Stay on Top of the Latest IT Industry News With This Selection of Blog Posts from BCS

Interactive Digital Signage Maintenance: Top 3 Tips and Tricks

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In December 2018, several McDonald’s restaurants in the U.K. faced an embarrassing PR crisis when a group of researchers discovered some unseemly bacteria on the screens of touch-based ordering kiosks. McDonald’s responded quickly by disinfecting those screens and publicly committing to doing better in the future. This should serve as a big reminder to those who use digital signs, especially interactive ones, to devote resources to cleaning and maintenance! Read more

New Tech to Make Life Easier

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With the holidays approaching, you’re probably already looking for gifts for the office and your friends and family at home. You may also already be stressed out, trying to handle everything in the office before the extra days off this season. Thankfully, these new tech updates can make your life easier, and your workplace more efficient:

  1. Bluetooth headphones. New Bluetooth headphones, like Apple’s AirPods, are updated versions of those bulky over-the-ear headsets. These make great gifts, but also make life easier when you are on the go, or in cold weather when you can’t use your phone’s touch screen easily.
  2. Smart Speakers. These devices are great to have at home, but are excellent for the office as well. For your busiest days, smart speakers can tell you the weather and read news highlights while you’re settling in, or play music during your office holiday party. When you have too many items on your monitor and need to know something fast, you can ask your device for the information you need.
  3. Tablets. These portable devices aren’t just for browsing Facebook and watching Netflix anymore. If you are frequently on the go or meeting with clients, having a tablet is a convenient way to take and present notes without carrying around loose paper, or getting work done when you don’t have an internet connection available. With the great Apps available from Starleaf and other brands, you can connect with your employees access information remotely.

These three tech updates are a great addition to any office, but not if your systems are failing. To learn more about the solutions that BCS offers to keep your office running smoothly, give us a call at (757) 497-3100, or use our online contact form.

Protecting Your Data

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If you’ve been keeping up with tech news so far this year, you may be aware of new insight that Google provided on who may have access to your data. They found that hackers could find your stored information in cloud services through your device’s processors. If your business, like many others, relies on computers, tablets and phones to store important information and communicate with clients and employees, this news may be frightening.

Read more

Streamline Cloud Communications and Lower TCO with MiCloud

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cloud storage services

Mitel helps service providers streamline cloud communications and lower TCO with MiCloud

New features expand on Mitel’s ‘speed-to-market’ advantages.

Mitel has added new features to its MiCloud portfolio aimed at helping service providers quickly deliver cloud communications to their customers. Additionally, the latest release of the MiCloud solution contains a number of enhancements to help service providers lower total cost of ownership (TCO) even further.

This coincides with news from Synergy Research Group that Mitel is the global market share leader for cloud business communications based on subscribers and seats, with nearly 20% worldwide.

“Customer interest in our Mitel-powered cloud communications solution has been growing as customers seek flexible, affordable communications solutions that fit their unique business needs. MiCloud’s new features further strengthen our offering increasing our scale up into large enterprises while adding even more mobility for our SMB customers,” said Bertrand Laurioz, Telecom BU Director, Hub One.

A comprehensive cloud communications solution, MiCloud powers Mitel’s own cloud services as well as providing the platform for a growing number of service providers. MiCloud enables service providers to customize solutions to reach their target audience, from small-to-medium size businesses up to large enterprises. New features enhance mobility, increase scalability for enterprise customers and further tighten integration with popular applications including Salesforce.com and Google Business Applications.

Lower TCO

With more features now included in Mitel’s licence bundles, MiCloud offers even more functionality at a lower cost. These include features aimed at supporting an increasingly mobile workforce. Additionally, Mitel has streamlined the provisioning, management and support of Mitel users to further lower the TCO.

Flexibility and speed to market

New features for MiCloud simplify provisioning of new services, helping service providers to quickly configure, upgrade or downgrade service bundles. Not only does this accelerate the on boarding of new customers, it also allows service providers to easily provide attractive new ‘try and buy’ promotional offerings.

To help service providers quickly deploy a new MiCloud solution, or to help optimize existing services, Mitel has introduced standardized and tested solution blueprints and an expanded suite of professional services.

“Mitel now offers what we believe is not only the most compelling cloud communications solution for service providers, but also the most price-competitive offering for their customers,” said Andy Bull, managing director of Mitel South Africa. “This lowers initial costs, and more importantly, the long-term total cost of ownership.”

MiCloud powers more than 33 million cloud connections per day. Solutions include applications for unified communications, audio and video collaboration, and contact centers.

