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Category: SO/SMB Solutions

  • Double the New Beginnings: A Guide on Starting a New Business and Moving at the Same Time

    It’s common knowledge that moving into a new home and starting a business are among the most stressful undertakings, but what about doing them at the same time? It’s more than possible to accomplish especially if your current living situation isn’t conducive to your personal or professional life. If you’re moving, you might want to make a checklist. You might list your dream home’s features and the good traits of a moving service, for example.

    Here are some suggestions from NTELogic to help you successfully move and start a new business at the same time.

    Modesto, CA, has Your Dream Home

    The first step to combining your goals into one is finding a home that is better suited to having a home-based business. Some questions you might want to ask about your dream home in Modesto are: how close is it to heavy traffic or the facilities to use public transport? You also may want to ask about the availability and quality of Wi-Fi and fiberoptic-based internet services as some addresses might not be eligible for them yet. Do you want your dream home to have a room you can turn into a separate office, or would you prefer to work from anywhere inside your home?

    You may find a home that you love with less space than you’d like. If you’ll need to store some of your belongings away from your new home, you can find a storage unit online. With more than a hundred facilities available and 5’ by 10’ units priced as low as $170 a month, you’re sure to find a storage space that meets your needs and budget.

    To Buy or Rent?

    It’s also recommended to visit your potential dream neighborhood at different times during the day to make sure it truly suits your personality and requirements. A few other steps might include checking your credit and finding out your price range. You may need to investigate possible mortgages before settling on one and think about other expenses like property taxes. You also might seek the help of a good realtor and consult recent Modesto housing trends.

    If you can’t find a home to purchase just yet, you may want to look into houses to rent. There are plenty available in the Modesto, California area. Renting a house will enable you to conduct your move and become familiar with your new city while you continue your search for a home to buy. And you can find three-bedroom houses for around $2,300 per month, which may even help you to save up more money for your down payment in the meantime.

    Your Business Done Your Way

    It’s still possible to start your new home business while you’re moving. Smartphones and other devices make research a breeze. You can synchronize your browsing history and favorites if you use the same browser on your computer as on your smartphone. Home-based businesses aren’t always expensive to start. You can become a freelance writer, sell paintings, or design your own clothing line all from the comfort of home. All you need is internet access and a place where you can focus and you’ll be selling your services or products online in no time.

    This mobility carries over to your marketing, too. In our technological age, it is easy to create quality promotional materials from your home computer, laptop, or even your smartphone. Banner templates are easy to use and allow you to create digital content you can use across multiple platforms. Simply look through the provided templates and select one that fits your brand and product. Then, edit the text, font, colors, and images to support your marketing message. You can post them directly from your smartphone in a few easy steps!

    It’s important to have a great IT specialist in your contacts list for any technological glitches. NTELogic offers many services, including high speed internet, data and cloud services, and good ole tech support.

    Your New Journey Begins

    Once you have your housing secured and business planned, it’s time to find a moving company. A search online will connect you with dozens of potential movers as well as customer reviews of their service. You’ll be able to decide between multiple good options to find a company that will work for you.

    Moving can be stressful and oftentimes it’s easy to overlook how much waste you’re creating. Relocating produces trash like bubble wrap and packing peanuts, contributing to the 146.1 million tons of trash in landfills each year. With Americans averaging nearly 12 moves in a lifetime, small changes could collectively make a big difference.

    Architectural Digest Reviews has created a guide for people looking to make their move more sustainable. The article offers 6 steps to a more eco-friendly move, 9 sustainable moving companies and organizations to watch in 2023, and tips from moving experts.

    Moving into a new home and starting a new business at the same time is more than possible. It’s empowering. It starts when you list what you want in a home and reach out to a realtor who understands the housing trends in Modesto. Remember to stay within your budget and put mobile marketing to work for you. And keep NTELogic in your primary contacts for all of your IT needs.

    Image via Pexels

  • Tame the Meeting Monster

    Meetings are what happens when people aren’t working Elon Musk famously said.

    Several recent articles have highlighted Elon’s advice on making meetings more efficient. While the outspoken Tesla CEO has no shortage of advice, his three rules for meetings are spot-on.

    Most meetings are scheduled without ever thinking about their actual “cost”.  Even small, weekly check-ins can cost organizations $30K or more per year. Large, all-hands meetings can run into the mid-6 figures.

    Meetings are actually one of the largest expenses and largest productivity drains in most organizations. In fact, workers expend more than 129 hours per year in meetings that were entirely unnecessary.

    Elon’s Three Rules for Meetings
    • Get rid of all large meetings, unless you’re certain they are providing value to the whole audience, in which case keep them very short.
    • Get rid of frequent meetings, unless you are dealing with an extremely urgent matter. Meeting frequency should drop rapidly once the urgent matter is resolved.
    • Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren’t adding value. It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time.

