 60 productivity hacks via @linkedin - <a href="http://ow.ly/t2nzz">http://ow.ly/t2nzz</a></p>
<h2>March</h2>
<p>How to develop a professional online presence -- <a href="http://ow.ly/udK4a">http://ow.ly/udK4a</a> via @microsoftsb</p>
<h2>April</h2>
<p>Did the last ticket software we shared not do it for you? Check out this #cloud based ticket solution - <a href="http://ow.ly/uWDOC">http://ow.ly/uWDOC</a></p>
<h2>May</h2>
<p>Keep up with your competition -- <a href="http://ow.ly/wiaPFvia">http://ow.ly/wiaPFvia</a> @intuit</p>
<h2>June</h2>
<p>Surprise your customers to build loyalty via @intuit - <a href="http://ow.ly/x6rsl">http://ow.ly/x6rsl</a></p>
<h2>July</h2>
<p>10 Things successful #entrepreneurs never say - <a href="http://ow.ly/yro6N">http://ow.ly/yro6N</a> via @inc</p>
<h2>August</h2>
<p>Fix the digital skills gap to improve productivity - <a href="http://ow.ly/A1R8b">http://ow.ly/A1R8b</a></p>
<h2>September</h2>
<p>Turn your smart phone into a scanner with this handy app! <a href="http://ow.ly/A24At">http://ow.ly/A24At</a></p>
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<p>Interested in learning more about running a better business with technology? Follow us on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113690249852900620638/113690249852900620638/about">Google+</a> or <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-computer-solutions-llc">LinkedIn</a>!</p>
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<p>Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?%20rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google +">Google+</a>.</p>Social Media Shares - Best of 2014 for Law Firms2014-10-16T00:00:00-04:002024-03-27T01:25:00-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/social-media-shares-best-of-2014-for-law-firms/<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/ACS-Top-Social-Media.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 250px;"/></p>
<p>Did you know that we find the best information on the web about running your law firm and share it on social media? Think of it as your own personal super efficient MBA tailored to your business :).</p>
<p>Here are some of the awesome links we've shared so far this year!</p>
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<h2>January</h2>
<p>Have you considered PPC for your #law firm yet? Here's the skinny on using PPC to get new clients - <a href="http://ow.ly/rI3qA">http://ow.ly/rI3qA</a></p>
<h2>February</h2>
<p>5 Signs you Need a New Website for your #law firm -- <a href="http://ow.ly/t2p1r">http://ow.ly/t2p1r</a> via @mycaseinc</p>
<h2>March</h2>
<p>Redundant data is important for #law firms -- Read more via @mycaseinc: <a href="http://ow.ly/udLjr">http://ow.ly/udLjr</a></p>
<h2>April</h2>
<p>Three apps for helping #lawyers learn on the fly - <a href="http://ow.ly/uWwm8">http://ow.ly/uWwm8</a> via @attnyatwork</p>
<h2>May</h2>
<p>Your mobile #law office -- it can be done! <a href="http://ow.ly/uWE7b">http://ow.ly/uWE7b</a></p>
<h2>June</h2>
<p>#Security for losing an iPhone/iPad with confidential client info -- <a href="http://ow.ly/x6wx0">http://ow.ly/x6wx0</a></p>
<h2>July</h2>
<p>#Security for your apple device -- the kill switch - <a href="http://ow.ly/yrrsX">http://ow.ly/yrrsX</a></p>
<h2>August</h2>
<p>Death of the #law home page? h<a href="http://ow.ly/yrtUJ">ttp://ow.ly/yrtUJ</a> #podcast</p>
<h2>September</h2>
<p>Ever legal app for the iPhone & iPad - <a href="http://ow.ly/A20rm">http://ow.ly/A20rm</a> #law</p>
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<p>Interested in more? Follow us on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113690249852900620638/113690249852900620638/about">Google+</a> or <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-computer-solutions-llc">LinkedIn</a>!</p>
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<p>Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?%20rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google +">Google+</a>.</p>Server 2003 End of Life - Are You Ready?2014-10-14T00:00:00-04:002024-03-28T06:56:07-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/server-2003-end-of-life-are-you-ready/<p><br/>Another Microsoft Product is reaching the end of it's life. Instead of it being Windows XP, this time it's Microsoft Server 2003. As of July 2015, Microsoft will no longer be providing support. Are you ready?</p>
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<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/server2003end2.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 479px;"/></p>
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<h1>I have an IT Staff</h1>
<p>If you already have an in-house IT staff, that's great! Microsoft has an <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7826">assessment and planning tool available to help get ready for conversion to Server 2012</a>.</p>
<h1><br/>I have an IT Company</h1>
