Date: Monday, April 1, 2019
Time: 2:00 PM EST
Registration Link: https://biztechnologysolutions.com/events/april-fools-webinar/
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Microsoft Ends Support for Several Products by January 2020 – ARE YOU READY?
When January 2020 rolls around, it will be the end of the line for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2010. These products will no longer be supported by Microsoft as they have reached their “end of life.” At this point, Microsoft stops providing critical security and performance updates.
If you are currently using any Microsoft “End of Life” products, then you may be putting your business (or yourself) at risk. With no updates, it leaves your system vulnerable to cyber criminals and will cause productivity issues for your staff as the product is no longer running at peak performance.
How Does Microsoft Support Work?
For up to five years after the release of a new product, Microsoft works to continuously improve it by releasing both new updates and features as needed or requested by the community. This is called mainstream support and is provided free of charge. However, once the five-year period is up, Microsoft gives organizations the option to purchase an extended support package. With this service, they will continue to provide the operational fixes and system updates necessary to keep your network secure. At a certain point, it’s no longer feasible for Microsoft to support the product and that’s when it reaches the “end of life” stage.
Can I Still Use Windows 7?
Yes, you can still use Windows 7, but you do so at your own risk. When Microsoft stops support, they no longer provide critical updates. This means that cyber criminals will be able to access your computer or server through any new-found vulnerabilities in the operating system.
You may also lose money when it comes to your team’s productivity. Using outdated machines will cause systems to slow and may even lead to periods of downtime. Not only will this cost your organization money, but it will also cause unnecessary frustrations for your employees.
Think about it… If you have 10 employees who wait 15 minutes for their computer to turn on every single morning, then you are wasting over 12 hours per week. Whoa, that’s a lot of money flying right out the window!
What Should I Do About My “End of Life” Products?
The best thing you can do is migrate to a newer system! If you are a Microsoft 365 Business user with a Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 Pro license, then you may upgrade to Windows 10 for free.
Fill out the form for a complimentary technology review and planning session to discuss this upcoming migration from Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2010.
A Biz Tech technology consultant will meet with you to review your current infrastructure and provide you with a report of their findings that will include a list of outdated machines, timeline for the migration and IT budget.
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In today’s competitive business environment, technology is essential. IT is no longer just about business continuity and the typical infrastructure support alone. As technology continues to advance, so has the complexity and need for innovation and increased productivity. In order to stay competitive, organizations must rethink their traditional technology support model and start thinking about new models that reinforce the realities of today’s business and technology landscape.
Now, the emphasis must be on business goals, end-user technology adoption and productivity to help your organization achieve the next level of innovation and success through digital transformation. Hence the move from traditional IT support model such as Managed IT Services, Break & Fix, or even in some cases internal IT to Managed Workplace Services.
One can think of Managed Workplace Services as Managed IT Services 2.0. This is the support model that will take you to a Digital Workplace. A properly managed workplace service encompasses four key components: strategic consulting, education and adoption, business enablement and IT support services.
Businesses must first determine their strategy and main objectives otherwise technology can be a waste of money. The right consultant can help pinpoint the issues that need to be addressed, understand your business and business goals and then architect solutions accordingly. Leading a successful business transformation requires vision, focus and process. As result, you must enlist a consultant that has both a business background and IT experience. In addition, they must have tools, processes and standards in place to deliver effective IT strategic consulting.
The benefits of a proper education program drive increased satisfaction and confidence in IT, increased security efficiency and increased adoption of the desired tools and platforms. You need continuous education to help your team build knowledge around your core productivity applications (.i.e. Microsoft Office365), so your employees are more efficient, and you are getting more out of resources you are paying for.
Your IT resources must track end-user technology adoption by having the proper application monitoring technology in place which highlights where you can add value to your end-users. Monitoring reports can be analyzed and show how applications are being used, unlocking the power of your applications. You will be able to understand usage and utilization of technologies such as Microsoft SharePoint, OneDrive, Skype, Teams, Flow, Forms and PowerApps (to name but a few).
