Windows 7, 8, & 8.1 EOS

Microsoft is forging ahead with Windows 10 and the overall reception from end users has been a positive one! Yet, there are still many business consumers who prefer Windows 7 or 8. Whether this choice is based on an end users wants or needs, here lies the problem - Microsoft has given OEM manufacturers (HP, Dell, etc.) a deadline of October 31, 2016 to end shipping computers with Windows 7, 8, & 8.1 operating systems pre-installed. After the October 31st deadline,Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 pre-installed on computers will be limited to what is already in stock. Once stock is depleted,
these machines will no longer be available.

Thankfully, Microsoft has made allowances for businesses to be able to downgrade from Windows 10 to these older operating systems. The downgrade will require a full reformat and reload of the older operating system, which can be time consuming and add cost to your computer purchase.

If you are a small business currently using Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, you need to know whether your applications, security products,peripherals, and/or machinery are compatible with Windows 10. If not, you will need to upgrade to a compatible version of your products, or make plans to continue running Windows 7 , 8 or 8.1 computers.

Another factor to consider is the Windows 10 free upgrade is only available until July 29, 2016. If your business wants to upgrade, and you have verified Windows 10 compatibility, now is the time!

Please contact your Diversified Computer Resources Sales Representative to discuss how to leverage the upcoming changes.

DCR License and Warranty Management Services

Who is responsible for keeping up with your company’s software licenses? Who tracks the license renewal and warranty expiration dates? If Microsoft comes calling, is your company complying with end user licensing agreements?

These are time consuming tasks for anyone, and can be especially daunting for companies who do not have full time IT staff. However, neglecting these tasks can mean costly and unexpected expenses. 

Expired Warranties:

A hardware failure on mission critical equipment, can lead to extended downtime and unplanned repair cost.

Software Maintenance:

Expired maintenance contracts can lead to lack of support.

Software Licensing:

Did you know software companies have a legal right to request an audit of the quantity and version of products in use at your company? Did you know proof of ownership of the software you use is your responsibility?

 DCR offers License and Warranty Management Tracking because we recognize the frustration that businesses must endure to remain compliant and protected. This service provides notification at least 45 days prior to license and warranty expiration dates, tracks quantity, contract numbers, install location and more. Clients automatically receive these services for products sold through DCR, and may choose to add product purchases elsewhere.

Contact  your DCR Sales Rep to discuss.

918-436-1830

Thinking About Going GREEN - eInvoicing

   

Going green continues to be a growing trend amongst businesses, and owners are learning the green savings and benefits available to them.

Consider these facts from The National Arbor Day Foundation and the American Forest & Paper Association:

· One tree makes 16.67 reams of copy paper or 8,333.3 sheets

· One ton of copy paper uses 24 trees

· Every ton of paper recovered saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space

In the United States, the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year. That means the average small business office, of approximately 10 employees, use 20 trees or approximately $679.56 worth of paper a year.

As companies shift billing operations to a paperless strategy, they not only improve efficiency and reduce costs, they significantly reduce their environmental footprint. Even bills printed on recycled paper strain natural resources and eventually clog already overburdened landfills.

Electronic billing is another way to reduce paper consumption and save money. Benefits associated with e-billing are reducing the money spent on paper, envelopes, and postage, and your invoices are delivered instantaneously with no mailing delay.

Paperless billing can play a major role in meeting corporate sustainability goals and achieving a win for the environment. It’s time to turn off paper and do our part to go green while knowing that by having your bills delivered electronically and paying them online you’re saving money and your time, while being environmentally responsible.

DCR converted to eInvoicing in

January 2016, if you are still receiving paper invoices and are interested in changing to eInvoices, please

contact us at 918-436-1830.

Going Green and Saving Money

In recent years businesses have become more conscious of our environment and have changed their gears to focus on being green. In do so, they found that being green is was not always kind to the pocketbook. That does not necessarily ring true anymore, times are changing! Now that recycling is more mainstream, doors have opened with opportunities to be green and profitable! DCR is always looking for green options for ourselves and other businesses because the environment, and your business’ profitability are important to us. The following ideas are easy to implement and can start saving you money today!

1. Adjust printer driver default settings to print double sided to reduce paper use.

2. Use recycled paper and recycle used paper.

3. Always choose energy-saving products with ENERGY STAR enabled. Your business will save money on energy bills by choosing ENERGY STAR compliant printers and multi-function printers. There are products available that learn your company’s usage and will tailor itself to fit your needs and then switch between power saving and ready modes to conserve energy.

4. Think before you print. The Print Preview feature can be used to avoid printing

unwanted pages. This simple precautionary is very helpful, but often forgotten

or overlooked

5. Utilize scanning to e-file. This saves time searching for information, and money

by cutting paper cost.

6. Distribute documents electronically. These features allow incoming faxes and scans to be routed to an email address, saving unnecessary printing.

7. Use Scan to Email and Fax Forward to Email features.

8. Choose a GREEN font. As a thin and light font, Century Gothic managed to beat out Ecofont, which was specifically created to cut costs by spewing out less ink. On a dollar basis, it is projected that the average person printing around 25 pages a week would save $20 a year by using Century Gothic for all documents. A business or heavy-duty user printing 250 pages per week would save around $80 for the year. And large companies with multiple printers could potentially save hundreds of dollars a year.