<p>Our goal is to help businesses by taking their worries off their IT concerns so they can work freely. If your IT company hasn't mentioned this issue yet, or if they don't seem interested in helping you create a plan, give us a call! We would be happy to help transition your server off of 2003 before it causes any issues for your business.</p>
<h1><br/>I have no clue. HELP!</h1>
<p>If you know you are running Server 2003, or if you know so little about it that you don't even know where to find out that information, give us a call. Whether your college buddy set it up a decade ago or your IT guy has moved on to better things, we can take a look and help you figure out the most cost effective path that twill still meet YOUR needs. </p>
<p><br/><br/>Are you ready to move on to the next phase of your business? <strong>Call us today for a free consultation at 877.404.8224</strong>.</p>
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<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>3 Reasons to Pay for Business Email2014-10-07T00:00:00-04:002024-03-27T15:47:01-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/3-reasons-to-pay-for-business-email/<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/3-reasons-pay-business-email.jpg" style="width: 425px; height: 425px;"/></p>
<p><br/>Everyone loves Google. They are easy to set up, they are everywhere and you can access 20 things with one login. But all that connectedness and "free" has a price. Here are 3 reasons why it's worth your money to pay for your business email instead of using Gmail.</p>
<h1><br/>More Storage</h1>
<p>While it may seem like a ton, your 15 GB of storage with Google is shared storage. That means that your photos, emails, and drive documents all take a piece of that storage space. If you frequently send large graphic files or are the type who saves EVERYTHING (guilty), this might not work as well as you hope. Our email service provides 25 GB per email account for your emails. Plus, if you are the type who wants everything saved so if you do accidentally delete something, we have you covered there, too; there is an unlimited archive and recovery option you can add. </p>
<h1><br/>More Privacy</h1>
<p>I'm sure everyone knows by this point that you should not email credit cards numbers or other confidential information through email. That stops no one. Even I'm guilty of not being as careful as I should be. If your customers regularly send confidential information via email or discuss private topics, I would really consider using paid email. Google scans you email messages. Have you ever wondered how the ads on your account are never out of whack or how they are so good at classifying things as spam, important or unimportant?</p>
<h1><br/>More Help</h1>
<p>Paying for your business email can also get you more help. I've never needed to talk to someone at Google, but if I do, I'm chalking it up as a lost cause. The best part about paying for your business email is that you can actually talk to a person. If you are really lucky, you've gone through a local company and will talk to people in the US. Even better than that, they are usually people who know what they are talking about! That alone is worth paying for. Have you ever thought to yourself that you would be willing to pay $$ if you could just get someone who knew what was going on and could fix it? I have!</p>
<p><br/>So while it is tempting, especially when money is tight, to use a free service like Google's Gmail for your business email, it would be wise to consider what your "Free" service is costing you. It could be things like privacy, time and frustration due to a lack of support, or simply space to store your data. </p>
<p><br/><strong>If you pay for your email, is it a company who specializes in email or is it packaged with another service?</strong></p>
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<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>3 Reasons You Should Do a Computer Audit2014-09-29T00:00:00-04:002024-03-28T03:12:55-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/3-reasons-you-should-do-a-computer-audit/<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/business-computer-audit.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 250px;"/></p>
<p><br/>Everyone has a computer at their business. It's nearly impossible to work without one! Do you know what is on your computers? Are you sure? Here are three reasons to do an audit on all of the computers at your business.</p>
<h1> <br/>Remove Aggravation</h1>
<p>The best reason to do a computer audit is to remove aggravation from your customers, your employees and even yourself. A good computer audit will check for disk space use, check for clues about failing hard drives, and even whether or not you have installed all the important Windows security updates. Get rid of the aggravation of hard disk failures, treading water due to a full hard drive, or anger over breaches in security.</p>
<h1><br/>Remove Budget Surprises</h1>