    Some have said walking out of a meeting can be career suicide. Perhaps… but excusing yourself when leaving early the right way fends this off.

    Reducing the Cost of Meetings

    How to reduce the cost of meetings? Simply put, eliminate and reduce. 

    Eliminate the meeting entirely.

    Eliminating a meeting can be done by canceling it or conducting it asynchronously. That means using communication tools like Online Meeting, email, or video/audio recordings instead of holding a meeting. This saves time, frees up people’s schedules, and has many other benefits that come with real-time communication.

    Reduce the number of people.

    Strongly considering who needs to be there in the first place. Remember, you can always pull someone in for a portion of the meeting or send out meeting notes afterward to keep people in the loop.

    Reduce its duration.

    Cut all your recurring meetings by 15 minutes and see what happens. You can always add time back into a meeting.

    Reduce its frequency.

    If the meeting is recurring, try cutting its cadence in half. Moving a weekly meeting to biweekly often has very few negative consequences — but it halves the cost of the meeting.

  • 4 Clever Ways to Reduce Costs with Unified Communications

    4 Clever Ways to Reduce Costs with Unified Communications

     

    Because of the cost of unified communications (UC) and the opportunity for financial savings that it brings, using UC is a smart decision for most organizations. The reality is that switching to a cloud communications system and adopting UC costs less than using a traditional telephony system.

    According to Jose Pastor, former senior vice president of product management at RingCentral, organizations can save tens of thousands of dollars with unified communications.

    If you’re thinking of investing in unified communications, you’ll probably save a lot of money, especially in the long term.

    But before you invest, you should do your research and perform a cost-benefit analysis for your business. That’s the only way you can assess the value that it can bring to your organization.

    You also want to know what strategies you can use to minimize your costs so you can maximize your benefits.

    Let’s look at the ways your business can save with UC so you have the information you need to perform a unified communications cost-benefit analysis and make an informed purchasing decision.

    The Case for Unified Communications

    Businesses of all sizes are implementing unified communications, most of which are either using the cloud or are planning on moving to the cloud soon. The global market for UC is expected to exceed $234 billion in 2028 with a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent over the next few years.

    Why the massive growth?

    UC is a necessary communications tool for hybrid work, which is becoming the norm post-pandemic. It also offers tools that empower businesses to enhance the customer experience.

    But one of the biggest drivers of adoption is the ability to save money.

    4 Ways to Save Money with Unified Communications

    With a cloud-based unified communications solution, you can minimize your IT and operating costs, simplify your technology stack, and save on your phone bill.

    Here are the ways you can reduce costs when you invest in unified communications and clever ways to optimize those savings.

    1. Lower Upfront Costs

    With unified communications, you can use a cloud phone system, which means voice data transmits over the internet rather than phone lines. Instead of paying for all the hardware and maintenance costs of a traditional PBX phone system, you can get started with a mobile app downloaded onto your devices and a subscription licensing fee.

    How to reduce your costs: Don’t purchase cloud phones for all your users. Pre-configured desktop phones are useful because they offer the same features as modern business phones. But, with UC, you already have a lot of functionality within your software.

    Decide which employees need a desk phone – everyone else can enjoy all the features and security benefits of your unified communications solution through the app. They can place calls, host or join a video conference, share files, and more from their laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

    2. Fewer Communications Apps

    Because you have voice, video conferencing, chat messaging, and file sharing all rolled up into one platform, you aren’t paying multiple vendors. This can lead to significant cost savings. One study found that using a single vendor results in a 56 percent lower total cost of ownership versus using a multi-vendor approach.

    How to reduce your costs: When choosing a unified communications provider, look for a vendor that offers all the communications tools your business will need so you aren’t paying multiple vendors. If you want contact center functionality, make sure your vendor has Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS). You should also be able to integrate your tools so your data updates across platforms. That will make using your software seamless for users, which can boost productivity and lead to even greater benefits.

    3. Smaller Phone Bill

    You’ll also see lower costs with unified communications through a better rate per line and reduced long-distance calling costs.

    Businesses that use cloud phone systems save money each month on their phone bill. When NTELogic compared what other phone companies were charging, we found that most of our customers were paying about 50 percent less with us. Other phone companies charge about $67 per line, while NTELogic’s hosted phone users pay a fraction of that.

    How to reduce your costs: Choose a cloud-based unified communications system instead of an on-premises solution. That way you can take advantage of the immense savings that come with a cloud phone system. You’ll have a smaller phone bill and never have to worry about downtime for app updates – your cloud provider automatically updates the software.

    4. Increased Productivity and Less Employee Recruitment

    When you empower your teams with user-friendly, full-featured software, they have the tools they need to work more efficiently. Additionally, with UCaaS, your staff can be productive from anywhere.

