Archive for 2012
Outsourced IT leadership
For businesses that are in the small-to-medium-sized (SMB) category (25 to 100 computers, 25 to 100 employees or a mix), the IT labour requirements of their computer network can be quite significant. And that significance can be enough for consideration to be given to the idea of hiring a full-time employee to dedicate to the various IT support roles. The question here is, is that the right way to go for your business? It may…
Read MoreInternal IT cost
For larger small businesses (25 to 100 computers/employees), the IT labour requirements of their computer network can be significant enough that consideration is given to hiring a full time employee to dedicate to the IT Support roles. The alternatives are having an in-house employee support the organization on a part time basis, while also serving…
Read MoreInternal IT vs. Outsourced IT
One full-time employee should be able to support roughly 50 to 150 computer users. As a rule of thumb, one full-time employee should be able to support 50 to 150 computer users. If the organization uses technology more intensively or has significant customer-facing technology, the IT staff demands might be greater. And vice versa: If…
Read MorePod Pointer – Ignore Outlook conversations
You’ll want to be careful with this tip because it effectively creates a rule to delete messages that match specific criteria. If you’re being bombarded with an ongoing email thread you can right click on any email in the conversation and choose Ignore. All previous and future email in the conversation will automatically be deleted…
Read MoreSuccessful IT Support
Success in the IT service industry requires two things: talent and process. Talent is the most obvious factor and so most service providers and customers focus on this. Indeed, Smart Dolphins is loaded with talent, but that is for another day. Less obvious is the importance of process – how the collection of talent…
Read MoreCommon IT costs
Smart Dolphins can lower the costs for most Vancouver Island businesses dependent on IT. So many representatives of organizations we meet with have no idea what their IT costs are. Without a clear understanding of annual IT costs, how can a business create a budget for the coming year? Common IT costs: IT support (outsourced…
Read MoreHourly IT support
I recently received some feedback from a prospective customer that decided to go with another IT support company. They told me: “We ended up choosing a company who would simply bill us hourly for the services that we used. We found that to be more straightforward and an easier business model for us to work…
Read MoreKeyboard shortcut
Are you a flipper? No, I don’t mean Flipper, as in the Dolphin. Do you flip between programs frequently? Most people know about the keyboard shortcut Alt + Tab. Did you know that Windows Key + Tab is another helpful keyboard shortcut that is a little more visual? Hold the Windows key and tap Tab. This command will display…
Read MoreWindows lock screen
Here is a security tip that almost everyone should know. You should lock your smart phones, PC, MAC etc. It is usually an appropriate security practice to lock your computer when you leave it unattended. The main reason for this is to prevent others from accessing or altering your data. There are a variety of…
Read MoreEmployer of the Year
There are times in life we don’t forget… This year’s VIATeC Awards was one for me, in particular this moment: “The winner of the Employer of the Year is… Smart Dolphins!” I know it is the typical, modest thing to say, but I REALLY thought that we were going to be the runner up. I…
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