2nd Quarter 2013 - May Issue
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Do You Know What Your Backup is Doing Tonight?
At Shiloh Service, we are often called in when disaster strikes and the costs are high. It doesn’t have to be that way.
When it comes to backups, our fortune would be made if we had a nickel for every time we heard someone say “but the light was flashing, so it had to be working,” or “what do you mean the files we need weren’t backed up?”
Having a backup for your network is not as simple as having a nightlight for your office. Strategy and planning are involved and so are regular maintenance and functionality checks.
The same disaster mantra that applies to oil well rigs and flood levees applies here:
Do you want to fix it now or fix it later, when it costs 100 times as
much?
All Backups are Not Created Equal
Even when someone has told you your system “backs
up everything,” what does that mean?
Perhaps it backs up everything on
your network, but that doesn’t mean it is backing up the emails on
Bill’s computer, or the software and system settings on Jane’s laptop.
At Shiloh Service we deploy and maintain backup systems you can count on, systems tailored to your business needs.
- From a single computer to an entire network, we offer multiple backups with an off-site storage strategy.
- More than data, we can backup the system state (your computer’s heart and soul), so that when we restore “everything,” it includes software, all your favorites, and even desktop icons.
- We can remotely monitor your network and provide system checks in the background without bothering a single staffer. No more fear that the backup only looks like it’s working.
For everyone whose business grinds to an expensive halt at the loss of a computer, Shiloh Service is standing by to make that loss no more than a minor inconvenience, one that can be overcome in a matter of hours.
When you consider the cost of what might happen otherwise, the investment in a professionally planned and maintained backup strategy is minimal. Want to learn more? Contact Shiloh Service today!
Rescuing Small Businesses from Unforeseen IT Costs
If you’re like most businesses, over time your computers, printers,
peripherals, laptops, tablets, and more seem to grow like weeds. Almost
without thinking about it, you’ve invested in thousands, or tens of
thousands of dollars of capital equipment.
Common sense told you to put most of it on your insurance, but when was the last time your computers were stolen or lost in a fire? Like most people, you prepared for the unlikely and let yourself open to more familiar dangers.
In the case of computers that means:
- Slowdowns and glitches that lose valuable work time
- Updates and backups that never happen
- Viruses and malware that steal passwords and compromise credit cards
- Printer, scanner, and fax malfunctions that have everyone frustrated
These things happen every day and insurance can’t help you. To keep things running smoothly, you need an IT department that’s familiar not only with your equipment but also with your business goals. Where are you growing; what will you need; and how will it integrate with what you have now?
At Shiloh Service, we offer all the benefits of having your own IT department at a fraction of the cost. We work with you to understand the computing needs of your business and to guide you along the path of an uncertain technological future.
Instead of responding to emergencies when the fix can be costly in both time and money, Shiloh’s specialty is to proactively maintain your network and computer systems. With our Premier Service Plan, we can even guarantee that you’ll never pay another service bill outside of your contract!
With unlimited IT customer support, computer solutions at no extra charges, and all parts, labor, and travel costs covered, Shiloh has been rescuing small businesses from unforeseen IT costs since 1971.
Even if our Premier Plan is not for you, Shiloh has options that are right for your business today. Call us at 1-888-374-4564 or visit our Contact page. We’re ready to help!
Who Do You Trust with Your Data?
Shiloh Pledges a Drug Free Workplace
When looking for help with computer repairs and networking problems, who
do you trust?
Remember, it’s not just about circuits, wires, and software. Your business is on those hard drives; your customers and employees rely on the professionalism of anyone with access to your network.
The geek from the shop down the street may know what buttons to push – but who do you entrust with sensitive information, your digital accounting records, and the software that writes your checks?
At Shiloh Service, we hire qualified technicians who demonstrate a high level of ethical behavior and dedication. We back up our hiring practices with a pledge to them and to you to maintain a drug free workplace.
We know that when it comes to business computers, technical skill is just not enough. When you need someone to care for, repair, and maintain your most critical information systems, who do you trust? Shiloh Service. We’ve been setting the standard for small business IT services since 1971.