<p>Another item in a thorough computer audit is the software installed. Our computer audit tool provides a list of all the software and how many computers are running it. Help your bottom line, by knowing how many licenses you have and how many you need. Don't get caught unexpectedly needing to purchase more licenses because you don't have enough valid copies when doing an upgrade. Also, it provides you an opportunity to save by reviewing who has access to what. Does the partner's secretary REALLY need access to QuickBooks? Do ALL your nurses need Photoshop?</p>
<h1><br/>Remove Suspicion</h1>
<p>If you suspect that their may be some funny business going on during business hours on work computers, this computer might give you a clue. Odd software that is only on one machine, usage at weird times or oddities could confirm or give pause to any suspicions you might have. Or help you address something you hadn't suspected at all!</p>
<p><br/>Any way you slice it, there are many benefits to doing a computer audit. Removing aggravation, budget surprises and suspicion are three important reasons to do a computer audit. Each one can provide an immediate impact on your business and/or planning. </p>
<p><br/><strong>Have you ever had a computer audit done? What were you surprised to discover?</strong></p>
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<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>
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<h2>You Work Solo</h2>
<p>If it's just you and the frog in your pocket, or maybe a part time person who doesn't even use a computer, you might not need managed services. If you only use the computer to do accounting and check your email, you probably don't need managed services. This isn't a hard and fast rule, though. If it's just you and you have multiple monitors, a desktop, laptop, tablet and smart phone in addition to a scanner, a file server, printer and some specialized equipment, well, maybe you should look into it :).</p>
<h2>You Have a Small Budget</h2>
<p>I'm not going to snowball you -- managed services isn't cheap. You are not going to get managed services for $20 a month. It's just not going to happen. If you are a startup or run in cycles of prosper/perish, having managed services might be more of a cause of stress than stress relief. And we are here to help you with your business, not make it harder. When you are ready, we will still be here.</p>
<h2>You Aren't Affected by System Outages</h2>
<p>If your computer being down isn't costing you more money than it costs to get it addressed, you probably don't need managed services, either. If my computer goes down, it really isn't the end of the world. I jump on another machine and have Albert fix it. On the flip side, we have an inexpensive computer that we purchased, that makes money every days it's used. Do you have a piece of equipment that makes you money but no plan B? If so, you might want to consider managed services. Otherwise, it's probably not super important for you. Why share reasons for not getting a managed services provider? Not everyone needs it. We are in business to help businesses. And selling you things that you probably don't need are not helping your business. Or ours, to be honest. Be sure to consider the benefits. </p>
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<p>Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?%20rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google +">Google+</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>4 Essential Business Documents to Back Up2014-01-23T00:00:00-05:002024-03-24T17:08:58-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/4-essential-business-documents-back/<p><img alt="4-essential-business-documents-backup" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1824" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/4-essential-business-documents-backup-300x296.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 296px; float: right; margin: 5px 10px;"/> You've heard it a million times -- back up your data. Well you have thousands of files. You may even have terabytes of data. So what do you really NEED to back up? Unfortunately, it greatly depends upon your business, but there are 5 essential business documents that you should back up regularly (i.e. daily).</p>
<h2>1. Tax and Business Documents</h2>
<p>By business and tax documents, I mean things like tax returns & accompanying financial statements, business licenses, sales tax info, business purchase agreements, Federal ID numbers, LLC documents from the state, articles of incorporation or anything else of that nature. This should always be backed up. Period.</p>
<h2>2. Business Accounting Records</h2>
<p>If something happens, you NEED your accounting records. Again, these should be backed up daily unless you want to be trying to reenter things from memory. The IRS doesn't care if your building burned down at tax time. How can you collect on your work without your billing records? Or prove that you paid a bill from a vendor? If you have a separate accounting and invoicing system, make sure that they are backed up and/or on the cloud.</p>
<h2>3. Customer Records</h2>
