Spring is finally upon us, the days are getting longer, the weather warmer, and the flowers are in bloom recovering from their winter somber. Spring has to be one of my favorite times of year as a result.

The IT industry has been going through its fair share of change this Spring as well – rumors are starting to circulate about the new Apple iPad being released in the May / June timeframe, Microsoft just upgraded Office 365 with the new feature set in the Office 2013 editions, Google has come out with their own Laptop & operating system, and we are seeing a lot of interest from our clients for business analytics reporting to help people run their businesses with critical real-time information reporting. Lots of good stuff going on and it is sure to continue throughout the year. The Network Co. of California has been upgrading their staff to address these new technology challenges to better serve our client needs and help them save money on effectively implementing IT solutions that help their business.

Our articles this month reflect a variety of methods in which companies can take advantage of technologies to improve their business to better serve both their internal and external clients. It isn’t all about technology either, it is really all about taking care of people, making their lives a bit easier and reducing the complexity that technology brings in a way that improves a company’s bottom line.

Article 1 – The first article “5 Ways to reduce IT Spending” looks at the issues and items we need to address as business owners as they relate to technology. Most small business owners are not in the technology business and often don’t have the time or insight to spend addressing the key issues that can affect their profitability from a technology perspective.

Article 2 -”Tips on Improving IT revenue – Part 3″ – is the third article in a 3 part series that continues the discussion of ways to improve revenue generation using technology. Is your technology a business expense or a profit center? If you need help with the answer give me a call personally.

Article 3 focuses on how “IT Outsourcing could help your business” takes a look at what IT outsourcing can do to help your business grow and reduce expenses, It’s a good read that provides some insights to help you understand what to consider and if this is viable alternative to how your company is consuming and supporting your current technology environment.

If you have any questions or would like an honest and upfront look at how you company is or isn’t using technology to grow and support your business goals feel free to contact me personally at (760) 744-0442 extension 208. We are here to help others be successful. Have a great month!

Fred Harrah, CEO
The Network Co. of California
fharrah@tncc.com
(760) 744-0442 x. 208

Most small to medium businesses operate on razor-thin margins, with managers and owners on the lookout for ways to minimize costs in hopes of maximizing the bottom line. There are many ways to cut costs, and one area to look at could be your technology. As you likely know, technology isn’t cheap, but there is always a way to keep expenses down.

Here are five ways you can reduce IT spending.

Backup everything
If your business is like most other small to medium companies, the majority of your important files are located on one server or maybe a couple of computers. Technology doesn’t last forever and the machine where you have your data stored on will eventually stop working.

When it does, you will have to replace it, and your files that were on it could be lost. The cost to recover them will be high. To minimize this risk, you should invest in a solid backup platform that runs on a regular basis.

Yes, this will cost money now, but would you rather have a copy of your systems and data from Yesterday which can be easily implemented when you have a problem, or would you like to pay to maybe recover year’s worth of data? Backups will save you costs in the long-run, not to mention the stress they will help you avoid.

Have a strict anti virus policy
The idea that your employees won’t download programs or browser extensions simply because you tell them not to is like telling a child not to eat candy; they are still going to do it. By simply having computers and devices accessing the Internet through your network, you are at risk. If your systems are hacked or infected, you can face lost data, high recovery costs or worse.

How do you minimize the chance of malware infections and the risk of being hacked? Antivirus software and security solutions installed on every computer that can be run from one machine are your answer. This makes it easier for you or your IT partner to ensure all of your systems’ antivirus software is up to date and scanning when it should be. This will minimize the chance of infection and keep costs down.

Document everything
As your company grows, you will start to use more technology. Over time, it will need to be replaced, and you likely won’t be able to afford replacing all your systems at once. This means that you will have to track down the systems, software, etc. that need to be replaced; which will take time and cost you money.

If you take steps to document all of your systems, computers, software, etc.; where it’s located; when it was implemented; who is in charge of it, etc., you will be able to track things down quickly when needed, thus managing your systems better. This time saving measure will cut your costs.

