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Welcome to ResolveIT Blog
Published January 3, 2012 | 
All of our clients reading this post will know us already, but for those of you who are new and interested in our services let me tell you a little bit about our company. ResolveIT manage and service small to medium size businesses primarily in the Manchester area although we do have customers further a field like Liverpool and Birmingham.
Our IT services are bespoke to the client because not everybody’s needs are the same, some companies have one computer and others have 30 with a Server, so with this in mind we tailor our services around you and what is best for your IT infrastructure.
IT can be a minefield of endless money pits, worries and chasing your tail if not managed correctly and most importantly it can be bad for staff moral. Don’t worry this is where we come in, we can visit your office and give you an overview of your IT systems, how you can get the best from them, save money and keep your staff smiling. How do we achieve this? well we will point out your weaknesses and strengths in your IT and recommend alternatives if needed. What qualifies us to do this? well we are a team of consultants at ResolveIT and we all have our specialist skill sets so we are not limited to just one area of IT we can cover AV, telecommunications and Server management, our total combined experience in years are 35 and all of us have worked in the education and private sectors of IT Support so we have a proven track record.
With this blog we will provide basic updates and information for our existing clients and potential new ones and we are aiming to achieve at least one post a week to keep you updated on the latest technologies and software which will help keep your business running smoothly. Please feel free to post your comments and ask your questions and should you wish to contact us on a more personal level our contact details are on our main site here.
Posted in Latest News, Uncategorized | 
Backups, Bespoke, Clients, Companies, Computer, Microsoft, Protection, Server, Staff, Strategy, Virus | 
4 CommentsHow much does it cost to have a support plan with ResolveIT?
Published February 15, 2012 | 
Most IT support companies will already have a predefined list of charges and costing’s and will happily quote them to you over the phone, in fact they proudly publish it on their websites or flyers. If that’s what you want then we are not the support company for you, in our experience every company is different and requires a different level of support, there are no exceptions. At ResolveIT we provide a free initial consultation, we will also do a survey of your IT infrastructure and we will sit down with you and discuss your options based on the survey and any specific requirements or concerns you may want to present.
This does not mean we are the most expensive but what it does mean is that we will be offering you the correct level of support as discussed with you and not a level of support that we think will suit a predefined price plan, which in most cases does not provide you with what you really need but what your told you need based within the price bracket of the predefined support plans shown to you. We believe in creating a support plan that will protect and maintain your companies systems based on accurate information and in some cases you may not always know what you need or what can be improved, but that’s where we come in to guide you with honest and impartial advise.
We never give on the spot prices I mean would a builder give you a price to build a house without seeing the site it was going to be built on or without seeing any architects drawings? the answer is no it does not make sense and would show a lack of professionalism. Our strategy that is tried and tested is to build synergies with our clients so that we can provide the very best support plans that gives us confidence to implement them and you confidence that your business is safe, after all we only stay in business by keeping you in business.
Posted in Uncategorized | Bespoke, Companies, Computer, Disaster Recovery, Microsoft, Microsoft Office, Protection, Security, Server | Leave a commentWhat if your laptop was stolen or lost?
Published February 1, 2012 | The cost of replacing a laptop that has been stolen or lost is insignificant to the data that is stored on it. Have you thought about what would happen if your laptop was stolen or lost? 70% of business laptops contain business critical information and would be disastrous if they fell in to the wrong hands.
The consequences of your laptop being stolen or lost could be critical to your business, the obvious being the loss of your data and if not backed up well the consequences of that are obvious. But have you thought about the responsibility you have to keep the data on your laptop secure? Something that may not be obvious to you is the data protection act and if you have client’s personal information stored on your laptop then you have a legal obligation to keep this safe.
A survey of businesses that own laptops and store business data on them was conducted and the most freighting results were revealed. Only 5% of businesses had taken precautions to protect the data stored on the laptop in the event it was stolen or lost. It’s not surprising that the businesses surveyed who had taken precautions were companies that dealt with really sensitive information involving children. But who is to say what really sensitive information is? I consider my privacy i.e. address, telephone number and bank details to be sensitive as most people would so is it right that these should be less secure?