<p>These, too, are essential to continuing your business. How much worth is a business without customers? NONE. Without your customer records, you could forget appointments, contracts or work to be done. Can you feel the money slipping through your fingers? Be sure to save customer records -- things like contact info, contracts, your CRM if you have one, and your job schedules if you have things like that. Even if you are unable to complete the work due to a disaster, you can let your customers know as soon as you are able so that they can find a replacement ASAP. Or you can find one for them! I bet they will be back when you are ready for them!</p>
<h2>4. Essential Business Documents</h2>
<p>This is probably the stickiest part of all of them because it would be different for every business. For a law firm, it might be their trial notes for open cases. Or estate documents they have done. For a doctor's office, it might be patient medical records. For a design firm, it might be Adobe license keys or graphics libraries they have purchased, or projects being worked on. </p>
<p><strong>What items to do you backup? All of them? Or just certain categories?</strong></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>Disaster Planning - What to Consider First?2014-01-21T00:00:00-05:002024-03-24T17:08:50-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/disaster-planning-consider-first/<p><img alt="photo (1)" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1641" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/photo-11.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px;"/> </p>
<p>Now that we know WHO will be helping your business recover, its good to have a plan about what needs to be done first.</p>
<h2>Communication</h2>
<p>Whether its theft or fire, it's essential to communicate what is going on to your employees. If you only have a few employees, just call them all, if possible. If there are many, set up a phone tree where each manager calls his/her employees. Communicate anytime you have something important for them to know or there is a change in whatever your plan is.</p>
<h2>Location</h2>
<p>In the event of a physical disaster, such as fire or natural disaster, you will need to have an alternate location selected to work from. If only the office has been compromised, a work-from-home solution might work. We have a small enough office and enough extra space, that we would probably work from our home until new office space could be located. Consider your needs and abilities. Have a short list of people or places to contact in case of a fire. Do you know of a good customer who would love to have you under their roof with extra space? Or a real estate agent who could broker you some space in a hurry? Put those options in your plan and update it as you hear of options.</p>
<h2>Equipment</h2>
<p>Finally, consider what equipment you and your employees need to get the business back to serving customers. In our case, we would need phones, computers & software, and access to our backup's at a minimum. We would probably need printers, scanners and other items once we are back to work. When we get office space, we would need office furniture and supplies. What does your business need? Industrial equipment? Raw materials? Computers? A new storefront? Stock? Make a list of what you need and where you could/should get the items from on short notice. </p>
<p><strong>Have you ever had a business altering event? What did you need to recover?</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/disaster-recovery-plan-business-continuity-intro/">Read all the posts in this series at our Disaster Planning & Business Continuity Post.</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>Social Media Shares - December 20132014-01-16T00:00:00-05:002024-03-25T05:49:03-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/social-media-shares-december-2013/<p><img alt="ACS Top Social Media" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1214" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/ACS-Top-Social-Media-300x214.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 214px;"/> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Do you participate in social media discussions? If not, you are missing out on some great tips for running your small business, law firm or medical practice from ACS. Here's what we shared in December:</p>
<h2>Medical</h2>
<p>Getting ready to implement ICD-10? Here's a handy checklist for success via @<a href="https://hootsuite.com/dashboard#" title="GoKareo">GoKareo</a>.<a href="http://ow.ly/rryj4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/rryj4</a></p>
<h2>Legal</h2>
<p>Here's what will give you a big bang for your buck on IT upgrades next year -- <a href="http://ow.ly/rrz6g" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/rrz6g</a> via @<a href="https://hootsuite.com/dashboard#" title="ltrc">ltrc</a></p>
<h2>Small Business</h2>
