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July
2001
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Nearly every business relies on Information Technology to some degree, but IT is not always used as well as it could be. Presbury’s IT on Demand has the answers.
Information Technology covers many areas, but for now we’ll look at two areas of Presbury IT On Demand expertise that could make a difference to your company.
BackOffice
Tailored services in this area can enable your office to work more efficiently and make the technology work for you. Complete BackOffice solutions can be provided to suit your requirements.
Consultancy starts with a site visit to assess your needs and to investigate the environment in which the systems will be installed. From here, a plan will be constructed to answer all the technical issues. This will then be used to work out price guidelines.
After a confirmation the main work begins. A complete project proposal will be written, with diagrams, to clearly show the intentions and considerations of the project. A project plan is also provided to show timescales and expected workload. We are able to handle all areas of the project, or advise on third party products depending on your needs.
Projects are not only green-field installs, most are actually migrations and upgrades covering software and hardware.
Support
This is an area that we take very seriously, because without a high level of qualified support, systems can become a nightmarish problem.
Three key areas are: Documentation, Training and Support & Maintenance. Documentation should be provided for all installations. This is a key area used in the administration and support of systems. It provides important knowledge needed by support staff in resolving any possible issues. Good documentation is invaluable in cases of migration and upgrades.
Many systems are not used to their maximum potential and this is mainly due to a lack of training. Time is also lost by users not understanding and/or misusing a system. The more understanding that users have, the less support they require.
All systems need to be monitored and from time to time, servicing is required. Annual support and maintenance is something that should not be overlooked when making use of technology. The more business critical a system is, the more cover there should be. This also provides a contact for queries and emergencies.
If you think IT could work better in your organisation, then get in touch. Whatever the scale of your needs, Presbury & Company is flexible enough to meet them. Contact us on 01509 600367 to discuss your requirements.
It’s the scourge of everybody’s ‘Inbox,’ but why do we get it and what can be done about it?
Nicknamed "Spam", junk e-mail is any e-mail that is unsolicited from people you do not know, or mailing lists you did not sign up to. If the effort and time taken to download and sort isn't enough, often it can be deeply offensive.
Why do I get Junk E-mail?
In order for you to receive junk mail it is necessary for the sender to have your e-mail address. The thing with "Spam" e-mail is that it comes from people you have never heard of, so how did they get your e-mail address? There are a number of ways that "Spammers" can get e-mail addresses.
Some "Spammers" use special software to scan through websites or online e-mail directories, gathering up and storing all the e-mail addresses it comes across. Another way is to join a discussion list and look up the list of members. "Spammers" can also purchase lists of addresses from other advertisers. Basically if your address is on an e-mail directory, is placed on a web page, if you are a member of a discussion list, or if you have ever sent an e-mail to a news group, then it is possible for a "Spammer" to get your e-mail address.
What can I do about it?
In business, especially if you have a company website, it is necessary to place e-mail addresses on your site so that customers can get in contact. Of course you can avoid signing up to mailing lists and discussion groups, but often these are genuinely informative and useful. While it is practically impossible to avoid junk mail there are some good ways of controlling it. Some users will recommend buying anti-spam software that uses filters to sort your mail and get rid of junk before it reaches you, however, a simple system for dealing with junk comes built into Microsoft Outlook Express.
The "Message Rules" option in the "Tools" menu is really useful for automatically organising mail as it comes in and can be used to filter out some of the unwanted "Spam". It allows you to set up a series of rules that can sort mail into different folders or delete it, depending on the mail's content or who it is from. The system also includes a blocked senders list, so you can permanently avoid mail from specific mail addresses. Although no system is foolproof, carefully thought out message rules will do most of the work for you without losing those important legitimate e-mails. You can try our Microsoft Outlook Express tutorial on our website at www.presbury.com/july.
Print Productions Limited is a client that utilises our IT on Demand suite of services. Their internal systems are an integral part of their business infrastructure and they need a high level of support to help them maximise the potential of those systems.
PPL have been involved with members of our technical team for more than 2 years. Working with the PPL team, we continue to support and train their staff in all areas of IT, notably training all members of staff in the Microsoft Office Suite.
PPL's demanding and forward looking approach to technology means continual development of their systems.
We continue to work closely with PPL in the development of an MI System for their Client Services department. Current projects include future-proofing their network systems, development of a tailored E-Commerce solution, Documentation-based intranet and site-wide virus solution.
All businesses should be concerned about viruses. Your data could be there one minute and gone the next. Unfortunately many companies are misinformed of the potential threat from viruses.
They can be received by e-mail, from a website, attached to a download file, or on a disk.
‘Melissa’ and ‘Mawanella’ are particular viruses that arrive from a friend or colleague. Once the attachment is activated, the virus starts to e-mail itself to all entries in your contacts list and so the cycle begins again.
All companies should be aware of and actively protect against viruses. Good anti-virus products have provision for automatic updates.
With more than 10 years in IT, we can provide an antidote just for you. Look out for more in next month’s Tech Zone.
For
more information on any of the topics above call 01509 600367
© 2001 Presbury & Company.