Fortunately there are ways to protect your data on the laptop with very basic and simple implementations, of course there are more advanced solutions too and you may be surprised how little these cost. The most simplest but basic is to put a bios password on your laptop so even before it loads windows the computer will not allow you to get passed the logo screen of your computer, you know the logos like Dell when you press the power button. Of course any college whiz kid can get around that but it’s a start.
You can purchase software that will ask you for a password to enter windows and if you get it wrong more than the pre-defined tries set by you then it will completely destroy the data this is a severe way of your protecting your data but how much would your company information be worth in another person’s hands?
There are some governing bodies that demand these pre-cautions on business laptops and if you are a business that deals with financial matters, legal or any business that contains sensitive information you should address your security on Laptops.
I know that if an insurance sales man or any salesman for that matter comes to see me and he opens a laptop without any security software I politely refuse to deal with them. Unfortunately we live in a world where digital theft is big business for criminals so why risk it? for the sake of saving a few pounds.
Posted in Uncategorized | Backups, Companies, Computer, Disaster Recovery, Microsoft, New Computers, Security, Staff | Leave a commentNew Disaster Recovery service from ResolveIT
Published February 1, 2012 | Disaster Recovery Services from ResolveIT Support Solutions minimise downtime during a Disaster.
Recover your data within minutes using ResolveIT Support Solutions Disaster Recovery services.
ResolveIT Support Solutions Disaster Recovery solutions can restore your entire IT infrastructure into a virtual server environment located at your Primary Site, DR site or in one of ResolveIT Support Solutions data centres. This gives you the peace of mind that your systems are fully recoverable, enabling a rapid response in the face of disaster.
If an unforeseen event is to take place and data is in some way lost or corrupted, equipment does not have to be immediately replaced. ResolveIT Support Solutions will help execute a carefully laid out Disaster Recovery Plan with the reassurance that your data is safely stored.
Both onsite and offsite Disaster Recovery solutions are available and unlike many providers, regular DR tests are carried out for your organisation so that an efficient Disaster Recovery Plan can be formulated. Every recovery process is documented, so all parties know the exact procedure to follow in the event of a disaster.
If the worst happens it is crucial that the Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) have been clearly defined during your Disaster Recovery tests to ensure that your operations are fully recovered as efficiently as possible.
Onsite Disaster Recovery
For companies who already have their own redundant infrastructure in place or for those who require an environment to recover to, ResolveIT Support Solutions can provide fully tailored onsite Disaster Recovery solutions. This will provide the instant ability to recover a single server or an entire network.
If your company already has an environment set up, ResolveIT Support Solutions can develop a solution to protect as many live servers as required. In the event of a disaster, they will help you recover to this infrastructure and get your company back on its feet as quickly as possible. Assistance in developing a realistic Disaster Recovery Plan is provided, with documented procedures on the recovery on each and every live server.
For those companies who have no redundant infrastructure in place, ResolveIT Support Solutions on the number of live servers protected, Operating Systems and applications. Then, as above, ResolveIT Support Solutions will perform a full DR test to document the recovery process.
Offsite Disaster Recovery
A disaster can strike at any time. A company that does not have a sound contingency in place can be exposed to prolonged downtime, causing loss of revenue and irreversible damage to its reputation. ResolveIT Support Solutions can keep this downtime to an absolute minimum and keep your business functioning as normal.
Within their primary data centre, ResolveIT Support Solutions has implemented a VMware suite running on the market leading NAS platform this provides the capacity to carry out full recovery of hundreds of customer servers at any time. The offsite DR solution, called Virtual Disaster Recovery, eliminates the need for companies to set up their own infrastructure to restore to in the event of a disaster.
ResolveIT Support Solutions can protect as many servers as you require and in the event of a disaster they can be recovered into the virtual environment. These servers are then made available via a secure internet connect or VPN. As the solution is hosted, any number of users can connect in from anywhere in the world, allowing businesses to continue operating.
- Complete recovery of entire environments
- Secure access to your environment from any internet connection in the world
- Free annual Disaster Recovery testing
- Full documentation of the DR test
- Simple, straight forward pricing
- 24 / 7 support and monitoring available
- Dedicated account management
- Proactive support, remote/phone/email
- Only use / recommend market leading solutions
We will be releasing this service at the end of February after beta testing, if you would like more information please call us on 0161 408 6219 or 07825 269391
Posted in Uncategorized | Backups, Bespoke, Clients, Companies, Disaster Recovery, Security, Server, Strategy | Leave a commentFree Operating systems and software versus Microsoft
Published January 16, 2012 | Most people will have heard the words Open Source which basically means that it is widely available for the general public to use for free and software developers to change and adapt the coding to improve or add features. One of the more popular types of Open Source is Linux and it may surprise you to know that it will do everything Microsoft will do, of course the architecture, user interface and the way it accomplishes tasks is completely different and alien to the average computer user.
