Easy Steps To Improve Your Bottom Line

These action items will have a significant impact on your bottom line, helping put money in your pocket. The best part is the little or no upfront investment required on your part. You should consider these action items in a down or booming economy.

Step 1 – Telecom & Internet Audit

Your carrier isn’t going to call you offering lower prices. If you haven’t performed a thorough telecom audit with a Technology Strategist in the past two years, it’s likely you’re paying too much for your internet and phone bills, whether PSTN or VoIP. You can save serious money, often times 20%-45% each month by bringing a Technology Strategist to review your telecom bills and negotiate the best deal possible. Remember — a Technology Strategist can get you better prices than you can on your own and they won’t charge for the audit. It’s all part of their ‘Strategic Telecom Management’ services.

Step 2 – Liquidate Old Equipment

Like most organizations, it’s likely there is a pile of surplus or under-utilized equipment collecting dust. If you are thinking that one day you’ll use the equipment, the reality is that it will probably be outdated by the time you get around to it. Get a quick and easy risk-free quote today for used, excess or decommissioned networking, storage and telecommunications equipment. The end result is money in your pocket for up-to-date equipment that will help your business.

Step 3 – Managed Print Services

How much admin time is spent ordering new toner and managing the consumables inventory? One easy way to save on printing and copying expenses is for a Managed Print Services agreement, saving upwards of 30% each month, and eliminating the stress of supply inventory with automatic replenishment.

Step 4 – Consolidate Mobile Phones

With the increasing consumerization of today’s mobile devices, it’s likely that most executives today are carrying two devices, likely a Blackberry and an Android or iPhone device. Most executives we’ve talked to like the more media-friendly iPhone/Android devices but haven’t given up the reliance on a Blackberry device for email. The reality is that the iPhone/Android devices do an excellent job these days of sync’ing your email, contacts and calendars. We recently saved an organization thousands of dollars and the necessity to carry around two phones.

Step 5 – Integrate Line of Business Applications

Integration of your ‘Line of Business’ applications is another critical component to the success of your business. If your computer applications aren’t integrated, you’re likely spending unnecessary administration costs inputting data amongst systems. Does your customer management system flow into your operations system or accounting application? With a small initial investment (the payback period is quickly realized in months), there is no longer a necessity to input data. Instead systems are integrated increasing internal efficiencies and often customer service gains. Both internal cost savings and revenue gains!

Technorati Tags: IT Cost Cuts, IT Costs, IT Spending, IT Strategy

Today a lot of small business owners are asking if remote computer maintenance is for them? How can remote computer maintenance help their business? What services can be delivered remotely?

With some advancements in technology, IT support companies can deliver the majority of support services remotely, including desktop support, server support, and data backup and recovery.

There can be some real benefits for your business by hiring an IT company for remote computer maintenance.

Time Savings

By outsourcing your IT services to an IT company who can provide remote computer maintenance can save you the time it takes for the technician to travel to your office. Often times this can be an hour or two, but in some cases can be half a day or longer. Time is money, so there can be a big savings in employee and computer downtime.

Generally more affordable

Remote computer maintenance is generally more affordable than on-site IT support. Techs working remotely can manage more client issues in a given period, allowing IT firms to pass on those economies of scale to their clients.  Most IT support companies will also charge a flat-fee for unlimited IT support, allowing for companies to better budget and get control of their IT costs.

Speak with a Technology Strategist today to find out how remote computer maintenance can benefit your company. Ask about “1 Month FREE Unlimited IT Support”.  Please also review our Flat-Fee IT Services.

Invenio IT, a New York-based IT Managed Services Provider, has signed a partnership agreement with Xerox Corporation to offer Managed Print Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, New York, United States of America
June 14, 2011 –
Invenio IT, a New York-based IT Managed Services Provider, has signed a partnership agreement with Xerox Corporation to provide Manage Print Service to their clients.