Look into a CRM/ERP/HRM solution
There are so many software solutions out there that can help you plan and run your operations. If you’ve been tracking employee data or planning using a simple spreadsheet, you could be getting more out of a tailored solution.

Solutions like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or even Human Resources Management (HRM) can help you spot hidden costs or even plan more efficiently, which will reduce costs well into the future.

Look for fixed-price solutions
A major problem with all technology related systems is that predicting costs is nearly impossible. You simply don’t know when/if an important piece of hardware will fail. This becomes even harder if you don’t have expertise in tech.

One of the best ways to save money on IT costs is to outsource. Almost every IT provider offers flat-rate services that cover your systems and can ensure you maximize your IT investment. This makes budgeting for IT easier, as you know what your monthly costs will be. You can then focus on your business, and over time will see a decrease in IT costs.

If you are looking to cut your IT expenses, why not contact us. We may have a solution that will ease the budget burden.

One of the defining characteristics of a business owner is the often overwhelming feeling that they must do everything themselves. Some entrepreneurs are not great at delegating within their company, let alone to specialists outside. This can cause problems, especially when you realize that you aren’t an expert, and could use a little help. For many business owners this realization comes about when they tackle their IT systems and ensuing problems. One solution could be to outsource IT.

Outsourcing IT is a bit different than the usual outsourcing you get in factories, or support services. Instead of going overseas, you can partner with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) in your local area. MSPs provide comprehensive IT management services which usually cover everything tech related.

Working with an MSP often has a direct impact on your bottom line, and can help make your company even more successful than it already is, or at least increase profits to get you there. However, there are many more reasons companies outsource. Below are our Top Five:

5 reasons why you should outsource IT

1. Increased control of operational costs - Most MSPs group their services together into monthly plans, meaning you have one cost associated with the IT department. Overhead expenses such as staffing, overtime hours, and operational costs, as well as software licenses, etc., are all included in a flat monthly fee. This makes it easier for you to control IT related costs, while also saving money.
2. Take focus away from IT, refocus on business functions - Technology is great and a necessity of running most modern businesses but it does break and become either worn out or outdated. Seemingly endless tech issues can take your focus away from key business functions. MSPs take care of all this, allowing you to re-focus your efforts and energies into running your business.
3. Access to better resources – The best and newest tech is often pricey; well beyond the budget of a vast majority of small and medium sized businesses. This is further compounded by the fact that you likely can’t afford to hire the new employees needed to to run these systems either. MSPs can provide the latest tech along with the experience to support it, allowing you to get more for less.
4. IT functions are beyond current abilities – If you are like most small to medium companies, you have a few staff who are designated as computer experts, even though that may not be their main role or responsibility. Or it could be the case that you and your colleagues simply lack the knowledge and experience required to run increasingly complex technical systems. The employees at MSPs eat, sleep and breathe tech, and can provide enterprise level IT support and knowledge.
5. Reduced risk from IT failure - Technical systems are built to be robust. However, they aren’t perfect and will eventually fail. This could mean lengthy downtime, increased costs and lost data. Managed Service Providers reduce this risk by actively monitoring your systems and offering back-up services which will reduce productivity loss and lost business.

3 things you can expect from an MSP
There are a wide variety of MSPs, serving many industries, but there are three things you should expect from any MSP.

1. Flexibility - IT companies have access to a wide variety of vendors, tech and resources. This means they should be able to develop scalable solutions that meet your companies needs as you grow.
2. Product experts - The main business objective of an MSP is to provide IT services.To do this they need employees who know their stuff. To get the best, most hire staff with specific qualifications and certifications and experience with the systems offered.
3. Long-run cost savings - In the short-term it is entirely plausible that internal staff are cheaper than a monthly MSP. Factor in the cost of purchasing technology, maintaining it, plus the cost of recovery, and the cost of retaining an internal IT team will skyrocket. Most companies you outsource to offer a flat rate monthly fee, and will be able to maintain your systems longer. This means lower replacement costs and increased uptime, which in the long run make outsourcing a viable, cost-efficient option.