    Your employees are going to be more productive and more satisfied with their job when they have technology that makes work more flexible and seamless, which means your company will probably spend less on recruitment and training over time.

    How to reduce your costs: Choose a provider with excellent customer support and reliability. That way your employees will have the best experience possible, technical support will be there when you need it for fast problem-solving, and you don’t have to worry about issues with downtime.

    Optimize Your Unified Communications Costs by Choosing the Right Provider

    Cloud communications is a popular business tool because businesses end up saving money when they switch from their legacy phone systems. But, you can optimize those savings if you choose the right cloud provider.

    Contact us today to learn how easy it is to make the move to UCaaS.

  • 5 Obstacles to Overcome When Starting a Business

    Starting a business often means confronting lots of fears. Whether you’re worried about your finances, your own abilities, or finding more support for your idea, it’s normal to feel anxious. Turning to outside agencies for help, such as getting IT support from NTELogic, is often a smart choice. These tips outline a few strategies for overcoming common issues that you might face when opening your first business.

    Uncertainty About Your Plans

     Right now, you might feel like you’re a bit fuzzy when it comes to the finer details of your business. It’s time to get a little clearer on your vision by creating a business plan. Your business plan can include notes on everything from your chosen business structure to your marketing strategy to your funding needs. You can also write down your plans for staffing.

     Unrealistic Goals

     You might be tempted to set your goals sky high – but in the first days of business ownership, you don’t want to get too fixated on a bar you can’t clear. Falling short of lofty goals can be discouraging. Instead, set goals applying to different areas of your business that feel truly realistic for your company. Jotform recommends writing down goals based on your finances, growth projections, employee development, customer service, and even your social following.

     Lack of Support

     Perhaps most of your friends work at 9-to-5 office jobs, and your family doesn’t understand your desire to open your own business. But if you feel like you’re not getting the support you need from your social circle right now, it’s time to look outside of it. You can begin networking with local professional organizations, attending events and conferences for people in your industry, and reaching out to other entrepreneurs in your field online. For additional support, you may want to look into finding a mentor. Intigro states that a mentor can share their valuable perspectives on business, learn new skills that you can apply in your everyday work, and help boost your confidence as you take on new projects as an entrepreneur.

     Confusing Administrative Tasks

     As a new business owner, you might feel intimidated by the number of confusing administrative tasks that you need to check off of your to-do list when you officially launch your company. But you don’t have to navigate these tasks by yourself – instead, you can rely on useful online services that provide a start a business guide for help.

    For instance, you can work with an online formation service to register with your preferred business structure and register your company’s name in your state. This ensures that you’ll stay legally compliant throughout the process, and you’ll get to enjoy the benefits of registering your business, like limited liability and lots of tax perks!

     Marketing Questions

     Maybe you have faith in your products and services, but when it comes to marketing, you have no idea where to begin. Don’t stress too much – thankfully, there are lots of tools that can help you create basic marketing materials. For example, with a free online logo creator, you can develop a logo that symbolizes your company’s values, distinguishes your business from the rest of your competition, and furthers brand awareness. You’ll start by selecting your preferred icon and style, adding essential text, and then adjusting the fonts and colors on your favorite logo.

    Starting a business means confronting some of your doubts about yourself and your ideas. But when you choose to challenge yourself, you might be surprised by just how much you can accomplish. With these suggestions, you’ll be able to take on your fears and dive into building your business.

    Are you in search of an IT service provider for your business? NTELogic helps businesses with essential IT support! Call today at 209-790-4560 to learn more about our services today.

    Photo via Pexels

  • Does Your Organization Need Cybersecurity Awareness Training?

    Cybercriminals are getting smarter and more savvy with their attacks nowadays. Even the best security solutions in the world would not do any good if users are not cyber-aware and know what to do when they encounter suspected cyberthreats.

    Most cybercrime incidents begin on a smaller scale and do not become a full-blown data breach until it’s too late. 95% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error, and firewalls cannot keep a staff member from succumbing to a phishing email.

    According to data collected by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, phishing attacks accounted for over half of all reported cybercrimes in 2021, and losses from phishing attacks topped $2.4 billion. In fact, phishing attacks increased by 280% in 2020 alone, and human-caused data breaches topped 82%.

    Email attacks almost always involve some sort of phishing. Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending emails posing as a legitimate source to compel victims to reveal sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. You may have seen phishing emails before, offering you a free TV or asking you to change your password. While an email spam filter will catch many of these, some will still occasionally make it through to your inbox.

    Defending against phishing and social engineering attacks ultimately comes down to knowing what you’re up against. These can come in several forms, but the most common cyber-attacks are phishing emails that ask you for usernames, passwords, and personally identifiable information (PII). A good rule of thumb is to have healthy skepticism whenever an email asks for personal information—especially emails from an unexpected sender.