<p>How to keep a customer for life <a href="http://ow.ly/rFyPN" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/rFyPN</a> via @<a href="https://hootsuite.com/dashboard#" title="intuit">intuit</a> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For more tips about technology in YOUR business, follow us on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113690249852900620638/113690249852900620638/about">Google+</a> or <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-computer-solutions-llc">LinkedIn</a>.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>Top 10 Posts of 20132014-01-14T00:00:00-05:002024-03-24T17:10:57-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/top-10-posts-2013/<p> <img alt="2013-top10-acs" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1779" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/2013-top10-acs.jpg" style="width: 204px; height: 234px;"/></p>
<p> </p>
<p>We had a pretty fun year in 2013 at ACS as we got our blog rolling. A lot of people found some of it pretty useful, too! Here are the top 10 posts from 2013.</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/cross-platform-gtd-app-doit-im/" title="Cross Platform GTD App – DoIt.im">Cross-Platform GTD App Doit.im</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/gtd-for-evernote-book-review/" title="GTD for Evernote {Book Review}">GTD For Evernote {Book Review}</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/easy-office-productivity-tip-make-your-own-business-powerpoint-templates/" title="Easy Office Productivity Tip – Make Your Own Business PowerPoint Templates">Make Your Own Business PowerPoint Template</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/4-ways-to-set-up-gtd/" title="4 Ways to Set Up GTD">4 Ways to Set Up GTD</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/x-reasons-why-clio-is-better-for-legal-billing-than-what-you-use-now/" title="7 Reasons Why Clio is Better For Legal Billing Than What You Use Now">Why Clio is Better For Legal Billing Than What You Use Now</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/easy-web-productivity-tip-auto-open-in-google-chrome/" title="Easy Web Productivity Tip – Open Multiple Tabs on Startup in Google Chrome">Open Multiple Tabs on Startup in Google Chrome</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/53-useful-excel-tips-for-businesses/" title="53 Useful Excel Tips for Businesses">53 Useful Excel Tips for Businesses</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/top-5-tips-for-excel-2012/" title="Top 5 Tips for Microsoft Excel">5 Tips for Excel 2012</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/three-easy-ways-to-reduce-computer-downtime/" title="Three Easy Ways to Reduce Computer Downtime">3 Easy Ways to Reduce Computer Downtime</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/getting-things-done-business-classics-book-review/" title="Getting Things Done – Business Classics Book Review">Getting Things Done - Business Classics Book Review</a></li>
</ol>
<p> Obviously how-to's and GTD are in the running for most popular posts.</p>
<p><strong>What would you like to see more of in 2014?</strong> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Small Business Backup for All Your Devices2014-01-09T00:00:00-05:002024-03-26T03:46:28-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/small-business-backup-devices/<p><img alt="photo (6)" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1789" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/photo-6.png" style="width: 300px; height: 300px;"/></p>
<p>For most small business owners, you are on call 24-7. So how do you make sure that every device you use is backed up?</p>
<h2>SmartPhone</h2>
<p>On your smart phone, there are three main things to make sure you have backed up:</p>
<ul>
<li>Your contacts</li>
<li>Your apps</li>
<li>Your data (within those apps)</li>
</ul>
<p>The best apps will sync with their website automatically so you can retrieve data no matter which device you are on. If not, there is usually an option to create a backup file somehow. If neither of these options exist, I would look for a better solution!</p>
<h2>Tablet</h2>
<p>Your tablet back up is pretty similar except that they are more robust and have the option of external keyboards, allowing you to do more. That also equals potentially more information to lose in the case of theft or damage. If you have an iPad, you get a certain amount of iCloud storage for free. For an android device, check out one of these <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/04/better-safe-than-sorry-five-backup-apps-to-consider-for-your-android-device/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">5 backup apps</a>.</p>
<h2>Computer</h2>
<p>In my personal opinion, you should have not only a local backup in case of hard drive failure, but also an online backup in case of some sort of natural or large scale disaster. For local backup, I suggest an<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5Q7AIS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B5Q7AIS&linkCode=as2&tag=acsblog-20" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> external hard drive</a>. For your online backup, use us! We provide cloud-based backup solutions accessible from any computer. Call us at 877.404.8224 or info@acsapp.com for a free quote! </p>