If you are tired of IT problems and cost overruns, contact us today to see what we can do for you.

The mobile phone has become an integral part of any business owners tech toolbox. Unlike other systems however, it has remained a largely physical device. Desktops and servers on the other hand have seen virtualization take hold, and businesses benefit from this. Is there a chance that your smartphone could see virtualization applied to its systems? It very well might do.

Traditional smartphones are individual packages. The operating system and user are physically tied to the device. If you think about it, there are really only a few phones out there, and millions of people probably have the exact same one that you do. They differentiate their phones from others by the pictures, apps, videos, etc. stored on the device and the way they have personalized their phones.

Should you lose your phone, that data is likely lost, and you are faced with a potentially high cost to replace it. The two major operating system developers - Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) - have started to implement virtual backup solutions. Your contacts, apps and some personalization settings are backed up to the cloud and connected with a user account. When you enter the account information, you can quickly get the most important information from your phone back.

Combine this with the various cloud storage services that allow users to store their information, pictures, etc., with access from nearly any device. This integration with the cloud has enabled users to rely less on physical devices, and points to a potential virtualization concept: Non-dedicated devices.

The idea of non-dedicated devices is that you can use any device, regardless of manufacturer or OS, to access a system you can call your own. Imagine if your phone runs out of batteries. You borrow a friend's, log in using your username and password and that device instantly becomes personalized to you.

Could this work? There are currently three identifiable virtualization trends that point to non-dedicated mobile devices becoming  a reality:

1. Increasing adoption of cloud services by mobile uses - Many mobile users have cloud storage apps installed on their devices and store some form of mobile related information or data on it. What's more, these apps are cross-platform meaning you can access them on iPhone, Android, Mac or Windows.
2. Heavy personalization of mobile devices - OS developers have started to store more information in the cloud. Google, for example, can store your contacts and basic personalization choices - e.g., wallpaper and apps, pictures, and even your calendar, in the cloud. Make changes on your mobile and you will see these on your computer too.
3. Ability to access whole work systems from a mobile device - There are apps for both Android and Apple devices that allow users to access and control their desktops and work systems directly from phone or tablet. This has decreased the need for users to be chained to their desk just to be able to do work.

It wouldn't be hard for an enterprising company to develop a system that integrates these three, already existing functions into a device. The only major stumbling block we can see is that current OS developers don't necessarily get along all that well. We predict that this virtualization will become a possibility on individual systems (Android and iOS), in the near future, but across systems may take longer.

We'd like to know what you think of non-dedicated devices. Would you use one? Are there any other problems you can foresee? Let us know today.

While you are undoubtedly looking for ways to attract new customers, are you spending enough time building the revenue from each of your existing customers? Customers who have had positive experiences with you in the past are more likely to do business with you again. They trust you.

You also have information about those customers. You know what they purchased, whether they paid on time and where they are located. An integrated ERP system allows you to take that information and analyze it from different angles. By looking for trends and similarities among your existing customers, you gain insight that can build all your accounts.

Identify your best customers The first step you should take is to determine which customers deliver the most profits to your business. That may not mean the highest revenue customers - high volume customers may demand reduced prices from you with threats of going to the competition.

By matching up the actual costs of dealing with each one of your customers you will get a better understanding of their contribution to your bottom line. From sales expense through cost of delivery, evaluating the actual costs compared to revenues from each of your customers may deliver some surprising results.

The real benefit of an integrated ERP system is that it allows you to combine the information from different departments and different locations. With centralized information, you can evaluate customer value based on the all the interactions that they have with your business.

Predictive sales and packaging When you can identify similarities in the customers you serve, you can predict what products and services they may buy next. For example, if you supply grocery stores with specialty food products you could compare the product mix that each customer purchases. Some stores may be missing opportunity with a product set that sells well for other customers.

