by Staff Writer | Oct 18, 2018 | Small Business |
For many years now, search engine optimization (SEO) has been one of the secret weapons small businesses have been able to use to compete at both local and national levels for online visibility. As SEO has become more popular, more businesses have been willing to dip their toes in the water hoping for success.
To be successful however, small business SEO needs to be more than just a “one day build”. It’s important to understand that search optimization is a process, not a product. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Oct 14, 2018 | Business Technology |
The buzzword “collaboration” is thrown around by a lot of technology vendors. Sometimes, their products don’t offer business collaboration in the true sense of the word.
The definition of the word “collaborate” is very specific. It’s a verb that means, “work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something.”
In business, several people often need to review and edit a document before it’s considered “final.” However, the traditional business collaboration process can be inefficient. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Oct 2, 2018 | Small Business |
A blessing and curse of modern office technology is the level of integration available between various systems. It’s fantastic when everything works, but it can be real headache when trying to mix and match, or replace technology.
For those who are considering switching from analog to the world of a digital cloud-based phone system, it’s critical to ask each vendor under consideration how their solution will integrate with your existing office environment—beyond just replacing the phones on employees’ desks.
Here are thirteen questions to ask each vendor on your shortlist before making a purchasing decision. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Sep 25, 2018 | IT Security |
When was the last time you got an email from a Nigerian prince asking you to help him recover a secret hoard of cash? It sounds like a terrible joke, right? But for many of us, getting one (or more) of these emails was our first experience with what is now known as “phishing”.
As the internet has grown, tools to filter out these kinds of spam have gotten more sophisticated. Unfortunately, so have the methods of phishing used by criminals. More important, the focus of their efforts has migrated from consumers to businesses. In 2017 alone, businesses targeted by phishing attacks lost over half a billion dollars. This year, it’s likely to be even more. (more…)
by David Little | Sep 21, 2018 | G Suite |
For several years, Fortis has provided a range of G Suite-related services to Northern California businesses.
Because so many of our IT support and VoIP customers were asking for G Suite services, we decided to make it official and become a Google Cloud Partner.
This partner relationship makes Fortis part of an exclusive group. Google has a higher acceptance bar than do most business technology vendors.
Whether you are unfamiliar with G Suite, have a passing familiarity, or know a fair amount, the following Q & A should help. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Sep 12, 2018 | VoIP |
You started a new business a while back. Your business is starting to really take off. Congratulations!
On the telephone communications front, so far you and your team have been operating successfully from mobile phones and from consumer VoIP accounts like Skype.
At what point does your business need a real telephone system instead of a collection of personally owned phone numbers? Here are some of the factors, which in combination can point to consideration of a change. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Sep 7, 2018 | Business Technology |
You may already be all too aware of the fact that there are a number of forces working against your in-house phone system’s long term survival.
Even if your traditional system is working fine today, it’s worth carving out some time to plan your next steps after your in-house business phone system reaches its eventual end of life.
Otherwise, you could end up in a costly crunch when your phone system experiences an untimely demise.
Below are some of the factors that could seriously impair an older phone system or even stop it in its tracks—whether the brand is Inter-Tel, Panasonic, Comdial, Executone, Isoetec, Inter-Tel, Premier, Iwatsu ADIX, NEC, Nortel Norstar, Toshiba, Vodavi or another manufacturer. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Aug 21, 2018 | Business Technology |
Often one of the biggest challenges faced by growing small businesses is staying organized while also scaling up operations.
Keeping track of projects, deliverables, client communications, billing, customer service, and more can quickly become unwieldy. This is why CRM for small business is such a great investment. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Aug 17, 2018 | IT Security |
Strong passwords remain an important part of business and personal online account protection. However, in some cases, a strong password may not be enough.
Fortunately, there is an option called two factor authentication (2FA) for better safeguarding your online accounts and the online accounts of your employees.
Before we get into details about two factor authentication, here are three pieces of password advice that you’ve probably heard many times before. They bear repeating. (more…)
by Staff Writer | Aug 13, 2018 | VoIP |
Everywhere you look nowadays, the digital revolution is overtaking old communications technologies. While social media and smartphone apps get all the press and buzz, core technologies that many businesses have long forgotten about are being replaced as well.
Traditional PBX systems, which for years have been the backbone of business communications architecture, are being challenged by newer virtual PBX cloud phone systems.
While it may seem like “one more thing”, the technology your business uses to communicate plays a significant role in how the business operates, and how customers interact with it.
Businesses that are still utilizing a traditional PBX system may not be aware of the the limitations their hardware is placing on them. They may not realize the potential cost savings they could generate by moving to a virtual PBX. (more…)