You must leverage Microsoft Office365 as it is currently the dominant productivity application platform. When configured properly Office365 along with prebuild Microsoft SharePoint templates and plug-ins can transform your environment into a Digital Workplace. A Digital workplace will help you optimize your business, drive collaboration and increase employee productivity. This out-of-the-box set of applications establish a consistent business structure across functions. For example, Intranet to communicate news and information, Document Management, Support Internal Service Requests for HR, create department portals for HR, Sales, Marketing, Facility Management, IT Support, Project office, automating business processes across functions, tracking customer information and activities through-out the client life-cycle etc.
Day to day IT support cannot be forgotten as it’s an integral foundation for every organization. Your IT support must proactively monitor your systems on-premises and in the cloud to make sure issues are identified and corrected before they turn into catastrophic failures. Accountability is key; your IT support should share with you on monthly basis the state of your system. This includes but not limited to the status of your system documentation, disaster recovery plan, your compliance, customer satisfaction, trends around time it takes to resolve issues reported by your employees, the status of your security and back up restore, audit paper trail etc. In this way, you are reducing risk and know what you are paying for. Last but not least, you should always have check and balances in place; have third party audit your systems couple times a year.
Want a {FREE} Business Technology Operational Maturity assessment so you can better compare your business to your peers.?
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This on-demand webinar covers how cyber criminals could be fooling you with social engineering. As technology evolves, more and more information is available online. Cyber criminals can use this information on the internet to steal people’s identities, hack into their accounts, fool them into revealing information, or infect their devices with malware. After watching this webinar you will have a better understanding of different social engineering tactics and how they can be avoided.
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Contact:
Marketing Department
Biz Technology Solutions, Inc.
info@biztechnologysolutions.com
704-658-1707
Mooresville, NC (March 22, 2019) — Biz Technology Solutions (BTS), a full-service technology solutions provider for medium to large organizations throughout the Southeastern United States, announced the launch of Managed Workplace Services (MWS), a move from traditional IT support.
MWS provides organizations with a comprehensive support model that addresses some of the common gaps that many businesses find in their IT Support model (Managed IT Services, T&M, or Internal staff). Businesses look for value added services beyond just reactive IT support and those include technology planning, education, technology adoption, business enablement tools, process automation and operational metrics. For many years BTS delivered those value-added services through its consulting arm and as project-based engagements. Due to the increased demand for those services and their importance, BTS has combined its IT support services along with technology education, adoption, business tools and consulting as one. This comprehensive approach will assist our clients in adopting a Digital Workplace which will optimize the business, drive collaboration and increase employee productivity.
To quote Mike Chouffani, President of BTS, Up until now, we’ve offered customers the traditional Managed IT Services support model, but I’m happy to say that we now have a new and more comprehensive managed workplace services package designed to transform organizations. By moving to a managed workplace services, the focus is no longer just on infrastructure and business continuity. Instead, the emphasis lies on business goals, end-user adoption and productivity, all things that business owners really care about. These are very exciting times at BTS.
To learn more about MWS, call 704.658.1707 or visit https://biztechnologysolutions.com/managed-workplace-services/.
ABOUT BIZ TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, INC.
Biz Technology Solutions, Inc. (BTS), headquartered in Charlotte, NC area, provides full-service technology solutions for medium to large organizations. Along with first-rate customer service, we offer business-critical services including technology consulting, IT professional services, custom software development and IT managed services. Our system analysts and engineers also bring extensive experience to the rapidly advancing areas of technology, design, implementation and management. We can help you implement information technology initiatives to support the long-term objectives of your organization. Plus, we’ll lower costs of operations and risks while increasing competitiveness and profits.
For more information, visit www.biztechnologysolutions.com.
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Many businesses with Office 365 aren’t fully utilizing the platform and all of its features especially when developing an intranet portal. Instead, they’re only using the platform for email, file sharing and applications like Word and Excel. This is just the tip of the iceberg; there’s so much more to Office 365. Think of it like your mobile phone… you wouldn’t only use it to call or text because there’s so much more you can do with it.
While SharePoint comes with an “intranet”, it’s really only a home page template with a newsfeed and library, but there’s so much more that can be done with it. Instead of the out-of-the-box intranet, many businesses need more customization to really enhance communication, collaboration and productivity.