When speaking about this choice, Invenio IT CEO Dale Shulmistra replied, “This partnership will offer Invenio IT the opportunity to better serve our clients and seamlessly manage all network print devices, both Xerox and non-Xerox, all while saving our clients upwards of 30% and more.  Our clients also experience stress-free management of supply inventory with automatic replenishment for one single flat-rate monthly fee.”

For more information, contact Invenio IT at info@invenioIT.com, call 212-244-4994, or visit http://invenioit.com/managed_print_service.html.

For more information about Xerox Corporation visit http://xerox.com.

Smart VoIP is here.  During a recession smart VoIP, reliable VoIP should be an option that most businesses should be looking at.  VoIP systems are less expensive than their old-school counterparts.  You can also avoid a large upfront investment and pay a flat monthly fee with hosted smart VoIP solutions.

Agility Meets Affordability

Today’s workforce is changing dramatically.  With a smart VoIP solution, you can have phone access anywhere there is an internet connection.  Today that is almost everywhere.  It’s a no brainer for cost-conscious businesses, and a must have for businesses with a mobile workforce.

A Finely Tailored, Totally Scalable Solution

Businesses aren’t static entities; they’re dynamic, with ever-shifting needs, goals and priorities. We believe technology should adapt to such shifts, not the other way around. VoIP does just that, giving you the ability to scale up or down (or across) at any time.

Effective communication is at the heart of every successful business venture.  Request a session today with a VoIP specialist to find out how VoIP can free your business or try our VoIP services FREE for 50 minutes.

Most small business owners have to be a jack-of-all-trades, often spending most of their day wearing different hats.  This is the nature of small business and while expected, is not always the best use of time.  If there is one thing most small businesses can agree on is that time equals money.  In order for a small business to be successful and remain competitive in an industry, there must be designated time for the owner to focus on growing and building the business.  In many cases small businesses fail as a rest of being unable to handle the emergencies or other situations that are simply beyond the control and expertise of the owner.

Any business that relies on technology, which covers almost every business today, can benefit from an all inclusive flat-fee IT support.  Flat-fee IT support providers understand that not every business has the ability to pay for an internal IT department.  Without this backup, many small businesses find themselves in a position where they have to foot a very expensive bill to recover from a disaster or emergency.  In other situations, using out-of-date or ineffective technology is simply a waste of both time and money on part of the small business.

Here we look at how small businesses can make the most of their time and money by hiring a flat-fee IT support provider:

• Focus on running the business – one of the major benefits of outsourcing your technology needs is that the owner and employees of the company can focus 100% on their individual duties to keep the business moving in the right direction.
• Offer expert advise – there are many small businesses that simply do not know what they need to improve the functionality of their business.  The old adage, “what you don’t know can’t hurt you” does not apply in all cases.  By consulting a flat-fee IT support provider you may discover areas of your business which can be improved that you previously thought were working “just fine”.  Expert advice may be able to help you improve the efficiency of your business while positioning you better within the industry.
• Support when you need it – flat-fee IT support providers are not only there in the event of an emergency or recovery, but also provide monitoring which can be invaluable in preventing problems before they can impact the business.

Flat-Fee Service Providers can offer services that not only reduce technology costs over time but also improve functionality which in turns saves time.  When this balance is achieved a small business is in the perfect position to thrive and grow.

Talk to a Technology Strategist today for a FREE discussion on how technology can help improve your business.

Backup and Recovery is essentially Business Data Insurance.  There is an upfront cost, and generally a monthly cost for offsite storage.  And like home owner’s insurance it’ll protect you in case of a disaster.  The home for most people is the largest investment, and as such people protect it from fire, flood, and disasters.  Your business gives you the ability to afford your home, your car, your boat — it only makes sense to get Business Data Insurance doesn’t it?

Loss of data is a common problem for businesses.  Fortunately, it’s a problem that can be easily avoided with the correct preparation.  If you don’t have your crucial data backed up, even a small situation can turn into a disaster.