For more information please visit Mitel.

Provided by Mitel.

Business Phone Systems? Don’t Trust Just Anyone.

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When it comes to business communications and modern phone systems, there are plenty of options to consider–so many that it can get overwhelming (See: Looking for a New Business Phone System: 10 Terms to Know). As a business owner, you are making an important investment in your future and the future of your employees. How do you choose the right phone system, and perhaps more critically, how do you choose the right communications provider? To answer the first question, check out “Mitel Business Phone Systems: Which One is Right for You?“. To answer the second question read on.

Top 5 Qualities to Look for in a Business Phone System Provider

1. Confident and knowledgeable about the products they sell. Many business communications companies leave it entirely to the consumer to research, compare and learn the ins-and-outs of a new business phone system. These companies act like little more than a middle man for phone system manufacturers and place little stock in the products. Choose a provider that loves what they do and is passionate about what they’re selling.

2. Offers reliable ground support. What’s the use of spending a great deal of money on a new phone system if installation and user training is disjointed and sub-par thanks to a provider headquartered across the country or even overseas? System installation, training, maintenance and repair should be a breeze for the client. Choose a provider that is geographically close and makes IT support top priority.

3. Provides knowledge and expertise in the broad spectrum of business communication issues. These days, a company’s communication strategy is anything but simple. The phone system is tied to the Internet service is tied to the cloud is tied to the private network is tied to the cabling.….you get the picture. Choose a provider that understands and is able to address the complex mechanics of the latest advancements in information technology.

4. Understands local challenges and circumstances facing your business.  Much like using a communications company with on-point ground support, we recommend joining with a local or regional company to manage your communication needs. Choose a provider that knows what you’re up against and can integrate that knowledge into its technology recommendations.

5. Is as invested in your company’s success as you are. Pretty self-explanatory. Choose a provider that does more than drop a phone system in your lap and collect their money. Choose a provider that wants to see your company grow, evolve and come out on top.

At BCS Voice and Data Solutions, our mission is “to provide our clients consulting, hardware, and services that maximize the value and effectiveness of their business technology,” and to do so with the previous five qualities constantly in mind. If you are in Hampton Roads, Virginia or the Mid-Atlantic region and are in the market for a new business phone system, unified communications solution, or IT support and outsourcing, contact us today.

Image: freedigitalphotos.net

The Risk of Relying on Consumer Cloud Storage Services

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Stephen Pritchard of ITPRO believes that the consumer cloud is experiencing a crisis of confidence and that this has implications for businesses who elect to use certain cloud storage services. In reference to the Google downtime earlier this week and other recent consumer cloud shutdowns (Amazon/Netflix and Microsoft in particular), Pritchard says,

“Companies are increasingly allowing, or even relying on, the use of services such as Google Drive, or Microsoft’s Office365….If businesses use these services to store documents, or instead of desktop software, even a short outage can cause a real loss of productivity. If companies build business processes around services such as Google Drive, the impact reach[es] even further.” (ITPRO)

Even if the company doesn’t officially adopt consumer cloud storage services like Google Drive and Microsoft’s Office365, individual employees often find them convenient for easy document storage and collaborative work on a project-by-project basis. The use of these services by employees may seem harmless (or maybe a little reckless), but as we saw with the Google server issues on Tuesday, the unpredictable nature of the consumer cloud has the potential to stall important office operations.

Best Cloud Storage Practices

We don’t mean to shed any suspicion on cloud-based data storage as a whole, but rather to emphasize the superior security of enterprise-class cloud services, which can be tailored to the unique needs of each business. When it comes to the cloud, you really do get what you pay for. A business that deploys an enterprise-class cloud storage service on a private network enjoys far less risk of downtime and increased efficiency (especially when paired with 24/7 network monitoring).

It seems obvious that companies should refrain from depending on the consumer cloud storage services , but the issue presents a more nuanced choice for IT strategists: Should use of consumer cloud services be prohibited in-office on an individual basis? The challenge in answering this question is that it is nearly impossible to remove such services entirely. Instead, as Pritchard recommends, “…companies should look at improving their in-house IT to make it more attractive, or else invest in enterprise-grade cloud services, and promote their use.”

If your business is currently relying on consumer cloud storage services for data storage, don’t wait until major downtime hurts productivity and revenue to research your options for enterprise-class cloud services like VMware’s Private Cloud. And if a dated IT infrastructure is leading employees to opt for consumer cloud services, consider an upgrade.

Call or contact BCS to talk to IT experts about your company’s cloud options as well as network monitoring services and outsourcing. We are your IT department (if you want us to be)!

