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Directive Blogs

Directive has been serving the Oneonta area since 1993, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

Want Your Team to Be More Efficient? Ask Yourself This One Question

Business is already complicated enough without having to remember all of your passwords. Unfortunately, logins and sign-ons are a necessary part of operations, and without them, work isn’t going to get anywhere. All that said, there is a solution to the problem of having too many accounts with too many unique credentials, and it all starts by asking a simple question.

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Tip of the Week: Make the Most of Your Windows Clipboard

The cut, copy, and paste commands are some of the most frequently used keyboard shortcuts in the modern office, but do you actually understand how they work? They make use of the clipboard, but not many people know what the clipboard is or how it functions. Today, we want to demystify the clipboard and break down how you can make better use of it on your Windows device.

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Windows 10 Is Now Unsupported!

Today is the first day of the post-Windows 10 era, and if you are still running a PC with the popular operating system, trouble could be ahead if you don’t make a move immediately. In today’s blog, we will talk about your options going forward. Let’s get right into it.

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Digital Tug-of-War: Achieving Both Productivity and Cybersecurity

Do you feel like you’re walking a tightrope between getting things done and maintaining the security of your network and data? You’re not alone. Ultimately, we’re all trying to be as productive as possible, and we want to use all the cool collaboration tools, work from anywhere, and get things done fast.

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Is Your Business Paying for Subscriptions It Doesn’t Even Use?

Do you have your finger on the pulse of your business’ subscriptions? Not many business owners do, and it can negatively impact operations and budget lines. This tech sprawl can get out of control, which is why your business needs a plan to combat it. Thankfully, we’re here to help you get your subscriptions under control… both the known and the unknown.

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How the Cloud Helps Your Business Scale Effortlessly

With cloud computing, your business has access to tools that fundamentally change the way work takes place. Several of the biggest reasons to adopt the cloud include flexibility, efficiency, and scalability. How are you planning to use the cloud to add or remove resources to your business initiatives as needed? Today, we want to share how scalability works and how your business can fully leverage it with the cloud.

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How a Modern Firewall Supports Your Network Security

A lot goes into a successful network security strategy, and when there isn’t a clear head honcho at the top of the chain of command (from a network security standpoint, anyway), things can get a little murky. The security that comes from a modern firewall, however, is vital, and all businesses should strive to implement it. Here are the four key elements of a modern cybersecurity strategy and how a modern firewall contributes to the digital security of your business.

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Tip of the Week: How to Use Presenter View for Presentations

If you’re worried about presentation anxiety, or if you’ve ever experienced dry mouth, sweaty palms, or a sudden loss for words while on the spot, then you’ll be happy to know about some of the options available in modern presentation tools. One in particular, Presenter View, comes to mind, and it’s a great way to kick presentation anxiety to the curb. We’ll go over how to use Presenter View in Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides.

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Get Better Insights from Your Spreadsheets… Use Quick Analysis

Do you ever find your eyes glazing over at the sight of a sprawling spreadsheet? That feeling of being overwhelmed by a sea of data is universal… but what if you could instantly start making sense of it all with just one click?

Both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets offer powerful, yet often overlooked, features to help you quickly analyze and visualize your data. In Excel, this is called the Quick Analysis tool. While Google Sheets doesn't have a single button with the same name, it provides the same powerful capabilities through its intuitive menus and the AI-powered Explore feature. Let's dive into how you can leverage these tools to transform your data from a source of sighs to a font of insight.

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How to Turn a Website into a Desktop App

There are countless web pages offering a wealth of resources, utilities, and references that can greatly assist businesses of all kinds in achieving their goals. What’s even more amazing, these web pages can be turned into applications for simpler, more convenient access, provided you’re using Google Chrome.

Let’s go over how to do so!

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Cape Seguridad, Episode One - Zero-Day Threats

We’ve taken it upon ourselves to change tack a little bit and approach some of our warnings against cybersecurity issues a little differently… namely, by using the format of a daytime soap opera. We hope these occasional blogs will help contextualize how dangerous such threats can be. As such, we encourage you to picture the following in the most melodramatic tone possible, while also remembering how serious these issues are in real life.