If you still think natural disasters are the leading causes of data loss – and the chances of it happening to you are pretty slim, take a look at the results from a study by Strategic Research Corporation of the leading causes of disaster recovery incidents:

• Hardware Failures (servers, switches, disk drives, etc) – 44%
• Human Error (mistakes in configurations, wrong commands issued, etc) – 32%
• Software Errors (operating systems, driver compatibility, etc) – 14%
• Viruses and Security Breach (unprotected systems are always at risk) – 7%
• Natural Disasters – 3%

You don’t know when something will happen to your data and severely affect your business.  Take the necessary steps BEFORE it does happen.  Get Business Data Insurance, back your data up locally and also off-site.  Test your backups on a regular basis.  It serves no purpose to back your data up if it cannot be restored.

Request a FREE session today with a specialist on Business Data Insurance, Backup & Recovery Solutions.  It doesn’t cost you anything and could save your business.

Is your business prepared for any type of disaster?  When was the last time you even asked yourself that question?  If it’s been awhile, than you need to ask yourself what would happen if you lost all of your data?  How would that affect your business?  How would your clients respond?  Probably not very favorably.

Even thought small businesses may not have as may employees or equipment as large enterprises, they are still vulnerable to a disaster.  Unfortunately you can not predict when it will happen, but it will happen at some point.  Many businesses don’t want to take the time and the expense to prepare a business continuity plan, but can your business really afford not to make one?

Make a List of ALL Possible Disasters

The best place to start is to list different types of disasters and try to determine what could be lost in each case, and what you can do to prevent that loss.  Scenario planning is a great place to start.

Communication From The Beginning

The middle of a crisis is not the time to frantically search for phone numbers.  Even small businesses need emergency contact numbers.  Have all emergency contact numbers posted or programmed into every phone.  Do you have an alternate mode of communication should your main phone lines shut down?  Could your clients seamlessly contact you without ever knowing that your office was in the middle of a disaster recovery?  The same principal applies to email and fax.  Making arrangements regarding communication are critical to keeping your business running smoothly.

Preserving Your Data

In the event of a disaster, it is important to know that everything you need to function as a business is available. Identify all vital systems, documents, and data.  While it is important for every business to backup their data on a regular basis, what if a fire destroyed your office?  For this reason, offsite storage is critical to preserving your businesses’ valuable information.

A Temporary Worksite

It is also important to plan for a temporary work-site.  Depending on the goods or services your business offers, can you continue smooth operation if your office is shut down?  Contingency planning is important, to map out each of the scenarios above.

Test Your Plan

One of the keys to successful disaster recovery is testing your business continuity plan on a regular basis.  It is important that you and your staff know exactly what to do, where to go, and how to access the necessary items you need to keep your business running smoothly to the outside world, even if you are standing in the middle of a disaster.  Schedule regular plan tests to ensure that everyone in your office is on the same page and ready should disaster strike.

We hope that the information above was valuable.  Please contact us for a FREE discussion on data protection, business disaster planning and risk analysis.

Like most people these days, you’re hearing a lot of buzz about Google apps and wondering to yourself, “Is Google apps right for my business?”  There is no right or wrong answer and there is no easy answer.  Each case is different, but what you have to do is either work with an IT consultant or go through a step by step process and determine for yourself.  Unfortunately there isn’t a 1800 # to call for Google, so you’re on your own, or need to turn to an IT consultant.

For those of you who want try to do it on your own, here are some things you will need to address for your company:

1) What are my alternatives? Depending on the size of your business and whether you have an IT staff or internal staff, you may already be handling your email, collaboration, calendaring, etc.  You can either manage in-house (i.e. Microsoft Exchange) or a hosted solution such as Google Apps or a Hosted Exchange.  Hosting internally will require more IT resources — it’s not recommended to host your own exchange without IT support, and rather focus on your business.  There are a wide range of IT providers that provide Hosted Exchange services, and the pricing is slightly higher than Google apps.

