Greystone – Fort Collins – Our new office is open!
March 31, 2010 by Peter Melby · Leave a Comment
For those of you who haven’t heard yet, Greystone has expanded. We have opened a second office up in Fort Collins in order to better provide our IT management services to the Northern Front Range. This is an exciting move for us because it takes us back to our roots. Jesse and I met while doing IT consulting in Fort Collins in the late ’90s and it’s been a goal to bring Greystone back here where we started. As we increase our focus on the Northern Colorado market, we will be holding several educational seminars to engage with the business community and further initiate conversation about how technology can be used as a valuable business tool. Similar to our events that have generated great feedback in Denver, we’ll use these times to share our understanding and experience surrounding the purpose and evolution of technology for small businesses.
Our first event will be April 16th at 3:30. We will discuss the keys to managing technology in our current economy. If you know anyone who might want to attend, the information and RSVP instructions are below.
Greystone – Fort Collins
155 W. Harvard St. Suite 301
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Phone: 970.372.5280
Event Information
How to Manage Small Business IT in Our Current Economy
An educational seminar by Greystone Technology Group, Inc.
Friday, April 16th – 3:30 PM – Nonesuch Theater
216 Pine Street – Fort Collins, CO 80524
Come for the event, stay for happy hour
RSVP to jstanislav@greystonetech.com or call 970-372-5280
Hacked?
March 25, 2010 by Rob Close · Leave a Comment
Throughout my career I have been asked the same question a million times, “Is my computer safe from hackers?” It’s hard to answer positively when, in reality, 77% of home and small business computers and networks are not secure.
Most people think that simply buying a security suite such as Internet Security keeps them safe. Although it is a good start, it’s not a comprehensive security solution. The biggest problem seems to be that users purchase a wireless router off the shelf and set it up using the factory defaults because that’s what the “quick setup” manual advises. The factory defaults may be secure enough to keep your neighbors from connecting to your wireless internet, but a true hacker driving down the street with a laptop can get into it in less than 15 seconds. In another 15 seconds, they could have your bank account information and credit card numbers.
Most wireless routers that can be purchased in a retail store or online are perfectly capable to provide solid security. It just takes a little more time to read the entire manual and use some of the advance options to setup good encryption and security. Of course, tech support is always helpful if further instruction or advice is needed. Just remember, using a family name or birthday as your password doesn’t qualify as a good measure of security.
Another situation that puts users at risk of falling victim to stolen identity is online shopping. Anytime users pay for purchases on the internet with a bank account or credit card without ensuring the website is a secure or trusted site may be putting you at risk. If you use Internet Explorer, Microsoft adds a gold key to the browser windowto let you know if the website you are using during checkout is secure. You can also look on the checkout page to see if the website is using encryption methods to protect your information. Paying for an item on a non-secure website is like calling each number in 100,000 phone books and directly giving them your bank account information.
As for email, the rules are simple. Don’t give anyone your bank account or credit card information through email. This includes sending an email with your account information in it as well as calling a number that you receive in an email asking you to verify that information. No trusted company will ever ask for your financial information via email.
Computer technology and network connections have grown to become a staple in our lives. With increased use and dependability on our computers, cyber-crime has also risen significantly. As a result, hacking has become a prevalent issue, and most of the time the consequences of a hack have such negative results that victims spend months or years trying to reclaim their lost identity. To prevent becoming a victim, it’s important to take your time when setting up personal security systems and ask for help when needed. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
I'm not bitter . . . really.
March 23, 2010 by Scott Kerr · Leave a Comment
I’m a reasonable man. I’d like to say I’m even, at times, magnanimous. My patience, however, has worn a little thin with a select few friends and family members who stubbornly persist in littering my in box with inane email forwards. In the days when the internet was new and novel it was understandable. We were young and hopeful then, with the light of this brave new world agleam in our eyes (sigh). If Bill Gates sent us a message saying he was going to share his fortune with us, who were we to deny him? By now, though, we should all be older and wiser. As for the culprits who persevere in their gullibility, details of internet etiquette have no doubt reached them by now. One might hope this knowledge would curb such compulsion to spam those near and dear, regardless of whether or not they are taken in themselves.