These easy changes can start saving your business hundreds of dollars with

minimal effort on your part.

Small changes can make BIG differences. 

Bare Metal Recovery (BMR)

Bare Metal Recovery, or BMR, is a technique for restoring a computer system to

completely different hardware. Traditionally, backup methods required the operating system and backup software be installed on new hardware, and then configured, before your software and data restore could begin. This is not the case with BMR. Modern backup software that supports bare metal recovery creates ‘images’ of your computer system in

scheduled intervals. These images can be restored to new hardware, even when hardware is completely unlike the previous hardware, which is where the term ‘Bare Metal’ originates.

Bare metal recovery is most valuable after an unrecoverable hardware

failure, theft of a mission critical computer, destruction of your business premises or even a planned hardware replacement.  The time saved by not having to install and configure the operating system and backup software, will reduce downtime dramatically. Once the

replacement hardware arrives, the recovery process using a traditional backup solution could take 2-3 days, compared to as little a 4-8 hours with BMR.

At DCR, we use and recommend a product from Arcserve, a company we have trusted for over 20 years. Arcserve UDP, delivers an image based backup saved to both onsite and offsite locations, with a Bare Metal Recovery option. We recommend the backup images be saved to storage devices made by ioSafe. ioSafe hardened vaults are fire proof, water proof, drop proof and are available in a variety of capacities to meet the requirements for all sizes of backup storage.

Backups are the insurance policy for your data. Before deciding how much to spend on a backup solution, ask yourself these questions: How long can I wait to get back up and running? A week? A day? An hour?  How much data can I afford to lose and still be okay? One day? A week? A month?

Whether you do image based backups to hardened vaults, tape backup, cloud backup, or a combination of these, your backup is one of the most critical aspects of your business continuity plan and can prevent an unpreventable disaster from turning into a business

ending event. Choose wisely.

Ways to Keep GREEN During the Holidays

Choose LED Christmas lights.

LED (light emitting diode) Christmas lights use 10% of the energy of typical incandescent Christmas lights. They are safer than the typical lights, as they do not generate heat. LED lights are inexpensive and beautiful, and when you use LED lights to decorate around the office or in a display window you could be saving your business up to 90% on holiday lighting costs.

Keep Christmas lights on a timer.

Implement a timer so that lights shut off after business hours or at sunrise. This is a simple and effective way to cut down on holiday electric bills Email holiday cards.Save paper and money by e-mailing holiday cards and Christmas party invitations. At www.hallmark.com, you can find a variety of free card and invitation choices, or you can get creative and design your own!

Reduce holiday waste.

Serving food on reusable plates and glasses will cut reduce waste and save money. Get the office on board and create your own green party kit. Suggested items needed are a large transportable bin; a collection of lightweight, non-breakable dishes; and cloth napkins.

Recycle.

Always Recycle.

Purchase recycled products.

If you must use disposable products, go with recycled and biodegradable products. When you buy recycled products, you’re helping to increase the demand for them. 

Use carbon neutral shipping. 

Whether you’re shipping gifts or business related items, consider carbon neutral shipping. UPS and several other retail store offer this option. By using the carbon neutral shipping option, you demonstrate your commitment to protecting the environment, and it enables you and the recipients to share in that commitment together.

Remember, a little GREEN goes a long way!

Keeping Your Data Safe during Holiday Travels

Keeping Your Data Safe during

Holiday Travels

The last thing that you want to happen during your holiday travels is to have your data compromised by hackers. There are ways to protect yourself from a hackers attack and tools available to you in case they do. Below is a short list of tips to consider before you head out for the holidays. 

Possibilities with Bluetooth

Connecting to Bluetooth while traveling makes you vulnerable. When you activate Bluetooth, you open possibilities of being seen by hackers. Hackers can see networks that you connect to, and then imitate them and trick your device into connecting to their Bluetooth devices. After connecting, hackers can then infect you with malware, enabling hem to steal data or spy on you. When connecting to Bluetooth be cautious and don’t keep it on all the time.

All Devices Need Remote Security

Traveling can make you a target, so have a plan to protect your data in case a device is lost or stolen. You can install software, such as Meraki Mobile Device Manager or VaultLogix Mobile, which will track, and, remotely lock and wipe your devices. Apple, Google, and Windows also offer remote security for their devices. However, they are more difficult to remotely track, wipe, or lock computers.

Keep Your Bank Account Protected

During your holiday travels could possibly be the worst time to have your bank account jeopardized. To help avoid this always be sure the latest updates on your banking apps are installed and avoid shared networks. In the event that you absolutely must use a public computer to access your account, make sure to clear browsing history and cookies and DO NOT click on any links, they could be malware.

You Need a VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) will keep you protected over Wi-Fi. You can create a secure connection over a shared network with a VPN, which provides a layer of security. The VPN also protects you from being seen or tracked across the Internet.

 Safe Travels!