2) How Reliable is Google apps? For the most part you should be fine, but you are taking a risk for anything that is stored outside of your control.  One issue I have with Google apps is the fact that if something does happen, or go down, you don’t have a number to call.  For most Microsoft hosted solutions, you are working with a solution provider and have a direct rep to contact.  Google did have an outage a couple months back, and even Sony was hacked into.  My point is that it happens, and you will likely be faced with the situation some time or another, be prepared to deal with it and without your data for a period of time.

3) Is cheaper always better? I am a strong believer, you get what you pay for.  If communication and access to your documents is “CRITICAL” to your business organization, perhaps going the cheapest route isn’t the best solution here.  On the other hand, if you can live without your email or docs for a period of time every now and again, then the cheapest route may be for you.  It all depends on your business objectives.

We hope that this will get you to ask a few questions for yourself.  In the meantime, if you wish to get your feet wet and take a test drive as to what hosting services is all about, please feel free to check out our 30 Day FREE offer of our hosting services located at http://invenioit.com/lp_hosting.html

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Last week I browsed Blackberry’s website and noticed a promotion for the upcoming Blackberry Bold 9900/9930.  It made me think – this is the first time (in ages) I can recall Blackberry posting releases of upcoming phones on their website.  It’s always a mystery of what their new phones will be.  There is always hype on the forums of what the phones should be, and the new releases usually come and go with little to no fireworks.

Has Blackberry done a double take about their marketing strategy?  Have they seen enough of their new phones released with little to no hoopla or consumer anticipation?  Have they seen their competition’s releases have massive impacts in the market while their new products receive little to no attention?

I have a few ideas for Blackberry in order to stay relevant:

1. Focus and limit the number of their phones. Blackberry cannot be everything to everyone.  Their product lines run the spectrum and try to appease to all consumers in the market.  By losing focus, their product lines have become inferior and RIM lost their advantage.  RIM is now in catch up mode, paddling upstream to catch both Android and Apple.  If RIM can limit their product line to four phones (one for the business executive, one for the trendy consumer, a touch screen and a mid model) they can build a stronger sense of purpose in their client’s mind.  They waste internal resources coming out with new phones and new launches, instead of improving their current lines.  An example is the one off ‘Tour’ which seemed like it was a stop gap.
2. Release new products around the same time of year. Pick a time of year and release new products around the same time.  Stick to it.  Build anticipation in the consumer and they will be condition and excited for new products to arrive.  Their current launch strategy seems haphazard and consumers don’t know when to expect new products/innovations, and as a result little to no anticipation or excitement.
3. Blackberry must improve their products and be an innovator and not a follower. Their products are not on par with their competition, and the new Bold looks like it will not be something new or motivating consumers to upgrade.  This phone should have been released 1-2 years ago, RIM is too far behind the curve.  There is only so long loyalists will stay with Blackberry, as they watch their associates with newer, faster, COOLER phones and tablets.  The phones are extremely slow, outdated and a very poor browsing experience.  Yes, executives like toys!  Look at the fancy cars, boat and planes!
4. Promote new products and upcoming releases to your current clients! I have been a Blackberry user for many years, and never has an email from Blackberry crossed my inbox about a new upcoming phone — and I’ve used my personal email address a few times over the years to be notified of updates.  Not marketing to your current clientele is such an oversight and wasted opportunity.

If Blackberry wishes to continue to be relevant in the Smartphone industry, they had better understand their client and do a much better job of delivering ground breaking products.  I’m hoping that the pre-release marketing message of an upcoming phone on their website is a new way of thinking for Blackberry.

Be sure to reach out to one of our Technology Strategists for a discussion on IT Strategy, Business Strategy, Marketing Strategy, or just to say hello.  You can reach us here.