<p><strong>Do you have all your devices backed up?</strong> </p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Disaster Planning - A Well-Written Game Plan2013-12-31T00:00:00-05:002024-03-24T17:10:17-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/disaster-planning/<p><img alt="photo (1)" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1641" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/photo-11.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px;"/> </p>
<p>In November, we talked about how crucial having <a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/disaster-planning-protect-data/" title="Disaster Planning – Protect Your Data">back-up's of your data</a> will be in the event of a disaster. This month, we will be talking about how to make write and distribute your game plan in case of emergency.</p>
<h2>Write Your Plan Out</h2>
<p>You should have your data backed up now, right? The next step to disaster planning for your company is to have a plan. Well, it only does you a little bit of good to have a plan, if it's not written out. So. Start a file. Put it somewhere where it is regularly being backed up. There are many disaster plan templates on the internet, but many of them are aimed at VERY large companies. I suggest, for simplicity's sake, to just open up a Word Document or Evernote note. You can always make it pretty later.</p>
<h2>Who Gets a Copy?</h2>
<p>Not everyone in your company needs to get a copy of your Disaster Recovery Plan. In fact, I would limit it to key employees whom you know you can trust. Think about who those people are. Depending on the size of your company, you may have several different department heads who are ideal for the job of helping. If you are a small firm, you may just have one or two people who know everything about the business and can get it operational again in a matter of hours or days. In your plan, list the key employees who will be getting a copy along with their address, email and phone number.</p>
<h2>Where Are the Copies?</h2>
<p>Now that you know WHO will get copies of your Disaster Recovery Plan, make a list of who has them and where they are located. I would suggest having them available in both electronic AND paper copy in case of an area-wide disaster that may knock out power and/or internet access. In your document, list who has the documents, where they are kept and how to access the digital copy. This will help you know where updates need to go when you make changes to the document. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.acsapp.com/blog/">Read all the posts in this series at our Disaster Planning & Business Continuity</a>. </p>
<p><strong>How many key people could help you rebuild your business in case of a disaster?</strong></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>GTD & Goal Setting for the New Year2013-12-23T00:00:00-05:002024-03-24T17:11:51-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/gtd-goal-setting-new-year/<p> <img alt="GTD-goal-setting" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1758" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/photo-7.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px;"/></p>
<p>I have been knee-deep in setting goals for this year. Let's be honest, they aren't lofty goals -- I have 3 under 6 years old including a baby. Without well-written goals that have an end and get me closer to what I want out of life, I won't get anywhere-- I'll just be treading water. While there are a lot of things I would LIKE to do, I can't do them all this coming year. GTD has a great system for goal setting with the end goal of actually making progress on those goals. I'm not going to go into Mission Statements and 20 year goals today. Instead we are going to be a little closer to home & a little more practical.</p>
<h2>1-2 Year Goals</h2>
<p>First come up with some 1-2 year goals. Is there an area of your business you've been neglecting that you really want to get on top of? Set some goals to get on top of that! Maybe you want to do some marketing. Make some goals about that. Or maybe you want to increase sales or revenue. Or perhaps hire someone to help with something that would enable you to run your business better?</p>
<h2>Areas of Responsibility</h2>
<p>As a business owner, you have many areas of responsibility:</p>
<ul>
<li>sales</li>
<li>marketing</li>
<li>company management</li>
<li>HR</li>
<li>accounting</li>
<li>technology/IT</li>
<li>customer service/management</li>
</ul>
<p>I would set at least one goal in each of these areas in order to have a well-rounded business plan for the year. This doesn't mean that YOU need to execute the goal. It could be as simple as hiring someone to take care of your social media for 1-3 hours a week. As a lawyer, you may need to take care of CLE's or want to learn more about an area you would like to specialize in. A doctor may want to concentrate CME's or start a blog for the practice. Consider the scope of what you do, as well as what you SHOULD be doing and make some sort of goal to further your business in each area.</p>