By sharing data from across a wide range of customers, you provide additional value - without naming competitors. You are providing market information that helps your customers win more business.

Through the sales analysis, you may also identify a pattern of customers purchasing the same combination of products.  Combine those products or services together as a “package” and promote to all of your customers. You’ll expand your footprint with some customers and provide a benefit to loyal customers who take advantage of all your services.

Put your data to work Are you making full use of the data your business gathers? The integrated data from an ERP system allows you to analyze information from a number of angles to identify trends and uncover hidden opportunities. Let’s put your data to work.

Humans are generally visual creatures. We need to see something to believe it, or be able to digest and use it. For most companies wanting to gauge their performance and success, they need to analyze existing data. The problem is, data by itself is useless. It only becomes useful once it's collected and analyzed and presented in a way we can understand. For many businesses this is done through the use of dashboards.

A dashboard is an easy to read and comprehend representation of data that indicates the current status of a company. Most dashboards look at a company's Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and display information graphically, and more often than not in real-time. This study of performance is often referred to as analytics, and companies can use KPIs, and the dashboards that represent them, to predict, describe and even change performance.

Dashboards have become an integral part of any analytics process, and can really help a business. However, they need to be implemented properly if a business is to benefit. Here's five tips that can help you launch useful dashboards.

1. Focus on the important Dashboards allow you to track almost any form of data. This doesn't mean you should, however. In fact, it's a good idea to step back and identify the most important, or most integral processes of your business. You could start with two or three of these that you can clearly track from beginning to end.

2. Do your tech due diligence The number of programs and full solutions that offer small businesses dashboards are plentiful. You should think about what exactly you want to track and your overall goals before you talk to a vendor.

With the information and metrics identified, you should look for a solution that allows you to track these to the level you want. If you're only being offered once a week views, for example, and you need updates once a day, you're better off continuing your search.

Beyond this, you should be careful to look at the options each dashboard has, and the information it follows. You don't want to be tracking information you don't need, as this could throw off the effectiveness of the solution.

3. One solution won't fit all It's important to bear in mind that different departments or roles will want to track different information. You should include the different team wants, along with their representatives, when looking at solutions, so you can get a better picture as to what you need.

4. Benchmarks Once you have set your goals or objectives and before you implement your new dashboard, it is a good idea to track any related information. This should give you a solid idea from which you can compare changes once the dashboard is implemented.

This pre-system tracking doesn't have to be long, maybe three to six months - enough time to give you a solid grasp of what you want to look at. After implementation, track the same data for six months and look again. Any changes will become the new benchmark which will allow you to launch new solutions, or gauge effectiveness of the data you are collecting.

5. Back up your data As with any tech system, all dashboard software will have the occasional bug or glitch. It simply cannot be avoided. Developers and vendors know this and many have backup solutions to ensure data loss is minimized. It is a good idea to consult with them to ensure their backup meets your needs, or look for one who can work with existing technology to ensure data won't be lost.

Tracking data and information that is critical to a business's operations can help you gain not only a clear picture of just how well your company is doing, but also highlight any need for changes or improvements. If you would like to find the right dashboards for your business, please contact us, we may have a solution that will drive your success.

How is your New Year going? We are almost two months into 2013 and the economy looks to be getting a little healthier with home sales and prices starting to recover little by little. I was at a chamber of commerce meeting the other day and learned that the city of San Marcos only has a 3 week inventory of single family detached homes for sale compared to over 2 months inventory just a year ago which isn’t much for a city of over 80,000 people.

TNCC has also seen demand increase for system upgrades and refreshes as new technology starts to make its way into our clients businesses. Our clients are asking more about the cloud and what it can do for their company? This new technology is disruptive bit it is giving our clients to reinvent their businesses, take advantage of new technologies that were out of reach before, and save money. The big benefit has been that our clients are able to significantly reduce the cost of maintaining and upgrading in house systems which is typically about 65% of a company’ annual IT spend freeing up cash to invest in revenue generating technology. The secret to success with moving to cloud hosted technology is the ensuring that a proper transition plan and roadmap are developed and executed on so the company gets what they need and expect. Problems arise in being able to identify, properly deploy, and melt these new technologies into the work place to provide the proper return on investment while empowering staff.