Linux like Windows comes in many flavours but the one I like most is Ubuntu it comes in a Server and desktop version, however it is no serious threat to Microsoft as yet. One of the downsides to Linux is that nearly all popular software packages are written for Microsoft Operating Systems and so can never be used on a Linux distribution. This does not completely rule out Linux because included with Linux distributions are many applications including photo editing, graphic design, an alternative to Microsoft Office plus many more useful features.
A plus side to Linux is that because the Microsoft operating system is a dominating force in the market and nearly all the applications are written for it, Viruses are very rare in the world of Linux in fact I have never heard of any Linux user in 10 years say they have ever had a virus. Most of the larger companies have been using Linux Servers for years in fact if you have a website and it is hosted I can almost guarantee you that your hosting provider will be using some flavour of Linux as the operating system for the Server your website sits on.
Linux Servers are great work horses and far more secure and less vulnerable to attack than a Microsoft Server, a typical Linux server can be used for mail, websites, ftp, databases, file and print the list goes on. I have introduced Linux servers for companies that want specific features like ftp or website hosting and although this can be achieved using a Microsoft Server, Linux was free.
Linux desktops are also relentless workers and as mentioned previously these come pre-packaged with desktop publishing and other useful applications, however there is a downside. Incompatibility issues with hardware and cross platform working can produce complications not to mention familiarising yourself with its features. But like anything these can be overcome with a little perseverance and knowledge.
- So is Linux a good alternative to Microsoft? The answer is yes
- Are there complications? The answer is yes
- Will computers purchased in the shop have Linux installed? The answer is no or at least not in the foreseeable future.
- Is Linux freely available? The answer is yes
- Is there a place in my business for a Linux Server? The answer is yes depending what you want it for and cross compatibility has been considered.
Posted in Uncategorized | Companies, Linux, Microsoft, New Computers, Server, Staff, Virus | Leave a commentMerry Christmas from ResolveIT Support Solutions
Published December 16, 2011 | 
ResolveIT Support Solutions would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Access to computers for the disabled
Published December 2, 2011 | ResolveIT Support Solutions have had some experience in this area and have provided professional solutions to everyday problems that the disabled are faced with in particular the blind and partially sighted. One of the more common programs we use is called Jaws for Windows, it’s a little expensive but worth every penny to provide the ability to surf the Internet even write and send emails. How it works is very clever in that it reads and enlarges what is displayed on the screen, of course it is a lot more advanced than just a screen reader and has many other features that aid the disabled user to use a computer. We also have worked with programs that respond to voice commands for people who have difficulty with movement that can’t use a keyboard or mouse, another option for people with limited mobility who can use a keyboard and mouse is with the aid of ergonomic hardware and assistive technology. To provide this level of support which is not our main area of IT support but it does sometimes have to be addressed especially as employers have to meet the criteria of equal opportunities we draw on our past experiences working in education and with people who need some kind of aid to enable them the use of a computer.
There are many forms of assistive aid for users who require that little extra help in order to gain access to the world of the Internet that can be as simple as a keyboard with enlarged keys and raised letters to specialist software that will tell you by sound everything that the computer does and is inputted. Even Windows has some basic assistive software in the form of it’s accessibility features, however as Microsoft have not really developed this to it’s full potential it is only useful for mild forms of disability. As technology makes use of IP6 and merges with the Internet more and more like fridge freezers with the intelligence to keep stock of what goes in and out and has the ability to order directly from the shopping store anything you maybe running low on, you can see how these kind of assistive resources will be a great benefit. OK the fridge freezers I am talking about are not very common but they do exist and will shortly become a standard feature in the home and with bar codes and voice recognition they will be invaluable to the disabled. As we become more dependant on technology and the digital world for almost everything we do it’s important to make sure that everyone has access to it and can use it.