Signing in with a Microsoft Account
Twenty years ago, when you bought a computer that was that. You had
everything you needed in the box. Then came the Internet, email,
software updates, downloadable apps, login accounts, and passwords.
Now, along comes the Cloud, and when you buy a computer, everything isn’t in the box anymore and the Internet isn’t the only place your computer can go. You need a Microsoft Account.
Like any online service these days, a Microsoft Account has a login (your email address) and a password. With this one login you can now access and take advantage of:
- Outlook.com (your free, modern email that replaces Hotmail)
- Skydrive (your 25 GB of free online storage for sharing Microsoft Office documents, photos, and more)
- Skype (your free instant messaging and Internet based phone service)
- Enhanced Parental Controls available with Windows 8
- Application Store (Windows 8 has Apps. From Music & Video to Books, Education, and Entertainment, Windows is now as flexible as your favorite Smartphone)
- Xbox Live (for unlimited multiplayer games with friends everywhere)
Perhaps best of all, once you have your new Windows 8 computer setup the way you like, with a personalized background, network settings, passwords, and more – sync it with your Microsoft Account.
Now your personal settings are not only safe should something happen to your computer, you can use your basic settings on any Windows 8 computer or device that has online access. Just login with your Microsoft Account.
Want to learn more about how you can take advantage of a Microsoft Account? Contact Shiloh Service today!
Windows 8.1 - Coming to a Computer Near You This Summer
As inevitable as any new version of Windows is the first major upgrade
after the initial roll out. For those of you who didn’t jump at their
first chance to own Windows 8, the wait may have been worth it. For
everyone else, your version of Windows 8 can be upgraded too!
The upgrade to Windows 8 features a variety of improvements, fixes, and some new built-in apps, but the biggest changes are to the user interface.
Windows 8.1 allows you to use smaller Live Tiles and Microsoft is changing the way you arrange them on the Start Screen. You can pick between large, medium, and small Live Tiles for applications, with a special extra large option for the desktop tile.
Due to popular demand, the Start Button is coming back, along with an option to bypass the new “Metro” screen and boot straight to the desktop.
New apps include recurring alarms and an audio recorder for verbal notes. Application updates in Windows 8.1 are set to happen silently in the background.
While various “beta” versions have been leaking to the press in recent months, Windows 8.1 (code named Windows Blue) is not set to roll out for public reviews until late June.
Want to learn more about Windows Blue and whether it is right for your next computer? Contact Shiloh Service today and our customer service technicians will evaluate your business computing needs
.3D Printing is Here Now
Are you old enough (let’s say mature), to remember dot matrix printers?
They chattered away in black and white while feeding through long rolls
of paper with perforated edges. All through the 1980s they were the
cutting edge of small business technology. It was a minor miracle to
print documents in-house that didn’t have to be retyped by hand!
Today, the first 3D printers are taking that same cutting edge spot. What is a 3D printer? It prints objects, not words! If that brings up visions of Star Trek like technology, you’re right.
Recently, Ford used an industrial level 3D printer (costing about $300,000) to print a hybrid transmission prototype out of a pile of aluminum powder. Instead of re-machining components to try out a change in design, the design team can type a few changes into the software and press print.
For only a few thousand dollars, basic 3D printers can print objects out of rolls of various materials (which take the place of the toner cartridges we are familiar with). Such capabilities put fast prototyping in the hands of even small businesses, as well as the ability to directly print retail product – everything from clothing and gifts to unique specialty items.
How does it work?
The process varies from printer to printer, but the material (rubber, plastic, paper, polyurethane, metal, and more) is usually sprayed, squeezed or otherwise transferred from the printer onto a platform. An extruder, much like a print-head, heats the material and deposits it through a small hole and onto the build plate. The printer makes passes, much like an inkjet printer, building the object one layer at a time.
3D printing is expected to be one of the fastest growing markets ever, with the market set to explode from $1.7 million/year right now to $3.7 billion by 2015.
It took 30 years for clumsy dot matrix printers to become fast, affordable, color laser printers. How long will it take before you walk up to a sleek-looking box and give the voice command “New shoes, Nike style, 9 ½ D. Print!”
