Think clouds were something that belonged in the sky? Not anymore!! In recent years, cloud computing has really taken off and now included in all aspects of IT.

But what is cloud computing? In the simplest of terms, it is IT-as-a-Service. Instead of building an IT infrastructure of your own to host databases or software, a third party hosts them in its large server farms. Your company has access to its data and software over the internet.

Though cloud computing is only a very recent thing, there have already been many noticeable benefits:

• Cheap: IT providers are able to host services for multiple companies; sharing complex infrastructure is cost-efficient. There is no investment in internal or external hardware you simply pay only for what you actually use.
• Quick: The most basic cloud services work out of the box; for more complex software and database solutions, cloud computing allows you to skip the hardware procurement and capital expenditure phase – it’s perfect for start-ups.
• Up-to-date: Most providers constantly update their software offering, adding new features as they become available.
• Scalable: If your business is growing fast or has seasonal spikes, you can go large quickly because cloud systems are built to cope with sharp increases in workload.
• Mobile: Cloud services are designed to be used from a distance, so if you have a mobile workforce, your staff will have access to most of your systems on the go.

Many of the key players in the IT industry have recently noted the advances in cloud computing and have said that this is the year to ‘get your cloud strategy together’. IT is now a utility, consumed like electricity and water… it is a necessity in modern day life especially in the business environment which emphasises the importance of keeping up to date and ensuring that information is stored in the safest place possible.

The latest SmarterWays product that utilises cloud computing is the Acronis Backup and Recovery 10 Online which sees backup and recovery being stored online and works out far cheaper for companies.

Acronis have just brought out a new recovery solution to address on-site and local backup issues… ‘Acronis Backup and Recovery 10 Online’. It is an innovative solution that provides an online, remote, secure location so users can store files and system image backups without having to invest in additional hardware such as remote data stores for the remote redundancy of backup files. One console manages all backup and recovery efforts regardless of the data’s actual location.

Unlike a lot of other online backup services, Acronis Backup and Recovery 10 Online does more than just protect your files. In technical terms, the solution leverages Acronis’ patented Disk imaging technology and Cloud technology which the SmarterWays technicians explain ‘It basically means it provides protection for your company’s whole systems, operating systems and applications’.

To find out more about cloud computing and the backup solutions that we can offer you, please get in touch.

Thank you

SmarterWays

Nowadays, the art of retaining and building relationships with customers is key to any successful business. With the recent downturn in the economy, businesses need to do everything they can with the relationship of their customers and at SmarterWays we believe we have found just the software to help us do this… Legrand.

Building and managing relationships is a company-wide business strategy that is not simply used for sales activities but also for marketing, customer service and technical support. Customer relationship management is a widely used strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects.

The overall goals are to find, attract, and win new clients, nurture and retain those the company already has, entice former clients back into the fold, and reduce the costs of marketing and client service.

After trialling a number of different CRM software programmes, the SmarterWays team have finally found something which benefits all of the staff and is incredibly simple to use. Legrand offers a rich feature-set, the kind you’d expect from the upper end of the CRM marketplace, but at a price that growing and mid-sized businesses can afford. Legrand CRM can not only help you take control of your information but, more importantly, it can help you deliver better customer service, improve your marketing, generate higher quality leads, improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase sales.

It’s straightforward to integrate into your business and only takes a fraction of the setup and training that other CRM systems demand and at SmarterWays we like to help users by demonstrating the software through a live webinar and our team are highly trained in the programme meaning if ever you were to have problems, we will be able to help and resolve them for you.  

Import wizards will help bring your data into Legrand CRM and your sales people can create new accounts on-the-fly without needing access to the accounting system.

Once Legrand is yours, there are no extra add-ons that will end up costing you a fortune. It is also highly configurable meaning it can easily be personalised to mirror business processes.

With Legrand you’ll never miss the opportunity to follow up leads and turn them into customers through a variety of different channels that you use including web and cold calling amongst others.

Legrand CRM allows you to shift your focus to improving your business, rather than wasting time and money trying to navigate complex systems.

Please call SmarterWays to book a live webinar with us and learn more about Legrand and what it can do for your business from our team of experts.