    FREE Phishing Test Offer

    Register today for your free phishing security test and find out how many of your employees are phish-prone.

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    This can sound like quite the daunting task for any company, let alone a small business. The reality is that the opportunity cost of not training your employees is too high to ignore. According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach last year was $4.24 million. Thirty-eight percent of companies lost business because of a breach, which accounted for over half of the total financial losses.

    While cybersecurity awareness is the first step, employees must willingly embrace and proactively use cyber-secure practices both professionally and personally for it to truly be effective. This is known as a culture of security or security culture. Security culture is defined as an organization’s collective awareness, attitudes, and behaviors toward security.

    For security culture to be most effective, it’s important to make security training not only engaging but also relevant to employees so they understand how cybersecurity impacts them in and outside of work. The best part about cybersecurity training is that it can be customized to your organization’s needs. From a formal security awareness training program to a monthly email with cybersecurity tips and tricks, any cybersecurity awareness and training can significantly impact employee behavior.

    Our training platform consists of built-in phishing training and comes with the option of letting your organization create its own training courses and upload/deploy them internally. This can include, but is not limited to, employee safety, conduct (anti-harassment) and more. It could even be used for human resources (HR) training such as employee onboarding, policy training, etc.

    Contact us today to learn more or to register for our a free demonstration.

  • What Is Email Security, and Why Should You Care?

    Email is one of the most often used communication channels in business. It’s a fundamental part of modern communications. Email is also a medium that’s “always-on,” and people have access to it from anywhere. While it’s a necessity, it’s also a channel ripe with risk. That’s why email security is so critical.

    In this post, we’ll define what email security is, discuss the risks it presents, and provide you with best practices.

    What Is Email Security?

    Email security describes a variety of tactics, including:

    • Applying technology tools to inspect incoming emails for potential malicious threats
    • Encrypting or securing outbound email traffic to protect inboxes, data, users, and organizations from cybersecurity threats.

    Both inbound and outbound email are subject to security measures. Security measures can also relate to compliance checks for regulated data exchanges.

    Since the massive adoption of cloud-based email, the ecosystem has become more complex. As such, security tools and protocols have become more advanced to ensure the integrity of every message.

    So, what are the biggest threats to email security?

    Email Security Threats

    Email represents a means for cybercriminals to infiltrate a network. The most common way they do that is with phishing attacks. Phishing attacks are the practice of sending communications that are fraudulent but look like they’re coming from a reputable, known source. Phishing can lead to several adverse events.

    Recipients may click on a link and reveal sensitive information like credentials, allowing unauthorized persons to breach a network and gain access to confidential data.

    Phishing emails can also be carriers of malware or ransomware, which can also cause breaches or other failures.

    While phishing has been part of the hacker’s playbook for some time, it’s still a leading cause of cyber incidents, with 36 percent of all breaches tied to phishing. And email is the favorite option, with 96 percent of them arriving via email.

    In addition to phishing, access to a business email account by anyone outside of the owner could result in the compromise of proprietary information or intellectual property.

    Protecting email accounts is paramount to any company’s data security policies. The risk of breaches or other losses can be significant, financially and reputationally.

    To prevent as much of this as possible, you’ll want to follow best practices regarding email security.

    Email Security Best Practices

    Creating a robust email security posture is critical for your business. You’ll want your provider to offer multiple layers of protection, including monitoring and encryption. Training and educating staff is important as well.

    Here are the best practices that provide the most protection.

    Use multi-factor authentication

    Should a password be stolen, you can still keep unauthorized persons out with multi-factor authentication. Legitimate users will need more than just their password to “authenticate.”

    Add link protection tools

    Unfortunately, some phishing emails will still get through filters. If they do, the last thing you want is for a user to click that link. Link protection prevents users from accessing sites blacklisted as known phishing sites or having malicious code. Should someone click on it, the technology gauges the page’s reputation. If it’s unknown, a scan of it occurs in real time. If it’s not above board, a warning message appears.

    Deploy targeted attack protection

    The ecosystem of targeted attacks is growing, especially those that involve social engineering. In such cases, the email seems legitimate because the recipient was expecting it. It could be a receipt or a confirmation of a meeting. These can even include employee impersonation. With AI tools, email security rises to a new level. Such functionality flags suspicious emails, delivers insights into threat signals, and automatically remediates based on actions you’ve preconfigured.

    Protect outbound emails

    It’s not just emails your employees receive that need security; outbound emails also do. In many cases, you may be sending confidential attachments intended only for the actual recipient. That’s especially true for communication that’s subject to regulations like HIPAA. To adhere to these rules, you’ll need compliance templates with preconfigured code sets, keywords, and policies when sending PHI.

