For Your Business | Complete Office Optimization | Servers & Networking | | System Backups | Websites & eCommerce | International Firms | Boost Productivity with a Complete Office Optimization One of the most frequent problems I see in office environments is slow computers: employees waiting  minutes at a time while a program or webpage loads. This gradual decline in speed is inevitable as hard drives fill up, RAM (memory) is used faster, and spyware clogs up web browsers. Not only is this frustrating for employees: it is actually costing your company money too. Ten employees spending even ten minutes per day waiting on slow computers will add up to over 400 man-hours in a year. With a complete office optimization, you can have each computer individually treated to address its specific performance problems. This wll include: reviewing feedback from computer users about specific performance issues; running a full-system scan on each computer to eliminate all viruses and spyware; ensuring that each system has effective and up-to-date virus and spyware protection, and if not, installing protection at no additional cost; removing unnecessary startup and registry items that slow computers down; browser upgrade from Internet Explorer to the more stable and secure Mozilla Firefox (optional but highly recommended); and installation of additional memory to speed up computers and have them running at their full potential (need can be asessed on a case-by-case basis). Your employees will notice an immediate increase in the speed and performance of their computers. Contact me today for a free consultation, needs assessment, and estimate. Work smarter with server and networking solutions! Whether you are a small office that needs computers networked for the first time, or a larger business that needs maintenance on a domain controller, I can help keep your systems communicating smoothly. For first-time networks, I can help you: assess your office's needs and determine the most efficient way to satisfy them; determine which internet/phone service is right for you (Cable? DSL? T1?) and work with your selected internet service provider on implementation; configure each computer to recognize and communicate over the network; enable time-saving features like remote access and file sharing; network your printers so employees can print to them from any office (and even off-site!); configure a domain controller (server) to administer your network and delegate appropriate access to specific users (optional - recommended for larger offices and those handling sensitive or protected health information) For established networks,  I can help you: manage your Microsoft Windows 2000/2003 Server and Active Directory; add, modify, and remove users, computers, and security policies; create scripts to automate processes like backups and drive-mapping; conduct speed-tests to ensure that you are receiving the bandwidth/speed from your internet service provider that you are paying for; and add new features like remote computer access to help boost productivity. Contact me for a free consultation and assessment of your networking needs. Protect your business from data loss with robust system backups. Data loss on an office computer or file server can cripple your business instantly. Burning files to CDs or keeping an external hard drive can protect you from hard drive failure, but are not adequate safeguards for your mission-critical data. Hard drive failure is an inevitable part of computing: it is not a matter of if, but when. But what about other disasters? Theft, fires, and floods can also have devastating effects on data integrity. In implementing backup solutions, I abide by these simple principles: Remember that CDs and DVDs are not permanent storage solutions. Though designed to be long-lasting, their photosensitive dye often undergoes changes in its physical characteristics that result in read errors in data loss. Tests have shown this degradation to occur in as few as 18 months under normal storage conditions. CDs and DVDs are also easy to misplace or inadvertently scratch. External hard drives can be a great resource, but only if they are stored securely. Leaving a second drive plugged into your server or using a RAID array for data redundancy still leaves your systems vulnerable to the same problems that could compromise your data in the first place. If you do use an external hard drive, be sure to keep it in a fire-proof safe or off-site location. Online backups, while great for documents, are ineffective for large files such as Outlook mailbox files or mission-critical data. To truly safeguard your business, a hybrid solution is needed that fully considers your business needs, the type of data you maintain, and your budget. Every contingency must be accounted for with no angle left uncovered. Backup procedures inevitably vary based on your hardware and amount of data to be stored. I will be happy to work with you on finding and implementing the perfect backup solution for your needs. Expand your reach with website and eCommerce solutions! Websites are an invaluable tool for increasing your visibility. Whether you need a small placeholder site to provide information about your company or a large-scale eCommerce solution to sell your products around the world, a professional-looking and well functioning website is key to your success. A small website can give basic information about your company, provide directions to your physical location, biographies of key players, and more. They require minimal programming and have the fastest turnaround time. A more advanced website might allow for interactivity with users, including the ability to submit information via forms or login to restricted areas. These often require the use of an accompanying database to store information from users. An eCommerce website involves a combination of the above features and more. Your visitors will be able to learn about your company, browse your inventory, add items to a shopping cart, and place orders securely via your website. If you have a physical storefront, many eCommerce solutions can integrate with (or help you start) an inventory control system. An integrated inventory control system will allow your online visitors to see whether an item is in stock (if you choose to make that information available) and will also alert you when additional product needs to be ordered. Many solutions will even store data on your vendors and automatically generate purchase orders for you when you are ready to reorder. Every website I build is search-engine friendly and uses industry-standard techniques like META tags; keyword-rich titles, description, and content; a "robots.txt" file; and optimized filenames to optimize your placement in search engine results. If you already have a website and need minor edits or need a new one designed from scratch, I will be happy to work with you to assess your needs and choose the web solution that is right for you. Services for International Firms Don't let language or cultural barriers come between you and your potential customers. My experienced team can help you achieve tangible results in the following areas: improve your website text to sound more professional; increase marketing appael to American consumers; author technical documentation and instruction manuals to accmopany your products; assist in logistical issues with conducting business in the United States; and determine your product's feasibility in various markets and identify best practices for advertising them. Our clients range from Chinese electronics manufacturers to Indonesian web hosting companies. Click here to learn more about my services for international companies or contact me for references or a free consultation.