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This author has written 45 articles

Leveraging an MSP Can Help You Stay Efficient & Compliant [Child Neurology Consultants of Austin’s Story]

Whether you are a small practice or an enterprise level healthcare provider, managed IT services can help your business optimize its processes, secure your information, keep you HIPAA compliant and allow you to focus your efforts on what matters most- providing excellent patient experiences. 

Here, at Terminal B, we work our clients on their unique IT needs. Our main priority is to find solutions that solve your specific issues. Our solutions are created to:  

1.              Minimize IT complexity and include consulting and training to keep everyone up to date.   

2.              Increase ROI and reduce costs.     

3.              Create a cohesive system, flexible enough to grow with your business.   

4.              Reduce your stress levels and give you peace of mind.    

5.              Elevate your process efficiency.   

Child Neurology Consultants of Austin’s Experience 

Our client, Child Neurology Consultants of Austin, originally came to us looking for help with their IT after having a bad experience with a larger MSP. 

Child Neurology Consultants of Austin are dedicated to helping infants, children, and adolescents with neurological disorders from birth through young adulthood and strive to create a compassionate and welcoming environment for their patients and their patient’s family. To stay on top of patient care, they need reliable technology to administer telehealth visits, communicate with their care team, and to document and securely store patient information. 

The Frustration   

As a practice with three locations and more then 70 staff members, Child Neurology Consultants of Austin thought they needed a large IT firm in order to receive the attention they were looking for. Unfortunately, bigger is not always better. Over time they started noticing a significant decline in their level of service to the point where it began impacting their business. With an impending HQ relocation, they knew they needed a more attentive IT provider to ensure a smooth transition to the new location with minimal interruptions. We were happy to bring them on as a client and give them the support and attention they need in order to keep doing great work. 

The Fix  

Terminal B was able to assess Child Neurology Consultants of Austin’s current technology infrastructure and practices, identify areas for improvement, and shore up the gaps quickly and efficiently.  With a blend of managed services, unique Microsoft 365 licensing, Citrix licensing and support, and technology consulting we were able to efficiently help them relocate to their new HQ, better support ongoing telehealth services, increase their process efficiency & security, and offer them our friendly and responsive support if any issues occur. 

Here is what Kristin Kroll, Practice Administrator for Child Neurology Consultants of Austin has to say about our partnership: 

“Managed Services with Terminal B has been the perfect fit for our practice of 3 locations and more than 70 staff. They helped us move our main office and networked our satellite offices where it runs more efficiently. Their techs are professional and knowledgeable. We worked with a large IT provider first, but their declining level of service began impacting our business. Terminal B provides both the expertise and responsiveness we were seeking and we consider them to be a valued business partner.” 

Kristin Kroll, Practice Administrator for Child Neurology Consultants of Austin

Building an IT System That Supports Your Providers 

As technology becomes more sophisticated, we are becoming more reliant on it. Technology has become the foundation of healthcare administration, and it is integral to its success. Investing in a good IT network that maximizes your practice’s efficiency and leaves your patients happy is an investment that will pay for itself multiple times over. IT services can save your practice money, give you access to innovative technology, and access new tools that can expand your patient base and increase profits.   

At Terminal B, we have the IT solutions, personnel, and partnerships that your company needs to keep your IT networks outfitted and optimized. What sets us apart from other MSPs (Managed Service Providers) is while we provide excellent service, we spend the time to learn every solution and software inside and out and maintain strong vendor relationships. In doing so we can truly match our client’s systems with the perfect solutions for them. With our services our clients receive a direct line to the support they need, with technicians that already know them and their system. 

Let us know what we can do to improve your practice’s technology; book a call with us via the button below.  

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What Is the Difference Between a Data Center and Cloud Computing?

Until recently, businesses have relied on on-premises data centers to house their servers, data, and applications. But systems for hosting data pipelines are now available entirely in the cloud.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has forced so many businesses to adopt cloud-based services almost overnight, many business leaders are facing the question of whether they should continue to rely on data centers or move their data storage and processing to the cloud. In this article we take you through the respective features of data centers and the cloud, the key differences between the two options for data storage and processing, and which one is better for your business.

What’s a data center?