    Further, you also need safety nets in place should an employee inadvertently or negligently release sensitive data. With email encryption, you have a safe, secure, and reliable way to share this type of data and prevent data leakage.

    Keep software up to date

    Make sure that your administrator or provider auto-updates your email exchange. Failure to do this could leave you open to attacks. With auto-updates, every account or device gets the upgrades needed.

    Run phishing attack simulations

    Employees and their ability to respond correctly to phishing are critical in your defense posture. In addition to regular training and education on email and data security, you should also deploy phishing exercises. This helps them build awareness and be more cognizant of possible threats.

    Give administrators full visibility

    The final piece of the email security puzzle is providing administrators control and visibility across the entire enterprise. Security controls should be easy to understand and change as required. Administrators will have the necessary access to settings that ensure the safest email environment.

    How Secure Is Your Email Exchange?

    Does your current email exchange offer you all these protections? Are you concerned about what could happen without more rigorous features? Then you’ll want to know all about NTELogic Email Protection. Explore all it can do and why so many businesses trust it and us today!

  • How Does Email Archiving Work?

    Email is likely a critical communication channel for your business, both internally and externally. However, you may have concerns about security, accessibility, and storage. The best solution to address all of these is email archiving. In this post, we’ll explain what it is, how it works, and why it should be part of your email system.

    What Is Email Archiving?

    Email archiving is the practice of preserving these communications through cloud-based storage. It enables users to index, search, and retrieve old emails.

    Why Would an Organization Archive Emails?

    There are several business reasons to deploy an archiving solution, including:

    • Business continuity and disaster recovery
    • Internal audits, investigations, and eDiscovery for litigation (especially true for highly regulated industries)
    • Regulatory compliance mandates
    • Following security best practices
    • Record management
    • Protection of intellectual property (IP)
    • Minimizing the need to increase bandwidth while retaining the data

    Your need to archive may fall into multiple categories. It delivers benefits that can help you in various ways, from compliance requirements to cost savings.

    How Does the Archiving Process Work?

    The email archiving process captures 100% of inbound and outbound emails. The system then places these in a secured, cloud environment that’s accessible.

    It’s not the same as email backup. The difference is that a backup only backs up data for a limited time period to restore if necessary. Simply backing up your email doesn’t consider compliance requirements, nor does it help prevent data loss.

    If you’re currently only using a backup approach, you should be aware of its limitations. It’s also important to understand if it can or cannot deliver on all the business reasons you have for preserving email.

    What Are the Benefits of Email Archiving?

    The benefits of email archiving translate into business value. They include:

    Meeting Regulatory Compliance

    Certain industries have mandates regarding email communication if it contains confidential information. One of the most common is HIPAA, which regulates healthcare information. Those in this sector can achieve compliance by archiving.

    The archive keeps the data secure and provides a virtual paper trail should an audit occur. Compliance isn’t an option; it’s mandatory. By leveraging an archiving solution, you can also meet the regulations for FRCP, SOX, FINRA, GLB, NYSE, NASD, SEC, and others.

    Retaining Data

    Even the smallest companies generate thousands of emails. They often contain vital information, so retaining them is appropriate and may even be required. However, keeping them on your email server isn’t sustainable. You’ll quickly see your bandwidth diminish, which could include more costs.

    An archive moves those emails to the cloud and provides you with the ability to search them. The data is secure due to encryption, and you can find what you need in minutes, not hours.

    Achieving a True Backup for Business Continuity

    As noted, an email backup falls short of restoration. In this model, the Office 365 cloud houses the email files; however, this storage alone doesn’t preserve data for the long term. The archiving integration builds on top of what you have to create a permanent place for the emails to reside. You don’t have to do anything extra; it’s automatic.

    Protecting IP

    Emails can often contain IP. In fact, Microsoft reported that as much as 75 percent of company emails include IP. While you may not notice this because the IP is inherent to you, it could become an area of risk. Even the most minor trade secrets need protection. You’ll have more control over the content of these emails with archiving. It provides a repository where data loss isn’t a threat.

    Managing Legal Discovery

    If your company is in the middle of litigation, there will likely be eDiscovery requests regarding email. Without an archive, this will be an arduous task. An archive enables you to search, filter, and find what you need, so you don’t waste time and resources.

    Recovering Deleted Emails

    Deleting emails is a normal function. Most of the time, there’s no cause for concern. However, sometimes a user can inadvertently or purposely delete something that’s important or includes confidential information. Unfortunately, some of your employees may be engaging in risky behavior. A backup is a smart move to mitigate any fallout from such actions.

    What Archiving Features Do You Need?

