April 2008

Greetings!

This newsletter is dedicated to helping our clients and our community stay aware and informed of network security concerns, best IT practice standards and technology trends so that they can take full advantage of their technology assets and discover how the use and blend of the right technology solutions can help them increase their business value.

OurTech Solutions, Inc. was voted #1 in Computer Services by Omaha’s Business to Business Magazine.

Recognition is sometimes hard to come by, but being voted the best “Computer Service Company” in the Omaha market speaks highly of the dedicated efforts of our staff to keep our clients up and running smoothly. What makes this award so meaningful is the fact that our clients took the time to write in to the Omaha Magazine editors to vote us #1. We understand that each day we have to work hard and go the extra mile to be our Customer’s Trusted Advisor. So as much as anything, this award means we’re accomplishing that goal. What an honor! Thank you!

 

Windows Tips & Tricks
 Tweaking Your Vista Desktop
 Cindy Troyer, Vice President OurTech Solutions

The taskbar is the strip normally found along the bottom of the screen.  It is probably one of the most underused parts of the Vista desktop.  Use the tips below to personalize the taskbar to make it work for you.

Resize the taskbar
If you are a power user or someone who just likes lots of open windows, you may find that the taskbar isn't as large as you like.

To increase the size of the taskbar, right-click an empty area. If "Lock the Taskbar" has a check mark next to it, unlock it by clicking "Lock the Taskbar", This will remove the check mark.

Point to the edge of the taskbar until the pointer changes into a double-headed arrow‍‍ , and then drag the border to make the taskbar as large as you want.

Add a toolbar to the taskbar
A toolbar is a block of icons representing tasks you can do. Some toolbars, such as the Quick Launch toolbar, can appear on the taskbar.

Right-click an empty area on the taskbar, and then point to "Toolbars". A list of toolbars appears.

The toolbar names with check marks beside them are already on the taskbar. Click any item in the list to add or remove it.  For example, if you click on the "Desktop" option, all the icons on your desktop will also be available to you in your taskbar, never to covered up by documents again!

Play around with the different options to see if a taskbar toolbar is available that would make your computing a little more productive!

Proactive vs Reactive
 Benefits of Proactive Maintenance
 Nick Troyer, Engineer, OurTech Solutions

We all know that it's important to take proactive steps when caring for a home or car.  Oil is changed regularly to keep the engine from breaking down.  Reactive solutions for car maintenance lead to very expensive and time consuming resolutions.  It is much more cost effective, in terms of both time and money, to  institute a proactive maintenance routine for your car.  The same is true for the devices on your network.

Nothing can waste time and money like dealing with malware. Malware is any software whose sole purpose is to disrupt a computer’s normal performance. Eliminating malware from a computer may be as simple as removing a few infected files, or as costly as the destruction of critical files on the device followed by a rebuild of the entire machine.  By running a variety of different anti-virus/anti-spyware scripts every week OurTech Solutions can eliminate the malware before it becomes infested on a network.

Working on a slow computer is no fun. One of the most common reasons for a computer to be running slowly is that the hard disk is fragmented. No one likes watching the hourglass cycle when there’s work to be done. Taking care of this process automatically via managed services every month helps keep the computer's performance up with the user’s performance.

Microsoft has been the leading provider of Operating Systems since the 80’s. This means that it is the most targeted operating system for hackers. Microsoft releases patches almost every Tuesday to fix vulnerabilities in their product. Patching machines automatically as soon as possible greatly reduces the hacker’s chances of using one of your machines to gain access to personal or company data.

OurTech Solutions can help you with all of your proactive maintenance needs.  Contact us for more information on how we can help keep your network in optimum shape at 402-778-7999 or info@ourtechsolutions.com.
  

Pro Features with Intel vPro
 New Processor Options
 Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston, Vice President of Systems, OurTech Solutions

Intel vPro is a new technology which OurTech Solutions will soon support that allows for quicker service in some key areas. The features of Intel vPro are designed to assist with remote monitoring and support and can help identify hardware issues with newer computers.

New features of Intel vPro:

  • Quickly quarantine infected computers from the network to prevent spreading the viruses to the rest of the network.
  • Update antivirus and other security software even if the machine is not powered on.
  • Locate every machine on the network regardless if it’s powered on.
  • Access to event logs and asset information regardless of system state or operating system presence.
  • Remote booting, diagnosis, and repair without the need for an operating system.
  • Less power consumption than previous processors.

These features will allow OurTech Solutions to better service our customers remotely and quickly. Even if a machine is not powered on we can more easily access issues and gather information. If a machine is unexpectedly turned off, maintenance of the workstations is still possible. This enables greater security and manageability than ever before, protecting your assets and information.

In order to take advantage of these features, you must have a machine with Intel vPro technology. Within the next month OurTech will be offering a deal on Dell workstations and laptops with this technology. For increased security, less power requirements, and additional manageability, look for Intel vPro.
 
Upcoming Events
   Weekly Webinars
Take 30 minutes to join us and learn more about OurTech Solutions.
We host weekly webinars to give insight into our Computer Managed Services. Our goal is to interact with you and to show how your business will grow stronger as computers are managed to work for you! Sign up to attend a webinar!
Looking for Opportunities?
At OurTech Solutions we're always looking to employ qualified people.  Contact us for more information!
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In a true "we succeed, when you succeed" business model, OurTech invests in your success by being able to provide a complete toolset to help you create, market, sell and implement a managed IT service business. Our programs introduce our partners to the many benefits and revenue opportunities that can be realized with our managed network service application.  (read more)

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