A data center is a building or space used to house infrastructure such as computer hardware, as well as telecommunications and storage systems. On-premises data centers store, process, and distribute an organization’s data via a network of computers. A team of professional IT experts is responsible for managing the data center.

What is the cloud?

Microsoft defines cloud computing as the delivery of computing services such as databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence over the Internet (“the cloud”). The purpose is to speed up innovation, make resources more flexible, and enhance economies of scale. Businesses generally pay only for the cloud services they use. As an IBM article points out, in addition to offering metered services, cloud computing allows companies to scale up or down quickly and to gain self-service access to IT resources.

What are the differences?

The key differences between a data center and cloud computing can be defined in the areas of architecture and accessibility, security and control, capacity and scalability, and maintenance and cost.

  • Architecture & Accessibility

    The traditional data center is in a physical site on-premises, meaning that all of its functionality is accessible within enterprise office space. A data center could be as simple as a few computers under a desk, or it could involve a climate-controlled room lined with servers, or even an entire building. It is managed by an in-house IT team employed and paid by the business that owns it.

    The cloud is a virtual environment with no physical presence for the end user. Their network will be based on a virtual ‘cloud server’, accessible only via the internet. The physical servers and other infrastructure that run this virtual network are located wherever the cloud service provider chooses to put them – usually where they can be maintained as securely and cheaply as possible. Sometimes called a ‘server farm’, this central storage and processing facility is managed by a third-party company or the service provider.

  • Security & Control

    Security is often mentioned as a drawback of cloud computing because the cloud is internet-based and perceived to be more vulnerable to data breaches and privacy invasions. Data centers are perceived to offer greater inherent security because they are based in-house and can restrict access more easily. However, with rapid developments in encryption and other security protocols, cloud security risks are now on par or less than traditional data centers.

    With the cloud, security, DevOps, and operations teams must ensure appropriate security controls are in place. Built-in security layers must be incorporated at every level from the data center to the operating system. Other measures include cutting-edge physical security and regular vulnerability scans carried out by highly skilled specialists.

  • Capacity & Scalability

    A data center’s capacity is limited by its physical storage, power, and cooling requirements. However, users can access unlimited capacity with cloud computing. And if your organization’s capacity requirements change suddenly, you can scale up or down almost instantly and easily to meet your changing demands. These kinds of flexible, scalable storage and compute services are not available with data centers.

  • Maintenance & Cost

    Planning and building a traditional data center is time-consuming and costly, and hardware obsolescence will incur further expenses over time. On the other hand, initial outlay for cloud computing is generally low and, as the infrastructure costs are borne by the cloud provider, there are no hardware-lifecycle expenses to consider. Customers pay for the resources they use, reducing the overall cost of ownership while simplifying accounting and financial planning. The provider also administers and maintains the cloud data center, so you don’t have to worry about software updates or repair during downtime or outages.

Cloud computing in the age of remote work

The rapid shift to remote working has accelerated the move to cloud computing. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gartner had predicted that worldwide public cloud services would grow by 17 % in 2020. The demands of remote working applications and workloads are difficult to meet with the restricted capacity of physical data centers. Furthermore, almost all new digital solutions require the agility and power of a cloud platform to deliver optimal results.

Which Is Right for Your Business?

Your choices of cloud computing include public, private, or a hybrid of both. The decision depends on your business. You can learn more about these options and the pros and cons of cloud computing here.

However, if your architecture is too complex to move or the costs outweigh the benefits in your case, cloud may not be the optimum choice for you. You may be better off sticking to the traditional data-center model.

Conclusion

Terminal B has been a trusted provider of Microsoft’s key business productivity cloud platforms for more than a decade. Our clients value our reliability and emphasis on security, with multiple third-party audits validating the performance of our data center. If you are still considering moving to the cloud, or you are in the cloud-migration process, we can make the process easier and more transparent.

If you are running on the cloud already, we can help you deal with every obstacle, tracking your requirements so that you can harness all the benefits of this powerful technology. Contact us to learn more about how Terminal B’s Cloud Services can make your organization more productive and secure.

However, if your architecture is too complex to move or the costs outweigh the benefits in your case, cloud may not be the optimum choice for you. You may be better off sticking to the traditional data-center model.