    Before you choose an archiving solution, here are the features you should prioritize:

    • Security: This is at the top of the list. Find out how the system safeguards data with encryption (both while in transit and at rest) and how it meets compliance requirements regarding data security.
    • Scalability: You don’t want to have limits on storage capacity. Be sure it can meet your needs today and tomorrow.
    • Indexing of all file types: Not all archiving products include all file types or attachments. Ask about what it can index to ensure you’re covered.
    • Constant email capture: Be sure the solution captures and stores all sent and received emails.
    • Search functionality: In most cases, if you need to access your email archive, it’s because you’re looking for specific information tied to litigation, a breach, or an audit. Select a product that makes searching easy with tagging, filtering, advanced search, and categorization.
    • Exporting: Once you find the emails you need, you’ll want to be able to export them for the archive. Make sure this is possible, and that you have multiple format choices.
    • Integration: The standard Office 365 archiving doesn’t offer you complete protection. You’ll need a specific tool that meets all your needs. This will typically require an integration, so be sure that there are no compatibility issues while comparing options.
    • Easy set-up: You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to add this to your email. It should be simple to implement and not require additional licenses.

    Learn More About Email Archiving

    Email archiving is a smart decision for any business. It elevates your security, helps you meet compliance, protects your IP, and ensures access when you need it. Learn more about why you should add it to your email today by taking a tour of the NTELogic Email Archiving solution.

  • Got Questions About UcaaS? We Have Answers

    For organizations looking for ways to increase flexibility and resilience with cloud technology, a unified communications solution is often the first step. With UCaaS, teams can stay productive, engaged, and connected, whether they are working from home, in the office, or on the go. Before adopting any new technology, however, it’s important to learn as much as you can about how it works, what it can and cannot do, and potential challenges. We’ve put together this list of UCaaS questions and answers to help you start the research process.

    What Is UCaaS?

    UCaaS, or unified communications as a service, is a cloud communications solution that offers all the main types of business communications from one platform. Users can access everything from one app.

    What Features Are Included?

    This is something that can vary a lot between cloud providers, so be sure to do your homework and ensure the platform you use has everything you need. Often, UCaaS comes with video, voice, chat, and file sharing,

    You’ll also want to look at the more granular details such as advanced voice features like voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID, as well as a contact center solution to power your customer success. Other details to look for include rich video conferencing features, including interactive presentation tools, screen sharing, and HD video, and a real-time backup and restore function for your file management.

    What Do Users Need to Access the Technology?

    As a cloud solution, users simply need to download the application to their device and log in to the platform to get started. Your employees can chat with co-workers, launch video meetings, share files, and more from any location as long as they have an internet connection.

    The software is hosted on secure off-site servers, so there’s no need for on-site hardware, nor for extra IT resources to manage and maintain the technology. You can, however, purchase specific hardware such as desk phones, headsets, and webcams to work with your technology.

    Does My Company Need a New Phone System to Make UCaaS Work?

    UCaaS relies on VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology. This means voice data is transmitted over the internet, so there’s no need to have a traditional phone line to make and receive calls. In fact, this is one of the largest draws of cloud phone systems – your business can likely save on your phone bill by switching from a traditional phone system to VoIP technology.

    Can Employees Use Desk Phones Through the UC Platform?

    Yes, they can! You can use feature-rich desk VoIP phones to make and receive calls, send messages, and more, all through the same unified communications app you have on your computer, mobile phone, or other devices. These desk phones are plug-and-play, so you can set them up yourself right away.

    Is Communicating Through a UC App Secure?

    As with any type of cloud technology, security can be a big concern. To ensure your teams can use your UCaaS solution with confidence, it is important to inquire about the security practices your cloud provider uses.

    Your provider should be able to explain how they offer a worry-free experience. Here are some of the security best practices to expect from your cloud services provider:

    • Third-party audits to validate their security controls
    • Adherence to all applicable compliance standards such as HIPAA and PCI-DSS
    • Advanced encryption for email services
    • Ongoing network monitoring and detection
    • Highly secure data centers with security guards, controlled access, and 24/7 monitoring
    • Rigorous background checks for employees

    How Can UCaaS Increase Productivity?

    With a unified solution, employees no longer have to juggle between applications for communication and collaboration. This prevents workers from losing focus every time they have to switch apps, while also saving time overall by making everyday tasks like sending an email or sharing a file more efficient.

    Also, a lot of UCaaS solutions integrate with common business applications. This streamlines workflows even more. And, because users can log in from wherever, work tasks don’t have to wait for someone to return to the office.

    What Does the Onboarding Process Look Like?

    Unlike onboarding for on-premises platforms, onboarding for UCaaS is refreshingly simple with the right provider. Keep in mind, however, if your provider tells you to do the migration yourself, you may run into more complexity.