So let me make this abundantly clear. Nobody wants your amusing anecdotes, pictures of nauseatingly cute animals, political diatribe, or inspirational quote de jour. I don’t care if the president is a direct descendant of Lucifer and snopes.com verified it, or you think the latest YouTube clip of some poor fellow getting smacked in the head with a baseball bat by his 3 year old son is the most hysterical thing since the chimp smelling his finger. Just save the bandwidth and a few seconds of both our time and click “delete”.
P.S. Send this link to 10 of your closest friends or you will have bad luck for 10 years.
Fun Theory
March 18, 2010 by Jamie Stanislav · Leave a Comment
How many times have we overhead parents telling their children to enjoy their youth because soon they will enter “the real world,” full of work, deadlines, bills and responsibilities. Why is there such a contrast between youth and adulthood? As adults, have we lost our ability to have fun, or have we just lost our perspective?
Companies like Volkswagen, Nike, Starbucks, and Walt Disney beg to differ. These companies recognize the need to foster elements of fun and play in the workplace and in daily life. Companies are realizing that incorporating these concepts into their organizations makes work enjoyable, fosters positive feelings among coworkers, relieves stress and encourages employees to work harder and be more productive.
Kevin Carroll, founder of Kevin Carroll Katalyst/LLC, is a “social change agent” and author that inspires businesses, organizations and individuals to embrace their spirit of play and creativity to maximize their human potential and sustain more meaningful business and personal growth. Kevin believes in 7 rules that allow individuals to harness their power of play that he outlines in his book Rules of the Red Rubber Ball. Among these rules, Kevin suggests finding time in your day to work your creative muscles, expect the unexpected, commit to incorporating play into your work life and seek out encouragers to help you along the way. Companies like Nike, Starbucks, Capital One and even Mattel have begun implementing these ideas into their corporate structure.
While Volkswagen realized the importance of fun internally, they wanted to project this idea into the public as a way to promote social change. The result? The Fun Theory campaign was launched. Their idea was that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better. They have created several scenarios accompanied by videos posted to their website, www.thefuntheory.com that proves this concept. Their most famous project was a piano staircase. They hypothesized that more people would take the subway stairs if it was a fun thing to do. Technicians installed special tiles that, when stepped on, would play the according piano key. Sure enough, 66% more people took the stairs, and not only were they avoiding escalators, they were leaving the subways with a smile on their faces. How could incorporating fun into your workday, make daily tasks more enjoyable?
Fortunately, Greystone is a company that realizes the need for fun and play into the workplace. While we haven’t installed a piano stairs into our office building or hire “social change agents” to speak at our weekly meetings, a subtle outlet for fun and play is recognized. It is not uncommon for us to pass along YouTube videos (often turning into miniature “viewing” parties). We are known for getting together outside of the office to enjoy meals, events and each other’s families. Also, we host an annual summer BBQ for clients and associates to meet and enjoy relationship outside the workplace in a relaxed and – you guessed it – FUN environment.
Finding small ways to introduce play into your work life can go a long way in changing your outlook, and may even get you excited to go to in to work every day. Don’t let deadlines, stress or responsibilities hinder you from embracing your spirit of play and allowing it to generate meaningful business and personal growth.
Maintain your browser, maintain your sanity
March 16, 2010 by Nate Traiser · Leave a Comment
It can be said that owning a computer is like owning a car: if you don’t keep up with the maintenance you will soon find the “Check Engine” light on. The “Check Engine” light alerts you to issues you may know little about. Unfortunately computers don’t really come equipped with such a warning. Problems with your PC’s performance can find you feeling equally as trapped in a technological black hole. In the internet age, it is virtually impossible to function efficiently (or even function at all) without anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware and numerous other products that help keep systems operational. And remember that, like a car, your computer will start losing its value the moment you swipe your credit card to pay for it; however there are steps you can take to prolong the life of your investment.