Here’s how to download and install Windows 10

Microsoft has made it possible for anyone to download Windows 10 from its website. This makes it easy for people to install the operating system (OS), provided they have the appropriate license. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can download and install Windows 10 on your business computers.

Method 1: Download Windows 10 from Microsoft’s website

The Media Creation tool makes it easy for you to download the Windows 10 ISO file for future use, or for saving to a DVD or USB flash drive as an installer. Head over to the Windows 10 download page and click Download tool now.

When your download is complete, double-click the file and click Yes if a User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears. The tool will show you two options: Upgrade this PC Now or Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC. Click on the second option and click Next.

Select the language, architecture, and your preferred Windows 10 edition. You can also choose Use this recommended option for this PC. Next, you will be presented with two media options: USB flash drive or ISO file. By choosing the former, you will be able to create a bootable USB drive. The latter, meanwhile, will download a file that you can use to install the OS later. The ISO file can also be burned to a DVD.

Method 2: Download Windows 10 from Microsoft’s website on Mac, Linux, and Windows XP computers

The Media Creation tool only works for PCs running Windows 7, 8/8.1, and 10, but you can still download the Windows 10 ISO file on Microsoft’s website. Pick your preferred Windows 10 edition and architecture, and an ISO file will begin downloading on your computer.

You can save the ISO file to a flash drive to install on a different computer. You can install Windows 10 on Mac, Linux, and Windows XP/Vista PCs, but you have to purchase a license key from Microsoft to activate the OS.

Method 3: Install the Windows 10 ISO directly on your Windows 7/8/8.1 PC

If you’re running Windows 8 or newer, you can easily install the Windows 10 ISO by mounting it. Double click the ISO file, and Windows will read the file as though it was a DVD.

From here, you can double-click setup.exe to launch the Windows 10 setup. This will replace your current Windows version with Windows 10. All the necessary files from the ISO will be copied to your computer, which will eventually restart to complete the installation.

If you’re using Windows 7, you will need to download ISO mounting software such as UltraISO and WinCDEmu. As soon as you have installed one, you can follow the aforementioned steps to upgrade to Windows 10.

No matter your business setup, there’s a way for you to download and install Windows 10. Should you need help setting up Windows 10 for your organization, we’d be more than happy to assist you.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Microsoft 365 update channels: What you need to know

Many businesses using Microsoft 365 prefer to have the latest versions of the productivity suite’s applications. Some businesses prefer to get updates as soon as they become available, while others prefer to update their systems on a predictable schedule. Fortunately, Microsoft’s update channels enable businesses to customize when they receive apps’ new features.

New update channel: Microsoft Enterprise Channel

The new Microsoft Enterprise Channel is for organizations that prefer to get updates on a predictable schedule. With this update channel, users can receive new features and patches on the second Tuesday of every month, which Microsoft famously calls Patch Tuesdays.

This update channel is ideal for companies with IT departments that want to reduce the burden of updating systems at irregular intervals. This will allow them to have a fixed schedule of downloading the latest productivity features, system improvements, and essential security patches.

Recommended update channel: Current Channel

Current Channel is great for companies that want to receive feature updates as soon as they become available. New Office features are released at least two or three times a month, so those that choose Current Channel will get them immediately.

The same applies to non-security updates such as reliability and performance improvements, which are also released two to three times a month. As standard, security updates will be released on Patch Tuesdays, and are therefore released on a fixed schedule.

Those who are only about to install Microsoft 365 apps will be on Current Channel by default. That means they’ll get feature updates, security updates, quality updates, and bug fixes whenever they’re ready, and can expect to receive two to three updates every month.

Option for less frequent updates: Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel

This option is for organizations that require a longer period to receive new features. This especially applies to those that use devices that must undergo extensive testing before receiving new features, perhaps to comply with governmental and regulatory authorities or for other unique reasons.

Under this update channel, organizations receive feature updates twice annually: in January and July, on the second Tuesday of the month. Security updates are still sent once a month, on Patch Tuesdays, similar to Microsoft Enterprise Channel and Current Channel.

Updates to existing update channels

Another important change is the new names of the Microsoft 365 update channels. Organizations can choose from the following options: Current, Monthly, or Semi-Annual (formerly Insider, Monthly, and Semi-Annual). In addition, testing channels previously labeled Targeted have been renamed Preview.

It’s important to select the right update channel for your organization to keep system updates streamlined and IT workflows uninterrupted. Choosing an update channel also depends on the user preferences of your business — whether they’d rather use the latest versions of their apps or would be fine to wait — as well as your business’s rules on compliance.

To learn more about Microsoft’s update channels, specifically, how to know which one’s best for your company and how to optimize your productivity apps, call our IT and software experts today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Why are businesses choosing office 365 for their remote work environments?

Microsoft Office 365, the cloud-based, AI-enhanced version of the familiar Office software suite, is used by the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies. And now that businesses of all sizes are increasing their remote work capabilities at breakneck speed, Office 365 is seeing even higher rates of adoption. Why is that?

It promises to deliver everything a business needs to stay productive and secure while working remotely, but so does G Suite from Google, and there are many third party apps making the claim as well. So why are so many businesses choosing Office 365 over the alternatives to create their remote work environments? There are several distinct reasons, so let’s take a closer look at the major ones.

What is Office 365 and what apps are included?

Office 365 is powered by Microsoft and enables you to perform business processes online with a collection of tools allowing you to create, collaborate, share, and store your work in the cloud.

It offers Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint, Skype, Microsoft Teams, and more. With Office 365, you have access to online versions of Microsoft Office as well as the desktop versions. This is a big distinction for many businesses since the desktop versions of familiar applications like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are extremely desirable. Rich in features, these applications are the best of their kind on the market.

It makes working with other organizations easier

One of the reasons a lot of businesses choose Office 365 is because a lot of other businesses use Office 365. This seems like circular reasoning until you consider how much productivity can be lost due to incompatibility. If a company is collaborating with a partner organization that uses a different suite of software, slowdowns, frustration, and other problems are a constant risk.

Businesses in their startup phase often choose a cheaper, leaner suite of tools like G Suite, then run into problems when they grow large enough to work with more established companies, who typically use Office 365. Having to convert documents is a pain at the best of times, as is learning to use new, redundant apps. The risk of errors, as well as possible resentment from the partner company, grows exponentially.

But since Office 365 apps are so well integrated with each other, it makes collaborating with other organizations who use the same apps simple and easy. This mitigates many of the risk factors posed by remote work, while increasing productivity and improving partner relations. So if a company has ambitions to join the big leagues, using Office 365 presents the organization as a mature operation.

Download our free eBook!

Office 365 is the productivity suite of choice of today’s businesses; and it’s what you need to step into the future. Learn more about Office 365 by reading our free eBook, A 360° Look at Office 365

Download now!

Ability to scale

The ability to grow along with your productivity solutions is a huge factor for many businesses. While basic plans and simple solutions will do for small businesses just getting started, they don’t offer a substantial long-term solution for a growing business.

Many established companies have chosen Office 365, with more than 90% of Fortune 500 firms using at least one cloud enterprise service. Anyone doing business with Fortune 500 companies and other large established vendors can more seamlessly collaborate if they are already set up with Office 365. Starting with Microsoft’s solutions gets your business ahead of the game, reducing future business-to-business headaches.

Higher security

Cybersecurity is a concern at all times for every business, but for those transitioning to remote work it becomes absolutely critical. Home devices and networks are not nearly as secure as their office counterparts, so business leaders must take more precautions and use the most secure software available to protect their data. Fortunately for Microsoft users, Office 365 operates on the most well defended cloud platform on the market.

As a titan of the tech industry, Microsoft has invested more into their cloud platform security than any other company. Office 365 does not bring the security flaws of many third party remote work apps, and boasts several advanced security features that G Suite and the third parties cannot match.

Office 365 communication and collaboration tools, like Teams for virtual meetings and Outlook for email, all support encryption. They are also designed with compliance in mind, making it easy for users to meet requirements for HIPAA, BAA, FISMA, various EU regulations, and many more. Office 365 also offers add-ons for additional layers of security, like active threat detection. These are bonuses in a traditional office environment, but in a vulnerable remote work environment they are vital.

Better for collaboration

So Office 365 delivers integration and security at the organizational level, but what about the employees on the ground using these apps day in and day out? For collaboration, office 365 includes real time, synchronous communication tools such as Teams and Yammer, as well as asynchronous communication tools like the Outlook and the Exchange email solutions. These generally have a steeper learning curve than their G Suite or third party counterparts, but they make up for it with better features, integration, and security.

The familiar Outlook and Exchange email platforms are highly encrypted and easy to use, so they fit the bill for secure remote working. Competitors like Gmail are comparable in functionality, but where Office 365 pulls ahead is in the real time collaboration capabilities of Teams.

Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that provides chat, video meetings, and file sharing. It’s integrated with the other applications of the Office 365 platform. Google’s similar Meet and Hangouts collaboration tools are easy to set up and use right away, but their bare bones features aren’t suited for business use. Instead, many G Suite users resort to third party products like Slack or Workplace. These standalone apps offer some of the functionality of Teams, but they come with standalone pricing whereas Teams is included with Office 365 plans.

Furthermore, Office 365’s Teams beats out the third party apps in many areas. For example, with premium paid plans from Slack, users can make conference calls with up to 15 participants. With Teams, users can hold video conferences with up to 250 participants, regardless of the Office 365 plan they are on. Similarly, the security of Teams’ virtual meeting and conferencing platform is fully developed, without the failings evolving third party apps like Zoom are experiencing.

So while a G Suite + 3rd party hybrid solution might seem useful in a pinch to communicate with a remote workforce, it simply isn’t as capable as Office 365 Teams. If a business is going to take remote work seriously and set up an environment of seamless communication comparable to working in the office, the all-inclusive toolset of Office 365 is better in the long run.

The bottom line

If your business works with larger organizations, or aspires to, you should choose Office 365 to ensure your documentation, processes, and security protocols align. The same holds true if you’re transitioning to a remote work environment but want to maintain the option of desktop versions of commonly used office applications like Outlook, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

If you work entirely online and only need an email provider, G Suite may be the right option for your business. Since many of the G Suite resources are free to use, many new business owners are already familiar with tools like Google Docs and Google Sheets. Choose this option if you have no plans to expand your business or work with organizations that are already established on Office 365.

Want to Learn More? Take A 360° Look at Office 365

Get a detailed look at Office 365, including Microsoft Teams, as well as lesser known features that can optimize your office functions. Download our free Office 365 eBook.

We’re here to answer your questions about Microsoft Teams and Office 365. Talk to an expert at Terminal B about business productivity solutions, streamlining operations, leveraging the cloud, and how you can boost your bottom line. We’re your single source for effortlessly reliable business technology.
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Save on electricity with these PC tips

When it comes to saving energy, every little bit goes a long way. The more energy-efficient your PC habits, the more money you save. In fact, activating your PC’s power-saving features can save you up to $50 a year. And if you want to increase your savings even more, take note of the following tips.

1. Disconnect your external devices

Devices that connect to your PC such as printers, headphones, and webcams consume power, too. That’s why you should disconnect or remove these devices from your PC when you are not using them.

2. Use a smart strip, especially for computers you cannot turn off

A smart strip is a series of several electrical outlets in one strip, with circuits to monitor and maximize your gadgets’ power consumption. It can electronically unplug any device so that they stop drawing current, and you save energy. By connecting your PC and peripherals like printers and scanners to the smart strip, you don’t need to unplug your equipment when you’re not using them.

3. Adjust your computer’s energy settings

You can also consume less energy by adjusting your PC’s power settings. For example, you can make sure your hard drive and monitor go into sleep mode when they’re left idle for a few minutes. You can further save electricity by lowering the brightness of your screen.

4. Shut down and unplug your computer when not in use

If you are not yet using a smart strip, then it’s best to shut down your computer when you’re not using it. Make sure to unplug your machine and its peripherals as well, because leaving them plugged in consumes standby power.

5. Use a charger only when charging your laptop

When we charge our laptops, it’s easy to just leave them there and forget about them. This overcharging eventually degrades the battery. Meanwhile, leaving the charger plugged in — even if it’s not connected to your computer — also consumes standby power. To save energy, either use a wall outlet with a timer, or plug your charger on a smart strip.

6. Choose an Energy Star-compliant PC

Energy Star is the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) symbol for energy efficiency. Every product that earns the Energy Star symbol is guaranteed to deliver both quality performance and energy savings. The more stars a product has, the more energy-efficient it is. Studies have shown that a single Energy Star-compliant computer and monitor can save between $7 and$52 per year in electricity bills.

These tips should help you develop energy-conservation habits and make smart choices in hardware. If you need assistance in choosing the best hardware for your specific needs, give us a call. We’ll be glad to help.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Office 365 productivity hacks you may not know about

Most small businesses rely on technology solutions to perform their day-to-day tasks. One indispensable solution is Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based subscription service that includes online versions of standard Office applications like Word, Powerpoint, and Excel, as well as collaboration apps like Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams.

You are probably familiar with some of these apps because you’ve been using them on your PC, but did you know that Office 365 allows you to do things in the cloud that you can’t do with the desktop version? Here are some of those features and how they can boost your productivity:

  • Collaborate in real-time

Office 365 allows several users to work on a document simultaneously. This feature lets file owners see other users’ activity on a document in real-time, eliminating the need to send files back and forth over email when collaborating. You can also use the built-in chat or voice features to communicate with your colleagues, eliminating the need for a separate messaging app while working.

  • Pick up where you left off in Word

Whenever you’re connected to the internet, Word bookmarks your current page and syncs that information across all your devices. Switch from mobile to desktop and back again, and immediately continue working right where you left off.

  • Organize your team with Planner

Planner is a task management app that comes with your Office 365 subscription. With it, you can assign tasks, set due dates, and share files in a simple and organized way. You also gain visibility on the state of your projects, as each board shows who’s working on what, which projects are on schedule, and which are delayed.

Download our free eBook!

Office 365 is the productivity suite of choice of today’s businesses; and it’s what you need to step into the future. Learn more about Office 365 by reading our free eBook, A 360° Look at Office 365

Download now!

  • Link OneNote to Outlook

Office 365 makes it easier to share items from your personal device with your teammates. For starters, you can convert OneNote items into Outlook calendar events complete with date, time, and location, or distribute the minutes of a meeting from your OneNote via your Outlook email.

  • Share large files efficiently

If you’re looking to send large or multiple files to your peers, upload them to Office 365’s cloud storage instead of sending them as email attachments. Email attachments have file size limits, but Office 365 gives each user 50GB of default storage. This means you can upload any size of file and then simply share the link via email or a messaging app. Your team can then access the file on any device without the need to download it.

  • Enhance your experience with third-party tools

Office 365 integrates with hundreds of third-party apps that let you complete a huge range of tasks smoothly and securely. Request e-signatures, collect customer feedback, or send money straight from Outlook with just a few clicks. Browse for the tool you need at the Office store and start enjoying more integrated and intuitive workflows.

Terminal B is a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Partner

We are proud to be one of only 300 verified CSP Partners in the United States, and one of the largest in Texas. As the premier CSP partner of Texas businesses, we leverage your Office 365 subscription so you can attain maximum productivity while meeting compliance and security standards.

Customize your Office 365 plan with Terminal B

Terminal B offers affordable and tailor-made Office 365 plans that give predictability to your business budget. Pay only for the services or apps you need, and easily scale up your technology when you need to.

Are you ready to drive business growth with Office 365? Call us at (512) 643-9038 or fill out this form to reach us today.

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The pros and cons of remote work in law firms

Remote work has been enabled by faster internet connections and more accessible mobile devices, and businesses are keen to jump on the trend of incorporating it into their workflows. In particular, despite the heavy compliance rules and the confidential data they handle, law firms are slowly embracing the culture of working off-site. They are trying different iterations of remote work policies and practices, with the most extreme case being the virtual firm, a setup where the company has no physical office and all lawyers and staff work remotely.

But just because remote work is effective for one establishment doesn’t mean it will also be effective for you. Should you adopt work remote work policies? Here are some of the most salient points for and against the argument to help you decide.

Pros

  • Flexibility

Flexibility is an important consideration if you want to retain talent. According to corporate culture expert Deloitte, about three out of four millennials prefer to work in a company that allows them to work from home. Satisfied employees are more likely to stay, and remote work definitely helps facilitate the work-life balance that gives them a sense of contentment.