    For the best onboarding process, work with a cloud provider that moves your IT to the cloud for you at no extra cost. This way, your users can get started with minimal interruption.

    How Reliable Is UCaaS?

    Reliability is critical. If your software doesn’t work for your teams, you could run into problems with productivity and employee frustration. To ensure the UCaaS solution you adopt will perform, look for, at least, 99.99% service reliability and accessible technical support.

    How Much Does UCaaS Cost?

    One of the huge benefits of UCaaS technology is its affordability. Because it uses a subscription-based payment model, there’s no need to make a large IT investment to get started. You pay for the number of users you need.

    You can also scale up or down by adding or subtracting users. To enjoy the cost-efficiency benefits, look for a provider that offers transparent, flexible pricing and doesn’t require a contract.

    Start Benefiting with a Leading UCaaS Solution

    Whether you want to save money with cloud-based communications, unlock your teams’ potential, boost resilience, or all of the above, UCaaS can be game-changing for SMBs. Elevate from NTELogic is a comprehensive unified communications platform that comes with all the features your business needs to thrive. Reach out to our team today for a quote.

  • Building, Onboarding, and Managing Remote Teams

    Is your business implementing a hybrid or fully remote work model for the first time? Wondering how to successfully onboard and manage work-from-home employees without impacting workplace productivity, collaboration, or culture? With the right tools and processes, managing remote teams effectively is possible. Here’s an overview of what companies who are shifting to a hybrid or fully remote work model are doing to build, onboard, and manage remote teams.

    Tips for Building and Onboarding Remote Teams

    When building a remote team, you can focus on hiring based on skills, expertise, and culture fit rather than location. This gives your company a wider pool of applicants to draw from and makes it easier to create a dream team for your company.

    To build and onboard a remote team, you’ll need the right people, processes, and tools to make it work.

    • Designate HR staff to focus on hiring and training remote employees. The work experience is different when you’re working from wherever, so it’s important to have someone who understands how to engage, teach, guide, and provide support for remote workers.
    • Set expectations from the beginning. Establish the rules for work hours, specific times remote employees should make themselves available online, and time tracking from the beginning.
    • Create clear processes around communication – what channels should they use for collaboration, one-on-one meetings, and work questions? Who should they connect with for different types of communication and group work?
    • Empower your remote teams with easy-to-use and full-featured communications solutions that integrate with your business applications. As a lot of work happens through technology, it’s important to use platforms that enable productivity and minimize frustration. The essentials for keeping remote teams connected include unified communications, video conferencing software, and cloud phones.

    Tips for Managing Remote Teams Successfully

    Because your remote employees aren’t in the office, it can feel like you have less insight into how they spend their time, making management difficult. The reality is, working from wherever doesn’t have to impact productivity. With a smart, practical approach, you can still bring the best out of your employees. Here are a few tips to help you manage your remote employees:

    • Set up regular meetings. With remote teams, it’s more important to be proactive about meeting with your staff. Whether you do quick, one-on-one check-ins every morning or a weekly meeting with small groups, making face-to-face interactions part of the routine helps to keep everyone engaged.
    • Be upfront about work goals. Set benchmarks for individuals and groups – what should they be able to get done each day and each week? Also, be open to feedback from your employees. Check in with them to ensure they don’t feel overwhelmed with their workload and make adjustments as necessary.
    • Consider time tracking to gain clarity over time spent on tasks. Time tracking reveals how much time different employees take to do certain types of work and where they are devoting most of their work hours.
    • Provide tips and tools to help your remote employees create an optimal work environment. Talk to them about privacy and quiet when working from home, ways to set up an ideal home office, and what expectations they should set for themselves. Your company may need to provide hardware such as VoIP phones, work supplies, or ergonomically correct home office furniture.
    • Encourage a healthy work-life balance. Working remotely can be a positive experience that increases engagement and job satisfaction. However, employees do need support from management to make this happen. Regular feedback, supportive conversations, and help with the challenges of working from home, such as loneliness or a lack of physical movement, can help your remote teams thrive.

    How Many Businesses Are Relying on Remote Teams in 2021?

    A few short years ago, remote work was the exception, not the norm. In 2012, only 24 percent of employees worked from home 80 percent of the time or more.

    Throughout the pandemic, millions of employees traded their daily commute and nine to five at the office for a work-from-wherever lifestyle. Working remotely provided the adaptability and resilience necessary to ensure business continuity during the global health crisis. And now in 2021, 41 percent of the US workforce is fully remote. More than half work from home at least part-time.

    As a result, more employees and employers have experienced the benefits of remote work – the cost-savings, flexibility, and the potential for increased focus and satisfaction with work. So, it’s no surprise that the American workforce is moving ahead with some level of remote work.

