Totally Managed IT™ Blog » The Lighter Side of IT

The Evolution of Small Business Tech Support

kimZ — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:31:54 +0000

One of the greatest challenges small businesses face is finding reliable, affordable IT support. Most small businesses don’t have the budget for a full-time IT department, so they’ve had to settle for a resident “IT guy” to solve their IT problems. But is the part-time receptionist or boss’ son really the best person for the job?
An alarming new study shows that one in four small businesses have failing IT. Another 37 percent barely passed inspection with a score of C. This is really disconcerting when you consider that a majority of small businesses rely on IT for their success.
Tech support is evolving. Emerging trends like cloud computing and SaaS provide small business solutions that are inexpensive- sometimes free. The old “break-fix” model of tech support is evolving. Is your small business evolving with it, or is it still stuck in the dark ages?

Techie Terminology Explained: A Primer on Tech Speak

craigB — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:03:25 +0000

It’s time to recognize that techies really are using their own language. Heck, sometimes it seems like they aren’t even human anymore. The following table includes a number of terms often employed by support centers and IT Professionals alike. Familiarize yourself with these terms in order to avoid any embarrassment or to catch your tech support in the act:

Term	Translation	Solution
Luser	Actually just means “local user,” but often used in reference to a user perceived as painfully annoying, stupid, or irritating	Tell the IT guy to stop being condescending
LART	“Luser Attitude Readjustment Tool,” usually means turning off the user’s access to computer resources	Tell the IT guy you’ve “readjusted” his pay check
GWF	“Goober With Firewall” – the user has created a hypersensitive firewall and believes everything detected is a hacker	Why didn’t the IT guy configure the firewall? What are you paying him for again?
PLOKTA	“Press Lots Of Keys To Abort”	Your IT “Pro” has no idea what he’s doing; fire him
ID-Ten-T Error / ID10T Error	The user is being an idiot	Fire the IT guy
PEBKAC	“Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair”	Fire the IT guy
IUE	“Incompetent User Error”	Fire the IT guy
UBD	“User Brain Damage”	Fire the IT guy

Don’t get caught off guard – if your tech support says something you don’t understand, ask for clarification.

Coming to a Sad Realization… How Effective is your Anti-Virus?

kimZ — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:27:01 +0000

I’m a hard-core PC user, but I still find the Mac vs. PC videos insanely funny. One of my favorites pokes fun at my least favorite Vista feature: User Account Controls. Windows 7, for all it’s glory- features the Kapersky Anti-Virus, which does the same thing (always bugging you to “Allow” or “Block” specific programs).

For all its efforts, Windows is still prone to spyware, adware and anti-virus attacks. Mac users love to boast about this difference- but hey, any operating system that supports so many different applications is bound to be vulnerable. So what do you do?
Anti-virus programs aren’t enough anymore. Make sure your anti-virus software has real time protection. This will prevent adware and spyware from getting unto your system in the first place. Also, use a good adware/spyware remover to scan your computer on a regular basis. Last but not least, use common sense. Don’t click on links in spam emails or download questionable material online- especially on your work computer!

Who do you call? Tech support!!

kimZ — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:00:54 +0000

Ever felt this way about your computer?

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