  • Cost savings

Virtual law firms don’t have physical offices, and while this might not be the most ideal setup for your practice, it can be a model as to how you can save on operational costs. When lawyers and staff work outside office premises, you can lower electricity consumption. You can even lease a smaller office space!

  • Boosted productivity

A two-year study by Stanford University concludes that remote workers are 13% more productive than those who work in a physical office. According to the study, off-site workers render a true full shift with less distractions and more work done compared to their in-office counterparts who tend to be late because of their commute or be unfocused at work because of noise or office chatter.

Cons

  • Security issues

Law firms deal with sensitive data and lawyers are held under the oath of client confidentiality, so every client file should be protected at all times, lest it be copied, lost, stolen, or destroyed. Remote work can compromise the safety of a firm’s data when lawyers connect to networks that don’t have enterprise-grade security systems: cybercriminals can steal your confidential files or keep them hostage in exchange for money.

  • Lack of organization-wide communication

If lawyers spend more time working remotely and don’t get to spend face time with their colleagues, they might end up not feeling any sense of community or belonging in your firm. This can in turn engender conflicts or worse, cause employee turnover.

  • Productivity dips

It takes autonomy and commitment to work remotely without supervision. Some legal professionals are lacking in those departments, so it’s more efficient when someone micromanages them from time to time. Without anyone frequently checking in on them, they might become lax and less productive.

Some also find working off-site more distracting than working in an office. The prattle in coffee shops can be quite off-putting, or the TV in one’s apartment can whittle time away from work. In such instances, remote work becomes counterproductive.

The long and short of it

Up to 50% of the US workforce is predicted to be remote in the near future, and businesses that adopt remote work sooner will undoubtedly enjoy more advantages than businesses that don’t. The best course of action, therefore, is to contain the disadvantages of working remotely by:

  • Partnering with a cybersecurity expert that can keep your systems protected and your data secured 24/7/365;
  • Utilizing technology like Office 365 and Microsoft Teams and turning them into solutions that bridge communication gaps and promote collaboration; and
  • Drafting guidelines about who is allowed to do remote work and for what, all the while using business analytics tools to monitor if employees working outside company premises are hitting their targets.

Overcome the challenges of deploying a mobile workforce for your law firm with Terminal B. Our team of experts can help you discover and implement technology solutions that guarantee high productivity, lower operational costs, and more collaborative processes. Contact us today.

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How to transfer files from Android via USB cable

You can use Wi-Fi to transfer files between your Android phone and your PC or Mac, but if an internet connection is unavailable or unstable, there’s another option: use your trusted USB cable. Read on to find out how your USB cable can help you move files between devices without a hitch.

To transfer files from your Android device to your computer, you need the following:

  • Your Android phone
  • A computer with a USB port
  • A USB cable

Android file transfer for Windows

1. Unlock your phone.
2. Plug it into your computer’s USB port using a cable.
3. Your Android phone will display a “Charging this device via USB” notification. Tap on it.
4. Tapping on the notification will display other options. Select File Transfer under “Use USB for.”
5. Your computer will show a file transfer window. Drag and drop files from this window to your preferred location on your computer.
6. Once you’re done, eject your device from Windows by right-clicking the device and printers manager on the task bar and selecting your device’s name on the list.
7. Unplug your USB cable.

Android file transfer for Mac

For Mac users, there are several additional steps you need to do if you want to transfer files from your Android device, but the remaining steps are pretty much the same to Android file transfer for Windows.

  1. Download and install Android File Transfer on your computer. Take note that this app only works on Macs running on OS X 10.7 or later.
  2. Open the Android File Transfer app. You need to open it the first time you use it, but the next time you plug in your device, it will automatically open.
  3. Unlock your Android app and connect it to your Mac using your USB cable.
  4. On your phone, tap on the notification that says “Charging this device via USB.”
  5. Your phone will then display other USB options for your device. Under “Use USB for,” choose File Transfer.
  6. This will prompt your computer to display an Android File Transfer window.
  7. Drag and drop files from this window to your preferred location on your computer.
  8. After backing up your data, eject your USB by right-clicking the icon for the external device on your desktop and selecting “Eject [volume name].” Alternatively, you can drag the external volume icon into the trash can in the Dock.
  9. Unplug your USB cable.