Program Inventory
Let’s say you purchase a new laptop. The first thing that you should do is remove all unneeded or unwanted applications. All major PC manufacturers have numerous partnerships with software vendors. Unfortunately, these unnecessary programs can hog memory and even slow down your system. The rule of thumb: keep only what you need. (Note that you should never delete a program if you are unsure what it is or what it does) Next, once you have cleaned up your applications, I recommend a free utility called CCleaner. This powerful application allows you to flush a long list of temporary, application and system files. Review the check list and select what you want cleaned. Whether you leave the default settings selected or customize what you want cleaned, important or critical files will not be lost during this process.
Registry
The next important step is to employ the Registry option. Run this after you cleanup/uninstall any applications. More often than not, applications do not fully remove all files associated with them (often by design). After every scan, select “Fix Selected Items.” Upon selecting “Fix,” you will be prompted with the question, “Do you want to backup the registry?” The Registry is the nerve system of Windows. While this decision is yours to make, our consultants regularly use this program and have never had registry issues after running it.
“Tools”
The last function of this utility (that is pretty cool if you ask me) is the “Tools” option comprised of these three sections;
- Removing applications
- Managing your Startup Directory
- Using System Restore.
“Uninstall” is self explanatory feature. It is simply another interface for removing applications. The second feature is “Startup List” and it provides you with the ability to disable or delete the programs that automatically run on your computer when you turn it on. If you are unsure about an application, disable it. You can always go back and enable it at a later date. Finally, “System Restore” is another interface for the Windows system restore feature. By default, Windows will run this service every time Windows update, device drivers or applications are installed. If any one of these installations corrupts a part of the OS and renders it inoperable, you can reboot in Safe Mode and revert back to the system state prior to the install. Keeping this application on your weekly checklist will dramatically improve the longevity of your PC’s operating system (XP, Vista or Windows 7).
Remember that it is important to you keep your system clean. Malicious developers know that Windows sometimes does a poor job at this and they are keenly aware that a majority of users will not clean up after their browsers. In a way, your browser is like a 10yr old child who wants to wander, explore and get dirty – and when it’s all said and done, taking a bath is just not a priority. (Ahh, the good ole days!) It’s up to you to do the cleaning. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera – whichever browser you like to use – these options are built in to manage/flush your surfing history and temp files, but none of them are enabled by default. CCleaner is a fantastic solution because it doesn’t care what you use; the program cleans all browsers at no cost to you.
Re-read that email before you press send
March 11, 2010 by Byron Williams · Leave a Comment
I’m not one to blog about blogs; however I’ve made an exception today. Having committed many email etiquette faux pas in my day, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned (or can’t seem to learn). Also, I found Judith Kallos’ writing on professional communication helpful. Hopefully you will, too.
1. The Subject field. I once had a coworker who crammed as much information as possible into the subject field. For example, instead of the subject being “Lunch”, hers would say, “I’m going to lunch at Japon in 20 minutes if you’d like…” Then, when I opened the email, the body contained, “if you’d like to join me”. This technique should be avoided. As Kallos points out, the subject field should be a “window into your e-mail and can many times determine even if your e-mail will be opened.” Sadly, my coworker never took my advice. However, I’m comforted that the expert is on my side here.
2. it’s an email. I can be informal if I want. Simply put, that is not the case. In college I had an economics professor I really liked. I emailed her one evening with a question about an assignment and addressed her by her first name. I promptly received a response from her that read something like this: “Mr. Williams – you may address me as Doctor or Professor and not by my first name”. Needless to say, I never made that mistake again. “Only time and relationship building efforts can guide the level of formality of your [professional] relationships and therefore your e-mail’s tone,” notes Kallos.
3. Should I use a previous email to introduce a new topic? No, unless you want to convey laziness, notes Kallos. While this may be commonsense, I’m guilty of breaking this rule. It’s easy to reply to the last email you received from someone but it can be confusing for both you and the recipient and it makes searching your inbox for relevant information more difficult.