This month’s articles will focus on helping company’ invest wisely in their IT in order to improve the ROI on this investment. It is part 2 of last month’ article “How to Save Money on IT” is your IT giving value back to your company or is it just a business expense?

Article 2 – Talks a bit about Virtualization from a business perspective while providing some insight into why you need to consider investing in virtualization for some of your IT environment.

Article 3 – Focuses on ERP systems and the role business decision makers and IT have in helping the company deploy system that are going to manage the daily operation of a company’s processes.

Article 4 – Microsoft just released Office 2013 last month but they released 6 different flavors this article will provide an overview of each version so you can choose the version you need or just give TNCC a call and we can hook you up with the new version of Office 365 NOW set to release in March.

Fred Harrah, CEO
The Network Co. of California
fharrah@tncc.com
(760) 744-0442 x. 208

“The way we always did it” is a tough argument to overcome, but for the good of your company times must change. The past several decades have seen the IT department in charge of selecting and managing the business applications that support the organization. There is a growing trend to turn that process around and empower business decision makers to drive the ERP selection process.

Business leadership in technology decisions
In the past, when there were business management systems that needed improvement, the IT team was tasked with finding a solution. They worked with technology providers to evaluate solutions and presented their recommendations to the business unit. Business managers chose the best option and made due to fill in the gaps.

That system doesn’t serve modern business operation well. With the internet, anyone with knowledge about the challenges can thoroughly research the options. Business managers are better suited to ask the right questions and to learn how others in the industry are dealing with similar challenges. Equipped to ask specific questions that can qualify those who claim to be experts in the industry, business managers can help the company weed out imposters quickly.

A better understanding of the issues
As a business operations manager in your organization, you have a better understanding of the processes of your department than anyone. You know the strengths and weaknesses of your systems and probably have a pretty good idea of what you need to fix the weak areas. A thorough requirements analysis, whether performed internally or with the help of experts, should provide the framework for your software evaluation.

Clearly, the IT department must be involved in the process of selection to provide their expert input on underlying technologies. Their support is key to the success of an implementation as well as ongoing support. In partnership, operations and IT will provide a better foundation for ERP success.

Empowered business managers
As a business manager, you have the knowledge and the access to information that can save your company time and money. Take the lead in a new approach to choose the business management systems that can support your business for the long term.

If you are ready to take your business operations to the next level, let’s talk. We understand that business drivers the technology decision, not the other way around.

There is little doubt as to the most popular office production suite. Microsoft Office has been the program of choice for almost two decades and shows no sign of giving this status up in the near future. In late January Microsoft officially released Office 2013, and as usual released numerous versions aimed at meeting the needs of different users.

Here’s a brief overview of the different versions of Office 2013 released last month.

A tale of three Offices
There are three different types of Office: Standalone, Subscription and RT. The standalone versions are similar to older versions of Office, as you will be able to buy these in stores. You pay once, and have access to the software that comes in that bundle, as you would with older versions. The only difference is that older versions came on CDs or DVDs, while the newer versions are really a code that you enter on the Microsoft website to download Office.

Subscription based versions are referred to as Office 365 for home, and are sold on a per month/year basis. You will be able to buy a year subscription in stores, which will come with an activation code you can enter in the Office site to download the software. This option is heavily integrated with the cloud and users will be able to store and access documents by signing into their SkyDrive account. You can also store files on your computer.

The RT version of Office is a tablet specific version engineered for use with touchscreen devices. This version comes installed on all RT tablets like the Microsoft Surface. This will only work on tablets running ARM processors and will only be available to users who buy a specific tablet. You won’t be able to buy the software in stores, or online.