<h2>Current Projects</h2>
<p>Once you have your 1-2 year goals and goals that cover all the areas of responsibility, start breaking those up into current projects. If you have more than you can conceivably work on at once, divide them out and schedule them out over all of the next year. When doing your weekly review and planning, add tasks that work on your current projects. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Do you regularly set goals?</strong> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>P.S. Do you have a disaster/business continuity plan? If not, <a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=n5ou8pkab&p=oi&m=1110781344717" rel="noopener" target="_blank">subscribe to our emails</a> to set one up, a month at a time! Don't worry, we won't spam you -- we only send 1-2 a month!</p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>Best of November - Social Media2013-12-12T00:00:00-05:002024-03-24T17:11:48-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/best-november/<p><img alt="ACS Top Social Media" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1214" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/ACS-Top-Social-Media-300x214.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 214px;"/> </p>
<p>Do you follow us on social media? If not, you are missing some great articles from all over the web that will help you with technology and running your business. Here are just a few of the great articles we shared last month: </p>
<h2>Medical</h2>
<p>How EHR can make your practice more profitable -<a href="http://ow.ly/qMBpH" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/qMBpH</a></p>
<h2>Legal</h2>
<p>Social Media & Your Firm - likes, links & tweets oh my! - <a href="http://ow.ly/qkitF" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/qkitF</a> via @<a href="https://hootsuite.com/dashboard#" title="attnyatwork">attnyatwork</a></p>
<h2>Small Business</h2>
<p>SMB's & LinkedIn - an infographic - <a href="http://ow.ly/qkkzd" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://ow.ly/qkkzd</a> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For more great articles to help your business, follow us on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113690249852900620638/113690249852900620638/about" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google+</a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-computer-solutions-llc" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Advanced-Computer-Solutions/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook </a>or <a href="https://twitter.com/advcomputersol" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!</p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>IT Certifications - Are They Necessary?2013-11-27T00:00:00-05:002024-03-28T03:22:57-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/certifications-necessary/<p><img alt="cloud-certifications" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1739" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/cloud-certifications.png" style="width: 300px; height: 217px;"/> </p>
<p>I recently read an <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/slideshow/129268/top-10-cloud-computing-certifications.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">article about the Top 10 Cloud Computing Certifications</a> -- where they are and how to get them. I wonder, though, how useful certifications really are. I've worked in the tech/IT field since I was 18 years old -- about 15 years now. And I've gotten certifications. In fact, I hold the CloudU certificate above. </p>
<p>What can I say -- I'm externally motivated by certifications and degrees. But would I try to do a cloud migration or talk to you about the details of cloud security? No. I can pass a test like no one's business, but practical knowledge and knowing how to pass a test are two different things.</p>
<p><strong>So how do YOU feel about IT certifications for your IT company? Should we have them? Do you look for them in your IT company?</strong></p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>Disaster Planning - Protect Your Data2013-11-25T00:00:00-05:002024-03-24T17:09:30-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/disaster-planning-protect-data/<p><a href="http://www.acs-service.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/photo-11.jpg"><img alt="photo (1)" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1641" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/photo-11.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 300px;"/></a> </p>
<p>There are various aspects of business continuity plans (disaster planning) but the easiest to implement is backing up your data. Having this aspect of your disaster planning completed will cover you in the case of both small disasters (computer theft or breakage) and large one (fires or natural disasters). Without your data, your accounting records, customer information and even your equipment information, your business may not survive. Here are some things to consider when backing up your data.</p>