    No matter what stage your business is at right now – whether you have a few remote employees, are developing a hybrid work model, or you’re considering going fully remote, build your foundation for success with cloud communications for remote teams. At NTELogic, we provide essentials such as Elevate, Online Meeting, and Contact Center. We also offer impeccable customer service, a 99.999% uptime service level agreement, and leading-edge cloud security.

    To learn more about how using NTELogic can help your business transform, get in touch with our team – we’d be happy to talk to you about how our tools can help you better manage remote teams.

  • Is Your Email Exchange Secure and Compliant?

    Email is a critical channel for communication for any business. In highly regulated industries, the security requirements for email differ depending on the information it contains. That means you need a secure email exchange to meet compliance. But how do you know if your email solution is really secure and compliant?

    The answer depends on the configuration of the email exchange and its features. Let’s take a look at what your system needs to ensure security and compliance.

    What Compliance Regulations Require Email Exchange Security?

    Several regulations impact email communication. The most prominent of those is HIPAA, which applies to PHI (protected healthcare information). It affects any healthcare organization or vendor to the space and requires them to protect PHI via encryption.

    Additionally, other regulations include:

    • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which impacts any organization that collects data from citizens in the European Union.
    • FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), which impacts organizations relating to investment banking.
    • SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), which applies to publicly traded companies.

    What Constitutes a Secure Email Exchange?

    There are multiple components necessary for secure email. When evaluating your current email or looking to upgrade, these are the areas to focus on regarding security and compliance.

    Email Encryption

    Email encryption describes the process of protecting content when exchanged in the channel. It ensures that only the intended recipient can access the content. Encryption has two subsets: in transit and at rest. Both require protection and should use technology like Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), S/MIME, and X.509 certificates to verify confidentiality, authenticate users, and ensure message integrity.

    Email encryption doesn’t require your users to make any changes. Instead, admins can determine which regulations are relevant to their business and then build rules. Your email provider hosts the hardware and software, but you have control privileges, allowing you to determine the exact security profile, including monitoring for certain words or going more in-depth to develop complex rule chains.

    Scanning Capabilities Prevent Email Leaks and Data Breaches

    The worst possible outcome of an email with secure information is a leak or breach. With these rules in place, if a user doesn’t follow them for information that should be encrypted, the system returns it to the sender or deletes it. Not only is the body of the email scanned, but attachments are, as well.

    It also doesn’t matter from what device the email originates. It could be from a smartphone, Windows app, or desktop.

    Email Encryption and HIPAA Compliance Templates

    Another key thing to consider with encryption is HIPAA compliance templates. These templates include preconfigured compliance code sets, keywords, and policies that adhere to all measures regarding PHI in email communication.

    More Ways to Build a Secure Email Exchange for Your Business

    Encryption of emails is the foundation for a secure email solution. There are more layers of protection to add, as well.

    Minimize Threats with Advanced Technology

    Phishing emails are a significant concern for any organization. They are a leading cause of data breaches. While you should educate employees on the topic, you also need to be aware that they are often the weak link. Build in more protection with technology that scans for and filters out these messages and spam.

    But what if those emails still make it to an inbox? It could happen, so installing one more safeguard for point-of-click protection is a good idea. Basically, it blocks a user from accessing known phishing sites or a web page with malicious code. The technology can live scan a page. If it detects something, it alerts the user.

    Anti-virus engines are crucial to detecting email threats, and advanced technology like AI is now poised to support targeted attack protection. AI can flag emails that look suspicious into an attack category. It can automate remediation if necessary and protects in real-time.

    Keep Software Up to Date

    One major cause of noncompliance or security incidents is the failure to patch software. Exchange should auto-update with any new fixes. You can’t easily do this unless the cloud hosts the email exchange. With this model, every device connected to your network gets the update.

    Protect Data that Leaves Your Organization

    Email communication and sharing of confidential information happen both internally and externally. Sending data outside your organization can include the same encryption rules, which protect from intentional or accidental data leakage. With this in place, outbound users get alerts about security measures.

    Choose a Credentialed Provider

    The best way to ensure you have the proper encryption configurations and the most sophisticated protection technology is to work with a credentialed provider. That means using the cloud, which is safer and more flexible than an on-premises solution. In addition, you don’t have to worry about developing a top-tier infrastructure; a credentialed partner has this. The best way to gauge this is to:

    • Understand their encryption methods.
    • Review all their tools to prevent and remediate threats.
    • Receive confirmation that they meet compliance mandates through certifications or auditing standards.

    How Secure Is Your Email Exchange?

    In reviewing all these security and compliance elements, you may realize there are serious gaps in your current solution. So be proactive in fortifying it to ensure your email doesn’t cause a breach, which could result in regulatory fines and reputational harm. Get more information on email security by reading our whitepaper, A Guide to Security and Privacy in an Exchange Email Environment.