4. Intricate formatting and signatures are cool. Right? Simply put and with all respect, not really. Unless you would type something in bold crimson letters on business letterhead, don’t do it when e-mailing,” Kallos says. Your email does not have to look as if it is constructed on pink notebook paper. I’ll leave it at that. In regard to the signature, keep it simple. She suggests that it should be “no more than 5-6 lines to avoid being viewed as egocentric.” I don’t mean to upset my friends with signatures with large, colorful fonts and inspirations quotes in their signatures . . . but toss the idea of limiting “your signature to your Web site link, company name, and slogan/offer or phone number. Include a link to your Web site”, writes Kallon.
5. Take a moment before you reply. Perhaps, take several moments. Make sure you are saying what you really want to say and by all means necessary, examine your tone. It’s easy for words to be misinterpreted. Trust me; it’s difficult to express tone and inflection in an email. I’ve often been accused of being short and harsh in an email so I try to remember this rule with every message I send. Most importantly, make sure you are firing off the email to the correct person. I recently received a reply to all that I was not meant to see. I was copied on the email and the main recipient replied to all (in a short and harsh manner) criticizing me! In the spirit of full disclosure, I have been guilty of this embarrassing mistake, too.
Finally, while I’d like to believe that my blog is all that you’ll ever need to read, you can find Kallos’ at businessemailetiquette.com.
Avoiding a Malware Infection
March 9, 2010 by Scott Kerr · Leave a Comment
Over the past several months we’ve seen a dramatic increase in malware infections. These viruses are often cleverly (and convincingly) disguised as Windows security alerts. Examples of this type of infection are Antivirus Live, Internet Security 2010, Antivirus 200x, etc. They masquerade as an antivirus program and tell you your computer is infected. The idea is to get you to enter your credit card information to clean these alleged infections.
While these viruses are particularly adept at getting past all the major anti-malware programs, there are some things you can do to help prevent becoming infected, as well as steps to take if you do catch a bug.
- Make sure you have all the latest Windows security updates.
- Internet Explorer tends to be more vulnerable to these kinds of attacks than browsers like Firefox and Safari. Using one of these can decrease your odds of becoming infected. Note, however, that some web-based applications are only compatible with Internet Explorer, so ask your Greystone Consultant before doing this.
- Create a separate account without administrator rights to do your surfing.
- Don’t open suspicious emails, especially attachments.
- Perhaps the most important thing of all is to become well acquainted with all your programs, especially your anti-virus/anti-spyware application. If you know what programs are installed, which of them occasionally prompt you for updates, etc, you will more easily be able to identify an imposter early on and have better luck getting rid of it quickly. The real Windows security center will never tell you about a virus infection and prompt you to complete a scan, install something else, or enter a credit card number. If you have McAfee antivirus, you should expect only McAfee to alert you of a possible infection.
- When in doubt ASK. If you are uncertain whether or not an update should be installed, DON’T DO IT. Instead, contact us as soon as possible.
If malware has already made its way through your computers defenses, usually it can still be cleaned. Bleepingcomputer.com is a great resource for instructions on how to get rid most viruses. Malwarebytes is a great free program that generally does a good job of cleaning things up. Keep in mind this program does not prevent an infection, but it can clean an already infected PC. If all else fails, contact us to get things up and running again
iPad For Sale
March 5, 2010 by Byron Williams · Leave a Comment
Today Apple announced that the long-awaited iPad will be available for pre-order on March 12 and the Wi-Fi model will be available in stores on April 3. The Wi-Fi plus 3G model will be available in late April, the company said. The Wi-Fi model can be reserved on Apple’s website and available for in-store pickup on April, 3 they said, but let’s face it – it will be virtually impossible for store’s to have enough iPad’s in stock to sell both the pre-ordered Wi-Fi devices and to shoppers who line up to be the first to have the new device. One interesting note in the press release: “Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.” Right . . .
Microsoft's Bing Maps – a new challenge for Google
March 3, 2010 by Peter Melby · Leave a Comment
Remember how cool the Google Maps web site was when it was first launched? Then they made it even cooler with satellite and street view images. Well Microsoft is giving them a run for their money with the yet-to-be-released features of Bing Maps. Check this out:
