Android Tablets have a lot to offer to businesses, they are a versatile platform that are essentially an extension of your office. Many software vendors have realized this and have started to develop business software that will make your tablet even more useful. As with most computers, there are a wide variety of tablets out there with somewhat confusing specifications.

Here’s an overview of what the main technical specifications of tablets are, and what they mean.

Screen There are two important screen measurements: size and resolution. The majority of Android tablets feature the screen size in the name e.g., Asus 10.1”. What this means is the screen is 10.1 inches diagonally. The resolution is given as two sets of numbers e.g., 1280 x 800. This is the number of pixels that make up the screen. The general rule of thumb is: the higher the resolution, the higher the viewing quality. It’s important to actually look at the screen before you purchase the tablet.  

Processor The processor is the tablet’s brain, and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). A higher number will result in the tablet being able to run more applications and a smoother operating experience.

Many companies are marketing “dual core” processors. This means there are two processors acting together. Generally, the higher the number of cores, the faster the tablet will run. If you’re going to be using applications that require a lot of computing resources e.g., presentation apps, you’ll want a device with more processing power. Most users will be fine with a processor speed higher than 1 GHz.

Memory Memory is often confused with storage. While they are similar, memory relates to RAM which is used to run apps and execute commands given by the user. Most new tablets will come with 1 GB (Gigabyte) of RAM, which is more than enough to operate.

Internal/expandable storage Storage is where your apps, pictures, music, etc., are installed and stored. Many Android tablets have both built-in and expandable storage. Built-in storage is inside the tablet, and can’t be expanded. Manufacturers often include the amount of built-in storage in the tablet’s name e.g., Asus 10.1” 64GB. This means there are 64 gigabytes of space or about 16,000 songs. Keep in mind that this amount is before the operating system and essential programs are installed.

Expandable storage is in the form of memory cards that can be removed, much like your digital camera. The most common form of memory card is the SD or Secure Digital. Be careful though, as not all tablets have expandable storage and those that do have a limit on the storage capacity of the card, typically a maximum of 32GB.

Battery Android tablets are notoriously power hungry, especially with devices that have faster processors and bigger screens. Batteries are measured in mAH and the higher the number is, the longer you’ll be able to use the device.

While at first glance the technical specifications of a tablet can be a little overwhelming, they are actually fairly easy to understand. The important thing is to not be sucked in by sheer numbers alone. Take your time, read reviews and actually try the tablets before you buy. If you have any other questions about the Android platform, please contact us.

Security of data and networks, an issue that companies are taking seriously. They’re going to great lengths to protect themselves from external threats and are, for the most part, safe from them. And yet, there are still stories about how businesses are being infected by malware. If they’re safe to the external environment, where’s the threat coming from?

In recent years the majority of security threats and compromises have come from within the company. A common threat to companies is the logic bomb - malware that targets IT systems and deletes data. As a logic bomb is introduced from within the network, the blame often lies with a disgruntled employee with full access to internal systems.

Insider threats Giving employees full access to the network when they don’t need it is a common mistake often made by companies. There’s little need for an employee who does graphic design to have access to weekly sales records. This practice could set your company up for a considerable security problem in the future.

Dawn Cappelli, an insider-threat expert at the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute stressed, "These types of insider attacks happen to businesses of all sizes, from small companies to very large corporations." This is an important issue businesses should be aware of if they want to remain secure.

Take Precautions Security threats can be a particularly harsh nightmare for small businesses, as many don’t have an IT department or staff with the technical expertise needed to maintain a secure network. If you’re one of these organizations, it’s a good idea to hire an outside consultant to help you with your network security. With consultants, it’s important that you maintain close contact with them to ensure any issues that crop up are dealt with expeditiously.

If you don’t work with an external company there are a few things you should do when you have an employee leave the company. First, their accounts should be deleted immediately and their access privileges should also be revoked. Second, if you have accounts with shared passwords, you should change them to ensure an ex-employee can’t gain access to the system.