Netbook vs Tablet
Published November 13, 2011 | Having used both formats Netbook and Tablet I have to say I prefer the Netbook over any Tablet don’t get me wrong the Tablets like Ipad, Xoom and so on are great for business especially for bespoke business applications, for instance one of my clients is a dentist and they have Ipads in each treatment room with an application to aid them with their work which had been specially designed for the practice. So for those purposes they are great, however I find them very limiting as you can not plug any peripherals into them like printers, USB devices or connect them to larger screens. The Netbook on the other hand is extremely versatile and half the cost maybe I am biased because I couldn’t function when I am on the move or away from our main computers without it. I used to use a Laptop but that was heavy and clumsy to carry around the Netbook is ideal, small, light and easily stored away. The Netbook when I first purchased it was under specification for what I needed it for but was more than adequate for the average office user on the move, I knew it was under specification but also knew that it could be upgraded to suit my needs. So the cost of the Netbook was £160 and it came with 1GB of memory, Windows 7 Starter and 360 GBs of HDD.
I upgraded it to 2GBs of memory which cost £35 and used Windows anytime upgrade to take it Windows 7 Professional which was £110 if I remember correctly so the total cost of the Netbook to make it adequate for my needs was £305 which is still cheaper than most tablets and laptops. I now have a perfectly custom Netbook to help me with all my support duties when working off site, I am able to remotely access clients computers / Servers in an emergency, plug into a domain network, use printers, access SD Cards, connect up to larger screens or projectors and do all the usual day to day tasks a larger computer would do. With the release of Windows 8 not to far in the distant future this will only enhance the abilities of the Netbook even further which I will talk about in another article later on.
Of course it’s all down to personal taste and what you want the tablet or Netbook for to what you purchase but should you choose the Netbook a few things to consider are that they only come with 1GB of memory and Windows 7 starter, this is more than enough for the average on the road user and with the addition of a 3G dongle your options are far superior to the tablet. I also like the idea of the nNetbooks that come with removable screens to make them into a tablet should you wish, this looks to be a great feature and I will certainly purchase one and upgrade it like before but I think I will wait for the release of Windows 8 as I don’t think they have quite got this technology perfected.
Software for Students
Published November 9, 2011 | Did you know that you can purchase Microsoft Software and many other software packages at really low prices? Well you can, software that is usually out of reach because of the prices is available from www.software4students.co.uk at extremely low prices. How and why is this available well there are six points listed below taken directly from their Website to explain how this is achieved.
1. All School, College, University students and their family members are eligible!
2.No Student ID required for Microsoft Software*:As an Official Microsoft Partner, our offers extend beyond academic email address holders so that any family member or guardian can buy on behalf of a pupil or student.
*All licensees’ must be Qualified Education Users (i.e. students or their parents or guardians)
3. You receive Full Professional version software at an academic price for lifetime use at home only.
4. Microsoft have linked to us from their site - because you may think this is too good to be true. Thousands of customers can confirm this is the real deal.
5. Strict licensing restrictions from Microsoft means that each student is only entitled to purchase ONE software license of each product.
6. Pay Less, Get More. And if you have any problems with your transaction our support team are on hand to help: support@software4students.co.uk
Computer Hardware Prices to increase in the wake of the floods inThailand.
Published October 27, 2011 | With the floods in Thailand effecting the worlds supply of HDD Hard Disks the prices have risen up 50% and looks to keep increasing as the demand reaches critical point. Thailand holds 35% of the HDD market with Western Digital being their main manufacturer and with two of their manufacturing buildings flooded it’s easy to see how this has effected the market. One hardware supplier of ours has told us that he is only allowed to order 5 units a week and this will probably be the case until late February 2012. A 500GBs hard disk that used to cost £45 + Vat has now reached an incredible price of £96 + Vat and could increase even higher as supplies start to decrease. Even refurbished HDD have increased in price as they become a better alternative to no HDD, there are ways around the price increase but as suppliers soon catch on if they haven’t already these avenues will be closed too.
An increase in complete computer units is expected to reach 10 – 15% so if you were expecting to upgrade or purchase a new computer or laptop for Christmas you should expect to pay a little more than usual, my advise would be to hold fire until February 2012 when prices should level out to normal
Posted in Uncategorized | Computer, Disaster Recovery, Hard Disk, New Computers, Refurbished Computers | 8 Comments
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