Office 365 versions

• Office 365 Home Premium - This version has two pricing schemes: USD$9.99 a month or USD$99.99 a year. Users who chose this option will be able to install it on five different computers, and will be able to use: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access and Publisher. You will also get 20GB free storage with SkyDrive and 60 Skype minutes a month. Office on Demand – a ‘streaming’ version of Office that you can access over the Internet is also included.
• Office 365 University - This version is the same as Home Premium but is for university students and staff. The subscription costs USD$79.99 for four years, and can be installed on two different machines. If you are doing a part-time course, you should also be eligible for this.

Office 2013 standalone versions

• Office Home & Student 2013 - This is the more traditional version of Office which costs USD$139.99 and can be installed on one computer. Users who purchase this version will get Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote, but won’t have the cloud based Office 365 extras.
• Office Home & Business 2013 - At USD$219.99, this version comes with the same software as Office Home & Student, and also includes Outlook. It can be installed on one computer. This is the likely version small businesses will purchase if they don’t want to pay for a subscription.
• Office Professional 2013 - Like other versions of Office 2013, this is a single install and costs USD$399.99. Primarily aimed at businesses, this version comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access and Publisher.

It should be noted that the standalone versions of Office have a perpetual license which means that you can use them for as long as you like.

Is this Office 365 for business?
The new versions of Office, including Office 365 Home Premium are technically for home use. While this new version contains the name ‘Office 365′ it is actually different from the Office 365 used in businesses. If you currently use the business offering in your company (email servers, instant messaging, SharePoint, etc), there are new versions coming February 27. If you don’t use Office 365 in your business, and are just looking for a new version of Office, Home Premium could be a good option.

Looking to upgrade to a new version of Office, or would like to learn more about how they can help your business, contact us today.

In many tech circles the idea of virtualization – moving physical elements of existing business components onto virtual solutions – is a popular one. Among the different types of devices that can be virtualized, servers are the most common, and for many businesses the easiest and cheapest to go virtual. Are you looking to get more out of your servers?

Here’s five tips on better server virtualization for small to medium businesses.

1. Reality is key - It’s easy, when reading about tech, to get caught up in all the new devices, ideas, etc. and maybe begin to lose site of your situation. It’s not uncommon to have a small business owner want to virtualize all servers at once. This is often not feasible – budget and technology wise.

Instead, you should take the time to assess your servers and identify which servers are best suited to virtualization. For example, if the server that handles your email is starting to show its age, this may be a prime candidate. After identifying potential servers to virtualize, you can begin to develop a better plan.

2. Check compatibility - After you have picked servers for virtualization, you should look at the software the servers handle, to see if they are compatible with the virtualization software you plan to use. Should the software not be compatible you will either have to look for another solution, or upgrade the software. Fail to do this and you could face setbacks and compatibility issues which will likely cause a drop in efficiency, or even negate the savings arising from virtualization.

It is also a good idea to look at whether the server itself is capable of supporting virtualization. Each virtualization solution has different requirements and this is a good thing to keep in mind. Virtualization solutions are always advancing, so the server that can just about handle a solution now may not be able to handle it in a year or two.

3. Don’t forget about your data backup solutions – Interestingly, many virtualization providers also provide data backup solutions. It may be a good idea to look at your existing backup and if it is compatible with the systems you plan to use. If not, this could prove costly for your business if something should happen where you need this.

4. R.S.S. – Reduce. Sell. Save. Server virtualization allows for many servers to be run on one physical unit. This means you will be able to reduce the number of servers, sell them, and finally reap bigger savings through decreased maintenance and operational costs.

5. Work with and IT expert - The above steps can be daunting, even to those in the IT field. There’s just so much to focus on that business owners and managers often don’t have this kind of time. That’s why we highly recommend that in order to get the most out of virtualization, you work with a virtualization expert who can focus on helping you stay realistic, ensure the compatibility of your systems and orient your backup systems.

Looking for an IT expert to help you virtualize your systems? Why not contact us? We may have a solution to help you get even more out of your systems.