If you’d like to learn more about internal security, and measures you can take to ensure you are safe, we are ready to help you. Please contact us.

Business Continuity Plans (BCP), plans on how to provide a stable service, or recover after adverse actions, have become top of mind with many managers. Businesses have adopted such plans, or are in the process of implementing one, but owners may have missed some crucial elements that could result in an ineffective plan.

Here are six key non-IT functions and processes that need to be in place to ensure your company is ready to effectively execute your BCP.

Easy to use plans Many continuity plans have been developed mainly for the IT department, as such, they can be a little complicated to understand and follow if employees don’t have a technical background. You should aim to have a plan that’s easy to follow and can be understood by all employees.

Communicate plans Remember that your plan encompasses all facets of your organization. It’s crucial that every employee knows their role and the relevant actions to take when the plan is executed. To do this, you need to ensure that all employees have access to a copy of the plan and any changes or updates are clearly communicated.

Test plans Beyond communication, it’s important to conduct regular tests, with every quarter being sufficient. The tests should be as real as possible and span all departments within the organization. This will ensure that employees are aware of how they, and the systems, will react under duress. It’ll be beneficial to your business if the first time the employees execute the plan isn’t during an emergency.

Short term and long term plans Your BCP should consist of both long term and short term elements that can be easily adapted to meet changing business environments and the emergence of new threats. You should aim for an even mix of short and long term solutions that cover as wide a variety of situations as possible.

Ensure buy-in from all levels If you’re in the process of instituting a BCP you should ensure that the whole organization is onboard with the plan. If an employee is unsure about the validity of a part of the plan, take the time to find out why and ask for suggestions. An uninformed or uncooperative employee could be the difference between survival and failure in a disaster situation.

Update and Review After every test, staff turnover and technological update, you should review the plans and make changes if necessary. Essentially, if anything in the company changes, review and update the plan. Remember: just because you have an effective plan this month, doesn’t mean it’ll be so in the future.

Continuity plans are only as strong as the weakest link. In an emergency, the last thing you want is an employee following the wrong process or be unsure of what they should be doing. If this happens, you could see an exponential growth in recovery time and costs. We’re ready to tell you more, so please contact us if you would like to talk continuity planning.

If you’ve ever observed people playing any sort of game, you probably noticed how involved the players with the game are. Why do players get so into the game? Competition and the desire to achieve established goals. There’s a Web trend emerging of companies using these game elements to drive engagement and customer buy-in.

The term to describe this trend is gamification, but what is it, and how can businesses use it?

What is gamification Gamification is the application of game design techniques and mechanics to non-game applications. Foursquare and its badges is a good example of this - users check in at locations to earn points, unlock badges and compete with their friends. Do they win anything? Nothing physical, but there’s something satisfying with competing with other people to be the best.

While gamification got its start with technological related operations, it has since been integrated by businesses of all sizes. Business that have adopted elements of gamification have seen improved user engagement and ROI.

How can businesses leverage gamification? Gamification is interesting because it can be applied in a variety of different business situations. For example, here are three such uses:

• To increase employee engagement. It can be hard at times to keep your employees engaged while they’re doing mundane tasks. One of the most common uses of gamification is deploying badges to act as a motivator to encourage employees to put effort into their job. When an employee reaches a predetermined level they are recognized for their achievement. This will go a long way in improving engagement.
• To create brand advocates. You can use gamification to turn your customers and fans into brand advocates. Before they start singing your praises, they need to be given a reason to do so. The best way to do this is to create a points/reward system. For actions such as purchases or reviews, customers gain points that can be spent on other services. Think of it as akin to the points system used by credit card companies.
• To generate traffic. Many SMBs are dependent on their websites for revenue but struggle to get traffic to their site. Gamification techniques can be employed to encourage people to spend more time on, and return to, your website, almost like a modern loyalty program.

There are many uses for gamification and we’ll continue to see new and innovative ways to deploy it in organizations. If you’re interested in ways you can implement aspects of gamification in your business, or would like to learn more, we are here happy to sit down with you for a chat. Please contact us.