<h1>Location, Location, Location</h1>
<p>Where will your backup be located? I know many businesses that have their data backed up to a tape drive or server that are located on-site and that's it. What if your building had a fire? Taking a copy of your data home each night isn't a sure thing either. What if a flood came through and took both your home and your business. You're still stuck. The safest place to keep a back up is on the cloud. Odds are, your cloud provider is NOT in the same physical location in the country as you. If they are, check to ensure that your data is also hosted on a server somewhere else or switch to another provider.</p>
<h1>Cost</h1>
<p>There are many different backup services out there. Some are free...until you need to use them. Then they charge you to retrieve it. Others charge you upfront per month or per year. The per month plans are generally based on size so if cost is a factor, consider whether or not you REALLY need all the files you are backing up. It might be beneficial to take some time to decide that you can probably live without the meeting agendas from 1995.</p>
<h1>Ease of Use</h1>
<p>How do you get access to your backup? Some places keep the file structure so that you can browse for the individual file and/or folder you need. The benefit to those are that it's generally easy to retrieve the files you need, whenever you need them. Like if an employee accidentally deleted a file (or entire folder). It happens. And it's good to have it backed up and easily accessible. How easy is it to setup? Most of the time, it's as easy as installing a small application and telling it which folder(s) to backup and how often. If they have an option to notify you that it's not working, that's even better. </p>
<p>These are three things to consider when selecting a method and type of backup for the data in your business. Don't forget to save things like your customer records, pending proposals, and email lists, as well long-term business documents like tax documents, accounting data, and marketing materials and content. If you would like help navigating the waters of a backup solutions, we would be happy to tell you about our backup solutions. 877.404.8224. </p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>Windows XP Will No Longer Be Supported after 4/2014. Are You Ready?2013-11-19T00:00:00-05:002024-03-28T05:14:19-04:00adminhttps://acsapp.com/blog/author/admin/https://acsapp.com/blog/windows-xp-will-longer-supported-42014-ready/<p><img alt="win8" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1686" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/win8.jpg" style="width: 300px; height: 171px;"/> </p>
<p>As of 4/8/2014, Windows XP will no longer be supported by Microsoft. Is your business ready?</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 2em;">Why Does a Lack of Support for XP Matter to Me?</span></strong></p>
<p>Most home users who are just putzing around, probably wouldn't even care if their computer was still running XP. But if you have a business, you should be more concerned. That Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows XP means that they will no longer be supporting the software for things like security risks & viruses. If Microsoft is not supporting XP anymore, that leaves our hands tied as well.</p>
<h1>Should I Get New Software or a New Machine?</h1>
<p>You could attempt to just install an updated version of Windows (either 7 or 8) on your machine. Chances are, though, that if your computer is old enough to have XP, it's probably too old to run the new OS well. To upgrade to Windows 8, your computer should have:</p>
<ul>
<li>Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster</li>
<li>RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)</li>
<li>Free hard drive space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)</li>
<li>Graphics card: MicrosoftDirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver</li>
</ul>
<p>Clear as mud? </p>
<h1>Upgrade Today!</h1>
<p>If not, don't worry. We can navigate the muddy waters of computer stats to get you what you need at a price you can afford. We have the ability to get discounted and refurbished computers in pricing to fit most budgets with an updated Windows OS. Call us today to have your machines upgraded. Give us a call at 877.404.8224!</p>
<p><img alt="" src="https://www.acsapp.com/media/uploads/image/steed%20jen_0049%20mailer%20copy.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 210px;"/> Jen Steed writes about technology, travel and more. You can find her writing for various online and print publications. To talk to Jen or see all of her articles as they are published, you can follow Jen on <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JenSteed?rel=author" rel="author" title="Author: Jen Steed on Google+">Google+</a>.</p>
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