For decades, the quiet city of Oak Falls has enjoyed a largely peaceful time, hearing the relaxing waves that lap against the nearby coastline. However, new waves are now being created, with cybersecurity threats emerging every day. Come with us and observe how these threats make life more difficult for those who live and love at Cape Seguridad.

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What Impact Will SaaS Have on Your Business?

You might remember the good old days of software, and by “good old days,” we mean “good old days of tedium, installing software on computers one by one.” 

Software as a Service, or SaaS for short, has put an end to those days and has made way for better options for SMBs. Today, we want to look into these subscription-based tools and showcase their benefits.

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The SaaS Advantage for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Remember buying software on disks and installing it, computer by computer? Thankfully, those days are long behind us. Today, Software as a Service (SaaS) offers powerful advantages, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Let’s explore how you can benefit from these subscription-based tools. 

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Tip of the Week: Use Snipping Tool in Windows 11 to Take Screenshots, Scan QR Codes, and More

The Snipping Tool is a handy little utility application integrated into Windows that provides users with significant screen-capturing capabilities.

Let’s review how to use it and how it can prove valuable to your business.

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Is Windows 10 Via Extended Security Updates Feasible for a Business?

Windows 10 is rapidly reaching the end of its secure lifetime, with support scheduled to end on October 14, 2025. While this doesn’t mean that the OS will no longer be available to use, it does mean that it will no longer be able to be safely and securely used—a critically important distinction.

That is, however, unless you pay for the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates… but is this a feasible or maintainable strategy for businesses?

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How Planning Your Software Can Prevent Tech Sprawl

Your business needs software, along with the various integrations it allows for to keep your operations going. A little planning goes a long way, especially if you want to get the best return on your investment. Today, we want to look at how you can find the right mix of software for your business without breaking the bank or experiencing the dreaded “tech sprawl.”

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Did You Know that Cut, Copy, and Paste are Rooted in History?

While technology has brought us a long way, there are still some telling remnants of how things used to be done. Take, for instance, the terms “cut,” “paste,” and “copy.”

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Get More Out of Your Business with Enterprise Software

Nowadays, software is super important for running a business. It helps with everything from managing schedules and paying employees to making and selling products. Basically, businesses need software to run smoothly.

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Tip of the Week: Handy Shortcuts for Quickbooks Convenience

Financial management and accounting are two business needs that apply to all organizations of any size or industry. Fortunately, these organizations have access to tools like Intuit QuickBooks to help them fill these needs in a way that is accessible and convenient.

Let’s review some shortcuts to help you be more productive in managing your business finances via QuickBooks.

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An Up-to-Date Operating System is a Mandatory Piece of Software

Operating systems are the backbone of any computer or device. Whether it’s your phone, a tablet, or a computer, the operating system controls how the device works, allowing you to run apps, browse the web, and complete tasks. For businesses, having up-to-date operating systems is especially important. Let's look at why this is critical and what can happen if businesses don’t keep up!

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Mobility Changes the Business Game

With technology becoming more mobile, the way we interact with tech has changed considerably. Now that dial-up has evolved to broadband and cellular networks have dramatically improved, technology has allowed people to become more connected than ever. Your business can improve its communications and operations with the right mobile technology.

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Four Solid Practices to Use When Relying on Cloud-Based Software

Cloud computing has become a common tool, especially Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Hosted software provides robust options that make sense to all companies, including anytime-anywhere availability, scalability, and provider management of the underlying hardware. In today’s blog, we want to discuss a couple of tips people can use when working with cloud computing.

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Password Managers are an Office Worker’s Best Friend

Protecting your business’ accounts is something we will advocate for on repeat. You’ll hear us tell you about complex and unique passwords and multi-factor authentication until you’re sick of hearing it. But one tool that our clients sometimes forget is the password manager—an equally useful tool that can help your business keep passwords safe and secure.