Ultimately, you want your intranet to reflect your organization and make your employee’s lives easier. The size of your company and its operations will determine whether you need a basic or advanced structure. The major difference between the two is that the advanced structure focuses on collaboration like storing documents, managing activities and sharing information. This is especially useful in departments such as sales or service.
When developing the intranet, user adoption needs to be top of mind. Companies sometimes make the mistake of creating a different user experience for each department’s portal. This causes employees to become frustrated with the system and hinders adoption as well as productivity. In order to combat this issue, the user experience must be consistent across the site to make it easier to use.
Don’t forget to reflect your branding in your intranet. A lot of this can be done using themes inside of SharePoint. However, if you want to take it to the next level, you’ll need to hire a SharePoint consultant to make a branded master page. Be careful about doing this yourself or hiring the wrong company as there could be problems when you upgrade SharePoint to the latest version.
Did you know that the average intranet costs more than $40,000 and takes more than 15 months to implement? Modalis Research Technology found that 70-80% of businesses consistently use the same basic features in their “custom-designed” intranet. These features include:
Since the majority of organizations all use the same features, there really is no point of wasting money or time on an Intranet built from scratch. Instead, you should start with a template and customize from there. Many development companies have these templates already made but don’t tell you so they can make more money.
Biz Technology Solutions offers pre-built Intranet portals with all of the features listed above and then some. We can install, configure, brand and customize your portal in less time and for less money. This is a perfect solution for small to mid-sized businesses who want a customized Intranet at an affordable price.
Fill out the form below for your free Intranet roadmap and consultation.
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In today’s competitive business environment, technology is of essential. IT is no longer just about backups and the typical infrastructure support. As technology continues to advance, so has the need for innovation and increased productivity. In order to stay competitive, organizations must provide their employees with a comprehensive platform that breeds efficiency. But, what platform can stand up to the challenge?
With more than 120 million monthly commercial users, Microsoft Office 365 is one of the most utilized platforms. Since it’s so much more than an application, the depth of it can actually be its downfall. Without proper strategy, governance, architecture, adoption and training, employees may become lost or overwhelmed leading to decreased productivity and company morale. Because of this very reason, organizations today find it necessary to move to a new support model called Managed Workplace Services.
A proper managed workplace encompasses three key components: consulting, managed application services and managed infrastructure services.
Businesses must first determine their strategy and main objectives otherwise the technology is a waste of money. An expert can help pinpoint the issues that need to be resolved, define business goals and then architect the Office 365 platform accordingly.
They will also implement Microsoft best practices while educating employees and management on how to fully utilize Office 365 for their job roles and departments such as HR, finance, sales, Marketing, IT, operations and administration. The training will increase employee engagement and Office 365 adoption.
Consulting must not be addressed as a project but instead as an ongoing effort working closely with end-users and executives to make sure the platform is utilized properly to maximize productivity and its capability. The focus should be on working hand-in-hand with end-users to increase adoption by providing ongoing training and aiding with small projects to continually improve end-user solutions.
Managed application services are similar to managed IT services except that administration and support is focused on software instead of infrastructure. Once Office 365 has been adopted by the organization, it will need to be tailored to fit the business’ specific needs. Specialists can assist with customization, integration, monitoring, cost and management of utilization as well as provide support on the Microsoft solution stack including SharePoint, Power BI, CRM, SQL and other Office 365 tools.
With expert assistance, it allows employers to stay one-step ahead of their staff by providing them with the latest and greatest when it comes to Office 365.
Traditional IT support cannot be forgotten as it’s an integral foundation for every organization. Along with the standard helpdesk support and network administration, expert engineers assist with vendor management, reporting, maintenance, backups, security and asset management. They proactively monitor your systems on-premises and in the cloud to make sure issues are identified before they turn into catastrophic failures. Plus, they meet monthly to share with you the state of your infrastructure, issues, project status and assist with technical planning and budgeting.
By moving to a managed workplace, the focus is no longer just on infrastructure and business continuity. Instead, the emphasis is on business goals, end-user adoption and productivity to help your organization achieve the next level of innovation and success through digital transformation.
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