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Never bring your laptop to a meeting again. Introducing the Mitel UC360.

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Concerning multi-party collaboration, clients come to BCS looking for a solution that is affordable and simple to use while still providing all of the high-tech capabilities of a dedicated multimedia business communication suite. Some might think that sounds like a tall order, but thanks to Mitel’s UC360 Collaboration Point, we’re happy to say that they are wrong.

Mitel UC 360 Collaboration Point

Mitel UC360 is a single device that is open and standards-based, meaning that it fits seamlessly into diverse communication infrastructures and is compatible with most PBX systems and computing environments. No hassle or expensive infrastructure upgrade here. You just connect UC360 to your network and its intuitive user-interface will guide you through the simple setup process. From there, you can begin to engage in the kind of collaboration that drives innovation… with the ease of making a phone call. Watch this informative video to see UC360 in action:

 

UC360 is ideal for those offices and shared spaces that wouldn’t usually be used for intensive multimedia collaboration and those businesses that want more than what even the most expensive business phones offer in the way of collaboration.

A few of UC360’s fantastic features include:

  • Intuitive touchscreen and user interface.  The vibrant 7-inch color display takes the guesswork out of device deployment and operation. It serves as the hub of all of your activity and makes it so you don’t even need to bring your laptop into the meeting with you, no matter how intensive your presentation.
  • Superior audio and display quality. Whether you have two or four parties participating in your meeting, UC360 boasts high definition audio that will provide each member of the conference with an in-room experience no matter where they are. And UC360 supports HD display on LCD monitors and top-of-the-line projectors so every crisp detail of your presentation will have the utmost clarity.
  • Easy access to everything you need. Pull up all the important documents you need for your presentation however is most convenient for you. UC360 supports USB flash drives and micro SD cards as well as instantaneous access to Dropbox and Google® Docs™. You can even connect to a remote desktop. Again, no laptop necessary.
  • Seamless Mitel integration. From Mitel: “When integrated into Mitel Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) Solutions, UC360 also supports user dialing into audio conference calls on Mitel communications platforms and on the desktop collaboration application Mitel Collaboration Advanced (MCA). You can include UC360 in Mitel Personal Ring Groups, and seamlessly manage UC360 with the aware-winning unified communications application Mitel Unified Communicator® Advanced (UCA), so that calls reach you based on your presence and availability.”

In short, if your business already uses Mitel Unified Communications technology, Mitel UC360 is the perfect addition to your office. And even if you don’t, UC360 will complement your existing infrastructure and streamline productive collaboration without putting extra strain on your IT department.

As an exclusive Mitel business partner, BCS is proud to offer your company UC360 and the rest of Mitel’s cutting edge business communication solutions. Call or contact us today to learn more.

Business-IT Alignment

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How long has it been since your company last assessed the quality of its business-IT alignment? If it has been a while, there is a good chance that your company isn’t operating as efficiently as it could with an IT strategy revised to support current business objectives and fiscal needs.  Especially in an age when business depends so heavily on technology, it is vital that the two elements interact strategically toward one goal.  As we enter 2013, it’s a good time to take account of your business-IT alignment and make changes as necessary. Let’s look at three ways you as a forward-thinking business professional can adjust the business-IT relationship for the better and reap the rewards as the year ensues:

Make your company’s customer the focal point of IT

Like a company’s product or service offering, marketing and advertising, and fiscal planning, IT strategy should be tailored to the company’s ultimate client-base. Often internal IT departments begin to view the company as their customer, when in order to operate effectively, all departments including IT should focus on serving the needs of the customer.  How you make this happen depends on your type industry.  If you sell to people, you can simply ask them how your technology can serve them better.  B2B operations are a little more complex, but by considering the nature of the businesses to which you sell, you should be able to make small changes to your IT strategy that will enhance customer experience.

Come together frequently to assess business-IT alignment

While this seems like a function of common sense, the daily grind can put up a wall of non-communication between a business’ leaders and its IT department that neither party intended to be there. In order to avoid this issue, companies should hold regular meetings in which business and IT goals are coordinated, service problems/failures are accounted for and evaluated, and, in general, everybody makes sure they are on the same page.

Outsource discriminately

If your IT operations are handled offsite, make sure that you work with a service provider that considers and understands not only your company’s technology needs, but also its overall goals, mission, and client base. Just as you would an internal IT department, stay accountable to your service provider and demand the same in return.

BCS Voice and Data Solutions works closely with its clients to provide tailored outsourcing solutions that will drive your business forward. Call us today.

Source: SearchCIO