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Tip of the Week: How to Properly Calculate Time in a Spreadsheet

It isn’t a secret that working with different times in a spreadsheet can be a real pain… even if you’re just trying to add them all up. Fortunately (and a little unsurprisingly), this is because these programs have a specific function to accomplish this.

Let’s review the process you should follow in your spreadsheet program, whether you use Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

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Small Businesses Should Keep Technology Simple

A business has to have people who know how to balance its spending to cover its bases and keep the company healthy. For the small business it is often a matter of choices. In this month’s newsletter, let’s go through some of the ways that keeping it simple might just be the best strategy in terms of their technology.

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Three Benefits of Software Management Tools

Software fuels most businesses nowadays, even the small shops down the street. Depending on the size and scope of the business, however, managing software can be complex and downright unfun. Today, we want to highlight a type of tool that your business can find great value in: a software management solution.

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Six Types of Management Software You Need to Know About

Effective management is crucial for success. One way to achieve this is by using management software. With so many options available, how do you choose the right one? Today’s article explores the different types of management software to help you make an informed decision.

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Browser Cookies Explained

When someone mentions cookies, people start paying attention. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodles… Browser? While Browser cookies aren’t the most scrumptious, they do need some attention. Nowadays, many websites you visit have a popup asking if they want to allow cookies for that site and knowing what you are agreeing to is important. In today’s blog, we will describe what cookies are, how they work, and why they can sometimes be better than cookies with chocolate chips. 

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Tip of the Week: Three Practices to Reduce Consternation About Your Technology

Technology plays a massive role for most organizations nowadays, and not everyone always grasps the importance of it. Most of the time, there is so much built into today’s enterprise software that it can often be overwhelming for workers to use it effectively. Today, we will give you three tips on how to help employees get a grasp of the technology their productivity depends on.

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AI is Progressing, but It’s Not the Answer to All Your Problems

You can’t take two steps outside of your home or two mouse-clicks or screen-taps online without seeing something written or hearing someone talking about AI. This has created a situation where every business is claiming AI as a revolutionary tool and consumers, overwhelmed with the term, have begun to take the technology for granted. In today’s blog, we want to determine whether AI brings added value or is just a term used to help companies market their products.

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Opportunity Cost, Return on Investment, and Saving Money with Technology

Part of doing business is understanding certain types of trade-offs related to the decisions you make. Specifically, we want to highlight opportunity cost as it relates to technology. What is the opportunity cost of technology, and why is it an important concept for a business owner to grasp?

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Downloading and Installing APK Files Could Put Your Business at Risk

Your Android smartphone is a computer in and of itself; as such, it runs with an operating system installed. You install programs on your smartphone the same way you install them on your computer, although the process is more complicated. Today, we want to explain the types of files that the Android operating system uses to install apps on your phone, as well as why it might be a good idea to let the Google Play Store do the hard work for you, in terms of locating and installing apps.

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Benefits of Virtualization on Your IT Infrastructure

Is your business frequently grappling with the challenges of implementing new solutions, whether software or hardware? Consider harnessing the power of virtualization in the cloud to address these issues head-on. With the right tools, virtualization can open up remarkable opportunities to enhance your business' operations while bolstering its security and flexibility.

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Three Types of Software Moving Business Forward

Software plays a major role in business, regardless of what type of business you run. Whether you use a CRM, a point-of-sale system, or your software profile is a little more complicated, you need to understand a few things about modern software in order to get the most out of it. Let’s take a look at three things you need to know about modern software. 

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You Can’t Win ‘Em All, but You Can Be Ready

For competitive people, hearing the words “can’t win ‘em all” is infuriating. You want to win! These words, however, are completely true. Sometimes in business, you just lose. You may not be able to meet every deadline or win every sale, but there are things you can do to put your business in the best position to meet your goals. Today, we thought we would list a few things having the right technology strategy can do to help your business.

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3 Ways Modern Software Can Make Running a Business Easier

The entire point of modern technology is to make things easier. Businesses don’t invest in computers and software simply to throw away money—technology exists to streamline operations and help you get more done in less time.

Let’s look at some of the standard technologies your business should consider to gain more value out of your technology.

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Smart Chips Make Google Docs and Sheets Smarter

Last week, we shared a blog referencing “smart chips” that could help augment a Google Doc. We wanted to dive a little deeper into the topic of smart chips so you could apply them to your own Google Docs and Sheets.

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These Communications Tools are Driving Modern Businesses

Imagine doing your job without the advanced communications tools that you have access to. It would make things much less efficient. Most organizations use all types of different solutions to be able to support their workforce and customers, but in today’s business, there are three solutions most organizations have come to depend on. Let’s take a look at these three today.

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You Need to Consider Inventory Management

Effectively managing the multitude of devices in a contemporary office is a big job. The challenge lies in meticulous oversight of each device, identifying users, and observing patterns of usage. If your technology assets are not currently being tracked, it is a good idea to implement some way of monitoring those systems. The adoption of an inventory management system presents a more efficient and streamlined approach to address this challenge.

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How Your Business Can Benefit from Inventory Management

Managing the large number of devices in a modern office requires effective tracking and monitoring. The challenge lies in keeping tabs on each device, identifying users, and monitoring usage patterns. If your technology isn't currently being tracked, it's important to start doing so. The implementation of an inventory management system offers a more efficient and streamlined approach to this task.

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How to Move Away From Evernote (And Some Note-Taking Alternatives)

Sometimes, good things come to an end. For users who have been using the popular note-taking application Evernote, that time might be now. Let’s dive into why users are jumping ship from what was arguably once the best note-taking app in the world, and what options you might have.

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Tip of the Week: Google Sheets Makes a Great Project Management Tool

Whatever your industry, there are going to be processes that need to be followed, and this will require no small amount of organization to keep all the moving parts in tandem with each other. Fortunately, tools that can help with your project management needs are readily available, so long as you take advantage of their capabilities.

Take Google Sheets, for instance.

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Tip of the Week: 3 Neat Features of PowerPoint 365

You know that a software has made its mark when its name becomes synonymous with the type of software it is. For instance: PowerPoint.

This element of Microsoft 365 is well-known enough to often be used as a catch-all phrase for any presentation software. Less well-known, however, are some of the cool features and functions that PowerPoint has to offer. Today, we’re sharing a few of these features with you.

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iOS 17 Unveils Some Cool New Features

In mobile operating systems, each fresh iteration tends to bring forth marginal improvements and refinements to enhance the user experience. Apple's newest mobile operating system, iOS 17, follows suit in this tradition. Let's take a brief look at some of its noteworthy additions.

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Even Basic Business Software Can Be Used to Make Art

What is art? It’s not an easy question to answer, especially with new techniques and mediums being developed all the time. By definition, art can be basically summed up as the creative expression of an individual through some medium.

For Japanese artist Tatsuo Horiuchi, that medium is one that is familiar to those in and out of the art world.

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Should You Invest In the Creation of an App for Your Business?

It seems that almost everyone owns a smartphone these days, and with smartphones come a multitude of apps. Mobile applications are the driving force behind the world's largest computing ecosystems. Consequently, the question arises, "Is it necessary for my business to have a mobile app?" Whether this is a wise decision depends on your unique business objectives, target audience, and available resources. Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of developing a mobile app for your business.

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Microsoft Rolls Out Changes to Teams Collaboration App

Microsoft developed the Teams platform with the aim of enhancing collaboration among individuals. The rise of remote collaboration has been ongoing for several years, and the COVID-19 pandemic solidified its place as a standard feature in business operations. Recently, Microsoft has introduced several enhancements to the platform to further augment its functionality.

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Why Routinely Patching Your Organization’s Software is Important

Technology is increasingly important for business, which is why when making decisions about what technology to use and how to use it, decision makers need all the information they can get. Since businesses today depend more on software than ever, it is extremely important that you know why it is so important to keep your business’ applications updated and patched. 

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Four Tools Small Businesses Must Consider

Small businesses are increasingly dependent on technology. If your business is looking to invest its capital into operations, the following digital tools can go a long way toward helping you meet your short and long-term goals. 

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Tip of the Week: How to Use Excel to Quickly Generate Folders

As a manager, some of the administrative work can be, if not the worst part of the job, easily the least engaging. For instance, having to create all the different folders for the employees under your purview, projects, and other organizational needs. Fortunately, Microsoft Excel offers a relatively quick and easy way of doing just this.

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Exploring Some Ways Windows 11 Boosts Productivity

The Windows operating system has gradually improved since it was first released back in 1985, bringing us to Windows 11 and its productivity-boosting capabilities nearly four decades later. Let’s take a closer look at just a few of these features so you can make the most of your time using the OS.

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Tip of the Week: Make Your Desktop Icons Bigger (or Smaller)

Everyone has their own preferences for their workstation, down to the size of the icons on their desktop. Let’s talk about how you can easily adjust the size of the icons on your display to your own preference.

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Tip of the Week: The Easiest Way to Add Up a Column in Excel

Microsoft Excel is an extremely capable spreadsheet creation and management tool, made all the more powerful through the inclusion of many handy shortcuts and features. We wanted to share one for a common enough function that you are effectively sure to find a use for it: quickly adding up the values in a single column.

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Using Windows PowerToys Might Give You the Edge You Need

Microsoft’s operating systems have been around for a long time, and since Windows 95, Microsoft has published free utilities that can help users make slight adjustments to their operating systems to suit their needs. Microsoft PowerToys are even available now, and we want to explore what they can do for your business, as well as how you can acquire them.

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Want Additional Windows Functions? Consider Microsoft PowerToys

Since the Windows 95 operating system, Microsoft has been separately publishing 15 free utilities to add significant capabilities intended to help a user make some small tweaks and adjustments in a relatively safe way, as compared to what would otherwise be necessary to make these changes. Microsoft PowerToys are still available today, so let’s discuss what some of them can do…and how you should go about getting these tools, if so you choose.

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What Software Does Your Business Need?

Every business depends on some type of software, but some businesses seem to have an application for every single thing and it can be too much for employees or administrators to manage. So the question has to be asked: What is the right amount of software for your business? Today, we’ll discuss the types of software every business needs and how to determine what you need. 

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How Secure are Mobile Apps from the App Store?

Smartphone applications are in high demand from both a consumer and a business perspective, so it stands to reason that these ecosystems are large in scope, encompassing millions of apps on both the Google Play and Apple App stores. Have you ever wondered how these companies ensure that the apps found on their stores are secure and legitimate?

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Get More from Mobile: 4 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Mobile Productivity Strategy

Smartphones are a critical part of your business’ productivity, but sometimes you and your employees might have differing views on how to translate that productivity into profitability for your business. If you want to avoid the pitfalls associated with smartphones, well, today’s article might just be for you. Here are four tips and tricks you can use to get your smartphones to work for you.

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There are Immense Benefits Inside the Modern Productivity Suite

Productivity suites are universally one of the best tools for getting work done in the business world, so if you’re not familiar with the term, then take a moment to consider how often you use Microsoft Office products or the Google Workspace apps. These are productivity suites, and they are remarkably important and valuable for your company, whether you realize it or not.

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Tip of the Week: Using a Spreadsheet to Calculate Exact Age

Both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets offer a plethora of features to those who know how to use them, many of them with really niche applications to businesses. For instance, there is one function that allows you to easily calculate the time between the current date and a specified  day that, if applied properly, could easily provide businesses with some serious utility.

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Software as a Service Works Because of These 3 Benefits

Software makes or breaks businesses, so your software strategy should be implemented with sound logic in mind. One of the ways you can make the most out of your limited resources and budget is to consider cloud-hosted Software as a Service offerings. With SaaS, you can implement better software that is more accessible, flexible, and manageable than the traditional method of hosting.

