3 Web Apps Your Business Can Use Right Now For Better Productivity

an apple desktop computer sitting on top of a wooden desk

If you have a PC, laptop, or smartphone, there are a ton of web apps that can make your life easier and more pleasant.

web apps

Here are 3 great web apps for our computer tip of the day.

  1. Mint is a free app that lets you keep track of expenditures. It helps you stick to a budget or to track expenditures in certain categories. Mint will provide you with a graph of how much you’ve spent vis-à-vis income for a given month. Additionally, send reminders when you are approaching the top end of a budget category. It can be set up to synchronize with a checking account, or amounts can be entered manually.
  2. Want to watch the latest from your favorite TV show? Or are the election results on your schedule and not on the network’s schedule? Google Cast and you can do it. Google Cast, a free app, needs to be used with a smart TV. Additionally, a piece of hardware called a dongle. It is available at most places that sell computer software. Then, the dongle is inserted into the television. Then, the Google Cast app will stream anything you want to watch from a PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet to your television screen. The advantage is that so much is available to stream, and you no longer need to watch any show at the time the networks decide.
  3. As family and friends become increasingly far-flung, it’s great to be able to talk to everybody live, as it were. Using Skype for Business you can chat and see how everybody’s doing physically as well as by voice.

Contact us for more information.

The Best Business Laptop For You: Computer Tip of the Day

a man sitting at a table using a laptop computer

Some business owners choose a computer that’s strictly for their office, while others use a personal laptop. In plenty of ways, having your own laptop is much more beneficial than an office computer. First of all, you’re not restricted to the hours in your business, and you can also complete any unfinished work at home, right from your personal device. With that said, owning and purchasing a laptop for your business, involves making smart decisions and knowing what is the best business laptop. You can’t just waltz into the nearest Best Buy and expect any laptop to be a perfect fit for your business needs.

best business laptop

For today’s computer tip, here is how to make sure you’re purchasing the best business laptop for your needs.

First of all, you should consider the cost of what you’re purchasing. Just because a laptop is more expensive, that doesn’t always mean it’s better. On the contrary, a cheap laptop doesn’t always mean that it’s “worse”, either. Consider your budget, and weigh the pros and cons of each device. Speaking of which, consider your business needs as well. Many laptops have excellent hardware, but also come with plenty of accessories you may not even need. There’s nothing wrong with purchasing it if it’s within your budget, but always remember that there’s a huge difference between your wants and your needs. Lastly, before buying any laptop, check reviews, especially if you plan to purchase it online.

After all, cheap hardware is the last thing you want to buy. In relation to this, many developers think they’re sneaky. They cut corners and use cheaper hardware, so they can reduce the costs of building a laptop. In the long run, these laptops have a much shorter lifespan. Many consumers are unaware of this until the warranty expires, and by then, it’s too late for them. Knowing the general consensus on what you’re purchasing, can help you avoid these issues.

For more information, contact us today at Bluwater Technologies. We look forward to hearing from you.

Do You Need A Managed Service Company? Find Out, Today!

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Do you need a managed service company? You may be doing reasonably well running your business’s own systems. You know something about computers, and the network isn’t very elaborate.

managed service company

Still, there are good reasons why a managed service company can better suit your business.

  • Your focus should be on running the business. There are lots of things you can do, but it makes sense to devote your effort to the important management tasks and delegate other responsibilities.
  • Your systems will run more reliably. A managed service doesn’t just respond to problems; it prevents them. Keeping software up to date will make your systems more reliable. Monitoring the network will detect sporadic problems before they become serious.
  • Regular offsite backup will keep your data safe. Loss of data due to hardware failure, user errors, or physical disasters can destroy a business. Reliable, well-managed offsite backup will allow quick recovery.
  • Security measures will stop data theft. Keeping computers safe from intrusions and malware is a difficult task. It requires paying attention to a lot of issues, including firewall configuration, account and password management, email filtering, and anti-malware software. Managed service companies keep up on the latest threats and countermeasures so that you won’t suffer data breaches.
  • If something goes wrong, you want to fix it quickly. A managed services company will address any problems promptly, minimizing the impact on your business.
  • When you need to upgrade your systems and software, you want expert advice. Your managed service provider can tell you what the best current technology is, and how to avoid ineffective or obsolescent products.