If you’ve been following technical blogs over the past few months you have undoubtedly heard the rumors about Google’s cloud service. On April 25, they finally put the rumors to bed and introduced Google Drive. The service has some features that, while not game changing, give users a great cloud storage app.

Google Drive is being billed as a cloud storage app that focuses on collaboration and storage, and can be divided into three layers: Web, mobile and desktop.

Layer one: Web browser This is Google Drive’s hub, where the majority of users will be accessing and editing their files. The big shocker is that Google Docs has been rolled into Drive. Your docs and other files will now be synced, stored and accessed here. Think of it as a beefier, more enhanced version of Docs.

If your business uses Google Docs, you’ll be happy to know that the collaboration tools have been migrated over. If you use Google Chrome, you can also install apps and edit files right in Drive, instead of having to download and edit them as you would with other storage services.

Layer two: Mobile app The second layer is the mobile app. Android users already have access to the mobile app and if they had the Google Docs app already installed, they should have been notified of the update. Users of the mobile app can access and create or edit most docs as they would on the other layers.

There are currently two negative aspects to the mobile app. The first is that you can’t do any major housekeeping via the app. You can’t move files from one collection to another or start a new collection. All that will have to be done via the browser for now. The other downside is that the app is only available for Android users at this time. It will be coming to iOS devices in the near future.

Layer three: Desktop You can install the app on your Mac or PC and when you do, there’ll be a folder on your desktop that functions like your hard drive. You then drag and drop files from your computer into the folder which are then synced with the other layers.

At this time, any files from Google Docs won’t be downloaded onto your hard drive. When clicked, they’ll open in Google Chrome or your default browser.

The Cost of Google Drive Individual users of the service will get 5GB of storage for free and will be able to buy additional space for a monthly fee. For businesses who use Google Apps for Business, each user will get 5GB free, and administrators can buy extra storage space, up to 16TB, for a monthly fee.

Overall, Drive is a competitive service for users of Google’s apps and offers some great features that makes it competitive with other cloud storage services. If you’d like to learn more about how your business can integrate Google Drive and other apps from Google, please call us.

In December of last year Google released the newest version of the Android OS. Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich as it is commonly known, is finally available for most devices that can run it. Android 4.0 is a drastic change from previous versions and introduces some features that make the OS a serious competitor.

Here are some great tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Ice Cream Sandwich:

• Settings. There’s a quick and easy way to access settings. Simply swipe down from the top of your screen and the Notifications menu will open. Press the blue icon (sliders) beside the date to access your settings.
• Uninstall apps. This used to be one of the more complicated actions of Android, but with 4.0, it’s easy. On the home screen press the Apps icon (white circle with 6 squares) and find the app you would like to uninstall. Press and hold the app, drag it up to Uninstall which will be in the top left of the screen and let go.
• Swipe away. A neat feature of 4.0 is that you can swipe away apps and messages in some locations. If you have lots of notifications, open the Notifications menu and swipe the message to the right to dismiss it. You can also do the same with recent programs (double rectangles in the bottom right of your screen) and browser tabs.
• Disable app icons. When you download and install programs from Google Play, a shortcut will be automatically placed on your home screen. You can turn this off by opening Google Play and selecting the icon with three vertical grey squares followed by Settings. Tap Auto-add widgets and app shortcuts won’t be added to your home screen after they’re installed.
• Send text response when you can’t answer. If you’re in a meeting and can’t answer a call, simply drag the call selector button up to be given a number of text responses you can send to the caller.
• Quick browser control. You can streamline the browser controls in the stock Android browser. Open the browser and select the three grey squares in the top right of the screen and tap Settings. Select Labs followed by Quick Controls. You’ll notice that your URL bar and tabs are gone. To see them, press and hold anywhere on the right side of your screen to bring up a selection wheel.

Ice Cream Sandwich is by far the best version of OS and offers users some great features. If you’d like to learn more about Ice Cream Sandwich, or other Android products please let us know. We’re happy to help.

Social media is one of the most important communication tools of the modern era. Companies use it to connect with customers and like minded individuals, all in the name of building trust in their brand and products. While almost every company has a social media presence, they have been slow to trust employees to use personal social media at work. On average, 31% of companies block employees from accessing their accounts.

There are four distinct advantages to allowing social media:

• Increased productivity. There have been a number of studies that have found that judicious use of social media in the workplace will actually increase productivity. A study conducted by the University of Melbourne found that employees with access to social media are 9% more productive than those without.
• Increased buy-in. Employees like to feel trusted and empowered. If they don’t you can expect to experience higher turnover and lower morale. A good way to gain trust is to allow employees to use social media in the workplace. If an employee feels like they are trusted, they’ll be more likely to stay with the company.
• Recruiting. Small businesses have started to use social media for recruitment, but limit efforts to one account. If you have 10 employees in your organization, each with a social media account with 100 friends, you have the potential to reach 1,000 people. This is achievable if employees are allowed to access social media at work and are encouraged to share posts.
• Identification of business opportunities. Through the use of social media, employees in charge of sales and business development can source new clients and build fruitful relationships.

There are many advantages to allowing access to social networks at the office. If you‘re hesitant to completely open the social media floodgates, try doing so in short periods, like the final three hours of the working day.

No matter what you decide, allowing access to social media is a good practice for your business. If you would like to learn more about social media and how you can leverage it in your business, we are happy to talk with you.

Want to know the temperature outside, or how to get to the nearest gas station? To answer these questions you probably use your smartphone. This suits the majority of us just fine, but there are times when it’s a hassle, during a meeting for example. Google has announced a project that aims to take your smartphone and put it in front of you, literally.

On April 4, 2012 Google revealed a project called Google Glass, their take on augmented reality glasses, through a video on YouTube. This announcement was made by a team that’s part of the Google[x] lab. Google[x] is an almost covert division, focused on developing technology for the future.

It looks like the glasses will take the main functions of your smartphone - Call, Social Media, Pictures, Day-Planner and GPS - and display them on a glass lens that covers your right eye. Think of a pair of glasses missing the left lens, and you’ll get the picture. This seems like something right out of sci-fi movies from the 80s, but numerous sources, including some from Google, have stated that the first version will be released sometime in the next couple of years.

Undoubtedly the glasses will run on a new version of Android, and from the video one can determine that they will use a hybrid of voice and vision to operate. Most of the functionality of your smartphone will be on the lens. Want to know what the weather will be like for the rest of the day? Look up and the lens will present with the temperature and forecast. The video also showed the wearer come across some graffiti he thought was cool, and with his voice he instructed the taking of a picture to be shared with his circles on Google+.

What does this mean for businesses? As the glasses are still in development it’s hard to say conclusively, but businesses who already have a Google + or Google Places profile will benefit as it appears both services are heavily integrated with the platform. The possibilities on how companies could use this technology are endless. We’ve all seen movies with characters using a similar technology and now Google is bringing it one step closer to reality.

If you’re as interested in Google Glass as we are, or have questions regarding Google’s other products please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be more than happy to talk with you.

The iPhone has quickly become one of the most popular smartphones on the market. When Apple launches a new version, fans line up for blocks to get their hands on it. What makes it so desirable? Well it’s easy to use and has powerful apps that users have come to rely on. Some would say the iPhone has even gone so far as to replace desktop calendars for many people.

The three most popular calendar programs are Outlook Calendar, Google Calendar and iCal. Here are the steps you can take to sync your different calendars with the iPhone. These calendars will all be viewable using the Calendar App on your iPhone.

Sync with Outlook Microsoft Outlook is the most popular email program in use, making the accompanying calendar just as prevalent. To sync your Outlook calendar with your iPhone:

1. Open Outlook
   1. Click Tools and select Trust Centre.
   2. Click Add-ins, followed by Details.
   3. Select iTunes Add-in, followed by Manage.
   4. Select Com Add-ins, Go and finally iTunes sync add-in.
   5. Click Ok.
2. Plug your iPhone into your computer using the USB cable. iTunes should open automatically.
3. In iTunes, select your iPhone. It will be located in the left hand bar, under devices.
4. Navigate to the Info tab and check Sync calendars with.
5. Choose Outlook. You’ll be able to select which Outlook calendars you want to view using your iPhone.
6. Press Sync.