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You’re Not Too Small for Enterprise-Level Software, But You are Too Big for Consumer-Based Software

Software makes business run: that is an undeniable statement. From the operations software that allows your business to manage and pay its people to the CRM that provides a pathway to communicate efficiently with customers, to all of the applications that it takes to conduct business in earnest, software plays a crucial role in your business’ success. 

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File Digitization Brings a New Element to Your File Management

Most modern organizations will have digitized their businesses to at least some degree without really putting much effort or thought into it. This massive and often unconscious change has created a lot of benefits for businesses with perhaps one of the most overlooked benefits being document digitization. Today, we want to discuss the great benefits that come from this initiative and why you should consider it.

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Tip of the Week: How to Copy Excel Worksheets

If you have ever invested time and effort into an Excel spreadsheet, then you know how irritating it is to move all of that data to a different sheet. Thankfully, you can easily and accurately copy this data using a simple technique. Here’s how you can do it.

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A Significant Vulnerability is Present in Apple Devices Through MacKeeper

One of the big advantages that Mac computers have had over the traditional PC is that they “don’t get viruses,” but how true is this claim, really? Research conducted by Elastic Security Labs proves that this is certainly not the case, discrediting the prior claims of ads arguing the former.

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Make Work Simpler Through Automation

All jobs have aspects of them that are simply dull or unengaging. After all, nothing can be exciting all the time. This week we wanted to focus on these rote tasks and what you can do to make them less of an impact on your time and job fulfillment. Turns out, the key to solving this issue stems from technology, specifically the ability to automate said tasks.

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The DBMS Is a Big Part of Your Business Whether You Know It or Not

For the average business, the database plays a big role. How big of a role? Your business won’t function the way you want it to function without it. In order to manage your databases correctly, you need a solid database management system (DBMS). This week, we thought we would discuss the DBMS and how it works to assist your business computing.

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Don’t Know Where to Start? Three Places to Spend Your IT Dollars

For years, IT has been at the forefront of business administration, productivity, communications, and many other parts of an organization's efficient operations. For the growing business it can be rather difficult to know where to invest your capital so that you can get the best ROI or the most value out of your IT investments. Let’s take a look at how the growing business can use their earmarked capital to improve their business.

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Microsoft Office is Dead, Long Live Microsoft 365

In what seems to be the final stage of a plan that Microsoft has been inching towards for years, Microsoft Office will apparently be phased fully into the Microsoft 365 brand. Let’s consider what we know so far about this change.

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AI to Be Included in Select Microsoft Tools

Artificially-intelligent image generation has become a hot topic in recent weeks and months. Not too long ago, an artist created a stir for winning a competition with an image that he largely created using an artificially-intelligent tool. Now, Microsoft has announced that similar AI-powered image generation tools will be integrated into many of their applications.

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Tip of the Week: Save Your Documents as PDFs

It’s a great feeling, being able to download something, but also being able to download it as a PDF file. In cases where you want to save something as a PDF rather than its original image or web page file, you can do so relatively easily in order to make printing and other tasks easier. You can do all of this right from your web browser.

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Introducing No Code Tools and How They Can Work for You

In today’s business, the demand for software often outpaces the supply of available coders. For businesses that find the need for new applications to drive their business initiatives, there are now “no code” tools available that can help them create the software they need without having to lean on software developers. This week, we take a look at no code tools and how they can work for your business. 

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Solid Communications is Imperative for the Modern Business

Ultimately, your employees are going to be the ones using your technology to accomplish their daily duties, so it helps to treat them like customers rather than end users. If you examine industry trends to make the best decisions possible with your technology and communications solutions, then you’ll allow your team to flourish in the process.

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Even the Built-In Calculator in Windows Could Allow Threats In

You might be surprised by some of the security breaches and vulnerabilities out there, including some for apps that you would never suspect, like Windows’ Calculator application. Hackers are always looking for new ways to infect endpoints, and nothing exemplifies this better than this particular threat, one which utilizes the Windows 7 calculator app to launch attacks against Microsoft operating systems.

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Tip of the Week: How to Manage App Permissions in Android

Modern mobile devices are a bit of a double-edged sword for today’s businesses: on the one hand, they are critical for the productivity that is required of today’s organizations, but on the other, they also come with the very real chance of security issues. The permissions you give (or don’t) to these applications can have an impact on this risk.

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Tip of the Week: Modernizing Your Legacy Systems

Updating your technology is one business task that needs to happen if you want to optimize your operations. Some companies, however, still rely on legacy systems that could be holding them back from peak performance. It’s difficult to update legacy systems without comprehensive IT knowledge and proficiency, which is why you have us!

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Looking for Essential Business Software? Microsoft 365 Has You Covered

What kind of productivity suite does your business use for its day-to-day operations? It doesn’t really matter which industry you classify yourself as or what size your company is; a productivity suite will undoubtedly transform the way your organization operates. Let’s take a look at some of the most common applications found in productivity suites and how they can be powerful catalysts to get work done faster and more efficiently.

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Internet Explorer is Dead, Long Live Microsoft Edge?

Goodbyes are always painful, but we suspect that this one for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer will be more on the bittersweet side of things. Long a staple in the web browsing world, Internet Explorer has largely been removed from devices running Windows 10 and Windows 11. Let’s take a moment to discuss the approach Microsoft is using to slowly phase Internet Explorer out of the web browsing space.

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The Right Software Can Remove Productivity Roadblocks

Productivity. Your company needs it. Your employees are measured largely by their ability to effectively turn their effort into a tangible product or service that creates revenue. It really means everything to your business. Why then, if it is so necessary, is it so hard to get the people you depend on to realize just how important their productivity is to the success of the business? Let’s discuss what makes a business productive, and what technology will mitigate the major barriers to productivity.

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Your Business Needs to Consider Implementing a Refresh Schedule

Businesses that depend on their technology try to stick with it as long as they can so as to not incur large unnecessary costs. Ironically, that may be the thing that is causing a lot of those costs. Today, we thought we would take a look at a couple of variables that can let you know it’s time to upgrade away from your current technology. 

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Are You Right for Software-as-a-Service?

Your business depends on software for many of its day-to-day operations, whether it’s an email system, productivity suite, or other specialized software. When it comes to acquiring software, you have two options: the traditional method of acquisition, i.e. buying it from a vendor, or subscribing to a Software as a Service solution. What are the differences and how can you make sure your organization is getting value out of its investment?

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Features to Seek Out in a Note-Taking Application

If you’re the one in your office known for taking spectacularly detailed notes, then you’ll find no greater productivity tool than a note-taking app. There are dozens of options on the market today that can help you make the most of your note-taking experience, as well as the integrations that they can provide.

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Tip of the Week: Saving Time in Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is a super useful collection of software that serves the purposes of just about any business, at least to some degree. Since it is so popular—taking up almost half of the office productivity software market in February 2022—we figured it would be helpful to share a few tips to help speed up some of the things you may be spending time on now.

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How to Properly Manage Business Software

It's always important to maintain and manage the tools you use for work. Nowadays, this includes the software your business uses each day. Let's go over some tips for doing so properly.

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Get the Apps You Need in the Cloud

When it comes to your desktop infrastructure, your company has several different options available to it, one of which is Desktop-as-a-Service. How does this option compare to having a traditional workstation, and why might a small business get value out of Desktop-as-a-Service? Let’s take a closer look at what DaaS involves.

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Productivity Software is Smarter Than Ever

All businesses rely on software to an extent, but there are several that transcend industry or organization size and can be implemented by most businesses to improve productivity. Let’s go over some of the common types of software you might find in a business environment and why you should consider implementing them for your own company.

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VoIP Can Make Communications Easier

Nothing changes the fortunes of a business faster than having clear lines of communication, especially after operating with less-than-effective communications for a time. Today, there are options that provide businesses with enterprise-level communications without the massive price tag and commitments that they typically bring. 

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ALERT: Your Business Needs to Take the Log4j Extremely Seriously

You’ve probably already heard about Log4j this week. Maybe you don’t recognize the name, but it’s likely that you have run across emails or news articles talking about this widespread vulnerability. You need to take it very seriously.

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Outlining the Usefulness of the Password Manager App

Businesses sure use a lot of online accounts, and if they don’t keep track of the passwords associated with these accounts, things can get messy fast. To help with this effort, password managers, or applications that store passwords in an encrypted vault, have really taken off. Here are some of the reasons why businesses invest in password management solutions.

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Windows Suffering from MSHTML Exploit

A vulnerability in Microsoft’s MSHTML browser engine has been discovered and tracked by Kaspersky. It is being exploited all over the world right now. How can you avoid this vulnerability so that it doesn’t affect your business? Let’s find out.

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Have You Bitten Off More Software Than You Can Chew?

While we certainly have a lot to say about the benefits of the right IT solutions, even we can acknowledge that there is a point of diminishing returns. So, how much technology is too much technology, specifically in terms of the software your team relies on? Let’s explore some of the warning signs.

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Is Your PC Ready for Windows 11?

Microsoft has officially unveiled Windows 11, the latest in its line of PC operating systems, as well as detailed its system requirements. Will your business be upgrading to Windows 11 when the time comes? We think a lot of it will depend on its current IT infrastructure and whether or not you meet the minimum requirements right out the gate. Let’s dive into the details and what you need to know about Windows 11.

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What is the Konami Code?

If you’re familiar with the combination
Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-Select-Start, chances are good that you grew up in the 80s. This is because this combination of buttons is the infamous Konami Code, a cheat code that video games (and others, including some websites and software) have continued to reference since it first appeared in 1986.

Let’s examine the Konami Code’s origins, as well as the various ways it has been used since.

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Software Management Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

We live in a world of the “as a service” business model, where services are rendered on a per-month or per-billing cycle service model rather than the traditional “buy now, replace later” one. What they don’t tell you, however, is that when you use Software as a Service (SaaS) for multiple purposes, things can get messy pretty quickly. How do you manage all of your software solutions without breaking the bank (and your brain)?

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Is Discord a Viable Choice for Your Business?

While it isn’t officially a business solution, per se, the collaboration platform known as Discord has seen some popularity as a means of facilitating a business’ internal communications. Let’s go over some handy tips to improve your use of the platform, in case you are part of an organization that does so. Who knows… this might inspire you to give it a chance for yourself.

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4 Basic Technology Maintenance Practices for Small Businesses

If you are one of the many small businesses out there that does not have reliable technical support for the myriad of devices on your network, it might be difficult to imagine a world where your technology gets the maintenance it needs to thrive. Thankfully, you’re not alone. Here are some basic technology maintenance tips that anyone can implement, plus one at the end that we think small businesses, in particular, will benefit from!

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Productivity Apps Aren’t Just a Fad

Businesses need to maximize productivity any way they can. Some look to software to make this happen. When searching for productivity software, it may seem like you are looking at the same thing over and over again. While we admit that many productivity programs are similar, it’s important that you acquire the software that will give your team the tools it needs to succeed. Let’s take a look at how you can find the right productivity apps for your business’ needs.

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Patch Management and How It Can Save Your Business

Software runs our lives. It certainly runs your business. What if I told you that this essential cog in your business’ operations can also be the thing that is most susceptible to being exposed by outside attackers? It’s true, software can be the very door that hackers and scammers need to get into your network and run amok. Let’s take a look at the unsung service that is patch management and why it is so important. 

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Tip of the Week: How to Share Documents in Google Drive

Collaboration is something that no modern business can do without, which helps to explain why so many current applications feature it so heavily. Let’s focus on Google Drive and its multitude of collaborative capabilities that so many businesses are now making use of.

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Prioritizing Security with Your Messaging Apps

If you asked your average person whether they are okay with their personal information being taken and used by businesses, you’d probably come across quite a bit of dissent. Ironically, it seems that people will give it right over via social media programs, but you are beginning to see some pushback when using apps. WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook, that is known for end-to-end encryption, has told users that they will soon be forced to share their personal data with Facebook.

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