For a reasonable cost, a managed IT service company lets you devote your time to running your business and keeps your computer operations efficient, up to date, and safe. Bluwater Technologies provides managed services tailored to your business.

Please contact us for details.

Four Major Benefits of an MSP

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When so many of your business operations depend on computers and digital communications, high-quality IT services are essential for your company’s success. Hiring a managed service provider (MSP) to oversee critical IT functions can help your company grow and thrive.

What are Some of the Key Benefits of an MSP?

The services an MSP provides are flexible and can change with your business’s evolving needs.

Sometimes, MSPs serve as a well-run, outsourced IT department, managing a wide variety of IT functions and precluding your need to hire in-house IT staff. On other occasions, MSPs manage a smaller set of IT tasks or are hired for specific projects. If you already have in-house IT personnel, the MSP may work as their partners and share responsibilities with them.

They enhance your abilities to handle complex IT issues.

MSPs bring their support and expertise to bear on a range of areas, including cyber security, cloud computing, communications (e.g. email and VoIP), vendor management, network maintenance and monitoring, and data backups and restoration. Their round-the-clock management and support give you reliability of service, improved productivity, compliance with regulations, and stronger security.

They can provide you with a more proactive approach to IT services.

Rather than merely reacting to IT emergencies, your MSP works to anticipate and act on problematic issues before they develop into disasters. MSPs can also help you with IT planning, guiding you in IT-related decisions that best serve your company’s short-term and long-term needs.

They save you on various expenses.

When working with MSPs, you pay only for the services that you need, and often you can sign up for deals that include a bundle of essential services. Furthermore, with the reliable support and management you receive from MSPs, you minimize costly downtime and reduce the chances of suffering devastating IT disasters. By taking over different IT functions, MSPs also free up more of your time, so that you can focus on growing your business.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information about our managed services. Working with an MSP will give you reliable, high-quality IT services tailored to your business needs.

Choosing the Right SMB IT Support

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Having good small business it support and solutions is important if you want to ensure that your company’s information technology needs are satisfactorily met. But with all the SMB IT support providers out there, picking the one for the job can sometimes be difficult.

So how do you choose a solutions provider for your business operations?

Understand What Your Business Really Needs

One important matter to note of when choosing an IT solutions provider is that small businesses have different needs compared to larger companies. For instance, a small online store might not need to use a dedicated server to handle transactions. Hosting services, such as Google Drive, are often enough to keep tabs on the transactions coming through the store. This in turn, can cut down greatly on the amount of IT solutions needed.

However, as this PR Web article says, you need to think broadly when looking into your business’ particular information technology needs. Ask yourself what kind of tasks have to be accomplished for business operations. Determine which tasks need IT support and which ones can be managed even without it. You also need to determine whether your business operations might be at risk with your current IT setup. From there, you will be able to map out a comprehensive IT support plan.

Looking For an IT Support Provider

Price is often one of the first considerations made by companies when looking for small business IT support and solutions provider. After all, these companies often don’t have a lot of money to spend. However, one mistake to avoid here is going with a provider simply because they have the lowest offer. Remember that you are putting your business’ IT capability on the line here. Go over the IT plan you have prepared and see which provider is able to give everything you need for a fairly reasonable price.

Sufficient tech support is also an important consideration when choosing an IT solutions provider. Blue Derkin gives a rundown of important questions to ask when checking a provider’s tech support capability:

“When my site, for some unknown reason, goes down, can I call up and get a real, live person on the phone? And, more than that, can they find out what’s wrong and fix it, or at least tell me what I need to do to get my site back online? Before going with a host look into their reputation for customer support. See what kinds of different ways you can contact them when you need support – email, toll-free phone, chat, and so on. Are they staffed 24/7? Do they outsource support?”

Working with a SMB IT Support Provider

When working with your chosen IT provider, keep in mind that they still have their limitations. For instance, the tech they provide might not be able to meet demands higher than what has initially agreed upon. Take this into consideration when making an assessment of the provider’s performance. It would also be a good idea for you to discuss scalability options early with them, so that these can be implemented when needed.

Contact us today to learn more about small business IT support and solutions providers.