Transferring files from one device to another is a piece of cake, isn’t it? But data backup is more than just copying and moving files. Do you want to learn more about making your business devices and computers disaster-proof? Our dedicated IT experts can perform routine backup solutions that go beyond drag-and-drop. With their knowledge in security, data recovery, and business continuity, you never have to fear losing your data again. Call us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

3 Office 365 features that make eDiscovery a breeze

The growth of business data is too rapid for any manual or traditional method of processing. Processing and sifting through a company’s data has become nearly impossible given the sheer speed and volume by which data is produced and housed in an organization’s digital tools and databases.

Electronic discovery or eDiscovery is the automated process of identifying, collecting, reviewing, and exchanging business data for use in litigation or investigation. Unsurprisingly, eDiscovery is a long and complicated process. But this has birthed an entire industry of solutions for its various stages, with Microsoft’s Office 365 being just one of them. What makes Office 365’s eDiscovery feature unique?

Microsoft’s enterprise productivity suite, Office 365, has built-in tools that can process eDiscovery requests by going through data scattered among its many tools easily, quickly, and cost-efficiently. Let’s take a look at Content Search, eDiscovery Cases, and Advanced eDiscovery.

What is Content Search and eDiscovery Cases?

eDiscovery is the core function of Office 365’s Security and Compliance Center. Its Content Search uses criteria like keywords, custodians, and date ranges to identify, preserve, and collect business data scattered in Office 365’s suite of cloud-based tools, such as Exchange Online mailboxes, Office 365 groups, Teams, Skype for Business conversations, Sharepoint Online, and OneDrive for Business sites.

Without analysis capabilities, Content Search’s results can become bloated with irrelevancies if the volume of unstructured data is massive. When that happens, identifying relevant content requires a professional third-party solution. However, organizations now have the option to do it themselves with Office 365’s Advanced eDiscovery powerful data management and analytics features.

eDiscovery Cases is another basic eDiscovery functionality in the Security and Compliance Center. It’s a management tool that allows organizations to control who can create, access, and manage eDiscovery workflows for legal investigations. This preserves content locations from being tampered with and prevents unwanted eyes by placing them on hold. The Content Search tool can go through those locations to find content that needs to be extracted. Case content can then be prepared for further analysis by third-parties or through Advanced eDiscovery.

What are the benefits of Content Search and eDiscovery Cases?

Their primary advantage is enabling organizations their own preliminary searches and early data assessments for legal proceedings and investigations. This kind of in-house search and assessment is quick, cost-effective, and is secure, since it doesn’t expose corporate data to external eyes.

Using eDiscovery Cases, requests for relevant content can easily be entertained. There’s no need for content to be moved, archived for preservation, and indexed for search.

And because Microsoft designed Office 365 for the cloud, it gives its eDiscovery tools global availability. They can be used in any locale or situation where an organization needs to find and access content for legal, compliance, and investigation purposes. It isn’t restricted to on-premises collection of data.

What is Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery?

Available for customers with Microsoft Enterprise E5 licenses, Advanced eDiscovery adds analysis capabilities with text analytics, predictive coding, machine learning, and optical character recognition. Organizations can assess the relevance of all documents, remove redundancies and irrelevancies from data sets, and then automatically cluster the remaining documents.

What are the benefits of Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery?

Advanced eDiscovery makes in-house case assessment much easier and more cost effective. Through predictive coding, it separates relevant from irrelevant documents and detects documents that have similar or identical content. It also eliminates email threading or only recognizes the new, unique messages in an email thread, removing earlier copied content in previous messages.

These functions dramatically reduce the work needed to gather content and the size of data exports. Without these Advanced eDiscovery capabilities, huge amounts of data from Content Search can be bloated with irrelevant and duplicate data.

With machine learning, advanced text analytics, and multi-dimensional analyses of data collections, Advanced eDiscovery allows you to explore an organization’s unstructured corporate data and find what you need, making quick informed decisions on case strategies possible.

Looking for relevant data for legal cases in your organization doesn’t have to be difficult. Not only does Office 365 have a suite of productivity tools to make collaborative work and communication better, it also makes legal investigations and corporate security and compliance easier and more cost-effective. Contact us and let Terminal B’s experts help make your eDiscovery tasks so much easier with Office 365.

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