Sync with Google Calendar If you use Google Calendar, syncing with the iPhone takes a few more steps, but it’s still fairly straightforward.

1. On your iPhone select Settings followed by Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
2. Press Add Account.
3. Select Microsoft Exchange. Note: Devices running iOS 4.0 can sync with more than one Exchange account. If you’re using a version that’s earlier than 4.0 you’ll only be able to sync with one Exchange account.
4. In the Email and Username fields, enter your full email address e.g., name@gmail.com. If you use a @googlemail.com account you’ll most likely get an Unable to Verify Certificate error message. If you do, press Cancel when the error message is displayed.
5. In the Password field enter the password you use to log into your Gmail account.
6. When you have entered the information, press Next in the top right of your screen.
7. In the Server field enter “m.google.com” (without the quotations).
8. Tap Next.
9. Select Calendar if you only want to sync with your calendar. If your company uses Google Calendar to setup meetings, you’ll also need to turn on Mail.

The calendar should sync automatically and show up on your iPhone within a few minutes.

Sync with iCal If you use iCal you can sync with your iPhone by:

1. Plugging your iPhone into the computer using the USB cable. iTunes should open automatically.
2. Select your iPhone. It will be located in the left hand bar, under devices.
3. Click the Info tab, followed by Sync iCal Calendars. You’ll be able to choose what calendars you would like your iPhone to sync with.
4. Press Sync.

No matter which calendar app you use, you can view it on your iPhone. There’s no need to carry around a day planner or appointment book with you anymore, just carry your phone. If you would like to know more about how to capitalize on the features of the iPhone we’re only a call away.

Collaboration isn’t a new concept. Managers and employees have been working together towards a common goal for as long as we can remember. With the heavy integration of modern technology, businesses have been taking advantage of all the various virtual options available. However, problems arise when it’s time to work together, as employees can sometimes find it tough to do so.

Here are seven tips on how to improve collaboration within the office environment.

1. Open communication. One of the keys to successful teams is the adoption and encouragement of an open communication culture. With this, teams are better able to grasp what’s going on within the company, and be more efficient contributors and team players.
2. Use the right technology. It seems like there are a million different software and technology options out there. Some of the tools available offer some fantastic features and it’s easy to get sucked in by a flashy component. It’s important that when choosing a tool you pick one that meets your company’s needs and is easy to use.
3. Collaboration tools must play well with others. It’s beneficial to select systems that can be seamlessly integrated with other tools and software used by your employees. If your solutions don’t work together, all parties won’t be able to work together.
4. Employee learning is key. When you find the perfect tool to use, be careful to take time and learn how to effectively use it. Training for the users of the tool is equally important.
5. Work hard, play harder. Teams and departments should step away from their computers and actually have face-to-face meetings at least once a week. These meetings should be a mixture of formal and informal, and offer employees a chance to come together as a team, unwind and share ideas. A team that can interact well will always work together with greater efficiency.
6. Mobilize. The smartphone is here to stay and with each passing year the number of users grows exponentially. It’s beneficial to encourage the use of these devices, and look for mobile solutions that allow users to be a part of the group while out of the office. If you do allow mobile devices, be sure to establish a clear usage policy so employees know how and when they should be using their phones.
7. Don’t just focus on internal collaboration. One of the most common mistakes companies make is that they focus on group participation within the business, but don’t provide adequate support for external interactions. Be sure you integrate tools that provide stakeholders with a way to connect and work with teams within the company.

With a team that interacts effectively you’ll see happier employees and higher profits: a win-win situation. If you have any questions regarding collaboration tools, or other ways to increase business value please don’t hesitate to contact us.