Thank you

SmarterWays

With social media being the latest hub of excitement for not only everyday users to keep in touch with each other but also now used for marketing campaigns by companies to target particular traffic… it is no surprise that hackers are starting to get involved.

Just this morning, Kaspersky have warned about the latest malicious virus going about and it can be found on Facebook chat messages that look like the following:

Many users see Facebook as a trusted site and so might click on the link out of interest which will then lead them to quizzes and eventually the user having to pay out money.

Due to the nature of SmarterWays as a business, we look after our client’s social media, websites, IT support and much more.

Our social media and Internet marketing team help users with their different activities online including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, PPC campaigns and much more. Because of the experience we have in this field it means that SmarterWays can manage your media so that it is used to full effect and that not only do your accounts avoid being intercepted by the viruses but also that your followers, fans and potential clients don’t receive spam from you.

Working so closely and in conjunction with Kaspersky also gives us a lot of confidence in avoiding viruses and threats both online and offline. When a new virus is caught, Kaspersky will ensure they can do everything about it for example telling Facebook and making sure that any users spreading the link must be removed straight away. They also try and ensure that their anti-virus will eliminate the threats that the virus contains and protect your computer and operating systems.

To find out more about the protection Kaspersky can give you and about the help that SmarterWays can give you with your internet marketing and social media then please call us or look through our websites for more details.

Thank you

SmarterWays

How often do you check your computer and operating systems to see if they are under threat from malicious software or viruses?

Has your computer been running slowly and the performance considerably lacking lately but you don’t know why?

Is it something you worry about or do you hope for the best and believe that it won’t happen to you… that bugs and viruses won’t affect your business and data?

Thinking like this will not protect your computers but will leave it open to attack from these viruses.  

At SmarterWays, Staffordshire, our highly qualified and trained technicians have seen many computers, servers and machines affected by malicious bugs and misuse and the likelihood if you see errors with your machines is that you are under threat from malicious computer viruses.  

With a combined experience of over 50 years in the IT support industry, the SmarterWays technicians have been able to assess all of the different anti-virus products and different software available and found that Kaspersky was one of the most reliable.

Why protect with Kaspersky?

Just a few of the benefits of protecting your computer with Kaspersky can be seen below:

-          Protects your files, documents and photos from hackers

-          Safeguards your identity and your money

-          Provides protection from online banking fraud

-          Prevents cybercriminals from hijacking your PC

-          Protects you from online predators

-          Keeps your PC running smoothly and efficiently

The Kaspersky solutions for small businesses are designed to provide effective protection from all types of Internet threats.

The SmarterWays, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, technicians will help to set you up with the best and most suitable Kaspersky solutions for your business and will be on hand to explain to you the best ways to optimise the software.

Another benefit of having Kaspersky installed on your machines is the sensible defaults that let you protect all your systems effortlessly, giving you the peace of mind to focus on running your business – without worrying about security. The SmarterWays technicians will set up Kaspersky to constantly run in the background of your computer systems and ensure that any corruption of your computers does not happen.

The Kaspersky business solutions provide world-class anti-malware protection and offer a new, high value approach to business IT security for companies of all sizes.

As Internet and e-mail become an ever-increasing part of our 21st-century lives, the myriad dangers and risks that come with them are increasing too. Kaspersky and SmarterWays work incredibly hard to understand and deal wth any potential or real threats that you face.  sure you know how to deal with the threats that face you.

Malicious software is no longer designed for fun – its designed to commit crimes and we want to see how your computer systems fare. SmarterWays are offering a free trial and search of your computers to see the threats they face and if they are protected against them. The SmarterWays IT support team will run a Kaspersky scan to highlight any issues with no obligations to sign up, we simply want to highlight any issues that nay be faced but are not protected against.

Few people know the threats that their computers face on a daily basis and the results that can come from this.

Over 300 million people worldwide are protected by Kaspersky products… let us to help to protect you.

To find out about the deals that SmarterWays can provide you with in relation to Kaspersky products and any other IT software that you may need, please dont hesitate to call or email us.

Thank you

SmarterWays