How To Cut Overhead Costs Right Now

used with permission from Cisco Small Business Resource Center

Connect Remote Workers, Using VPN Security
Quick, name a business trying to reduce its costs.
If that's your company, would you let your workers use your network applications and data from outside the office?
Giving remote workers easy and secure access to your network with virtual private network (VPN) technology can result in big savings.
A VPN sets up a private Internet (IP) connection that uses encryption and authentication to protect the communications traversing it. Acting like private and exclusive tunnels from one place to another, VPNs extend your business to wherever it needs to go: home or satellite offices, shared workspaces, coffeehouses, or anywhere else your workers use their laptops, PCs, or IP phones. The right VPN solution just works.
Until now, most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have been implementing VPNs for these two reasons:

1. Network security
VPNs meet the need to protect information assets, as well as to comply with privacy regulations.
• "Network security is vital, even when a business doesn't have to comply with specific security regulations," says Randall Bennett, CEO of Secure Enterprise Computing, a Cisco Select Certified Partner. "We've seen the demand for security in the SMB market go up tenfold in the last two years."
• "Our primary reason for going with Cisco VPN technology was security," says Kevin Tucker, IT manager for Birdstep, a technology company with about 100 employees. "We also wanted voice over IP, the ability to connect to multiple ISPs, and flexibility in controlling our firewall."

2. Productivity
Letting employees remotely access company applications makes them more productive.
• "It makes it much more efficient," says IT Manager Shay Pickett of Brown Bear, a carwash/ convenience-store chain. Supervisory staff can connect via VPN to the office or any Brown Bear store from any location, increasing their management efficiency and reducing drive time.
• "If I can connect to the company's resources at 7:30 a.m. instead of sitting in traffic burning fuel and 'windshield time', it's an advantage for everybody and the environment," says Bennett.
• "We had 18 inches of snow recently," says Ryan Halper of Cynnex Networks, a Cisco Registered Partner. "Most people stayed home all week. And with our VPN, it was business as usual."
In today's economy, there's also a third reason to implement VPNs.

3. Lower costs
VPN technology can reduce your overhead costs for on-site employees; if you use contract workers, you can pare your labor costs too. For example:
• Facility: Remote workers don't require your office space, or the monthly utilities, parking, maintenance, and insurance expenses that go along with it. In the United States, office space alone ranges from $1.25 (Paso Robles, California) to $7.00 (midtown New York City) per square foot per month. VPNs let you downsize your facility to the minimum without reducing productivity or customer service.
• Equipment: You don't need to provide remote workers with office furniture, either. Contract workers also have their own computers, as do most employees who do some work at home.
• Payroll: Using independent contractors relieves you of employee benefit costs, which averaged 42.7 percent of U.S. company payroll in 2007, reports CFO.com.

What Does a VPN Solution Cost?
Halper says the cost to purchase and implement a VPN solution for remote workers depends several factors: the number of VPN users, the degree of redundancy (the backup technology), the type of connectivity (data, video, and/or voice services; software or always-on hardware solutions), and the network security hardware already in place. He says that many companies start with basic systems and then later upgrade to solutions that include redundancy and voice service.
Halper provides these rough cost examples, which cover the purchase and implementation of a basic Cisco data VPN solution:
• For a company with a few dozen users and a Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) already in place, the cost ranges from about $80 to $120 per user.
• For a company without such an appliance in place, the additional cost for a Cisco ASA 5505 would be about $1000 for 10 users.
Now, how many of your employees and contractors could perform their work remotely? How much will this save your business in overhead expenses? A Cisco reseller partner can show you the VPN solutions that will take you there.

How Security Pays Off

used with permission from Cisco Small Business Resource Center

Network security has become a requirement for businesses, especially those that rely on the Internet.
Your customers, vendors and business partners probably expect you to protect any information they share with you.

While network security has almost become a prerequisite to running a business, it also pays off in multiple ways. Here are some of the benefits businesses gain from a secured network:

Customer trust
• Privacy is assured
• Collaboration is encouraged
A strong security stance assures customers that sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or confidential business details, will not be accessed and exploited. Your business partners will feel more confident sharing data such as sales forecasts or pre-release product plans. In addition, the same technologies that keep intruders out can give your partners secure access to information on your network, helping you collaborate and work together more effectively.

Mobility
• Secure access on the road
• Promotes productivity while out of the office
Strong network security lets your employees safely access your network from the road or from home without introducing viruses or other threats. Secure, convenient network access means that employees can use critical information when they need it, making them more productive when they're away from their desks.

Improved productivity
• Less time wasted on spam
• Better employee morale and collaboration
An effective network security program can boost productivity across your organization. Employees spend less time on non-productive tasks such as sifting through spam or dealing with viruses. Your network and your Internet connection remain safe, ensuring you and your employees have regular access to the Internet and e-mail.

Reduced costs
• Service disruption is avoided
• Advanced services safely evolve
Network downtime is costly to all types of businesses. By ensuring your network and your Internet connection are safely up and running, you can be sure that customers can reach you when they need you. Effective security allows your business to add new services and applications without disrupting the performance of your network. Taking a proactive approach to safeguarding your data ensures your business remains up and running when it needs to be.
As your company grows, its networking needs will change. Establishing a strong, secure network today will allow your company to add advanced features such as secured wireless networking or a small office phone system.

Holiday Giving On An Epic Level

Just a portion of the over 4000 items raised in the
Emerge Food Drive

Every year, Emerge hosts a food drive, but this year was an outstanding success. So much so Emerge had to find multiple charities to donate the food too.

What was different this year? Competition. Each department was pitted against each other with the promise of a pizza and movie day, along with bragging rights for the following year.
Items will be brought to the Freestore Foodbank on Monday, but to make room in the office with the overabundance, Erica Freeman from City Merge came by the Emerge office today. City Merge is a local NKY organization in the process of applying for their non-profit status that hosts "Tent Day" in the Northern Kentucky communities of Florence and Burlington every Thursday. Tent Day provides food to local families in need year round.

"With this years success, there is no doubt that we will be following this format for years to come. We are overwhelmed with what we have accomplished as a team and how it can directly benefit local families." Kristen Brown, HR Generalist

Managing Partner Darron Scanlon and Project Manager Scott
Coleman load donated items for City Merge.

Five Reasons Why Cloud For SMB

used with permission from IBM ForwardView

Talk to John Mason, IBM General Manager, midmarket, and he describes cloud computing “as really leveling the playing field like we’ve never seen in modern history,” for small and midsized businesses.
Businesses of all sizes are using cloud for some similar reasons—to save money, to gain access to computing power and to relieve some of the burden on their staff.

Why cloud?
As Mason sees it, IBM can now be even more relevant to small and midsized businesses, working with them to take advantage of technology and solutions that were once the domain of larger companies.
Cloud is making a difference for IBM clients such as nViso—a midsized business that helps retail clients analyze customer behavior for deeper insights. The need for scalability to make sure response-rate resources are available to meet demand is common in the social media environment, and it’s one of the reasons nViso chose IBM SmartCloud Enterprise as the platform for its API. “Having IBM as a partner brings greater security to the provisioning of services,” says Tim Llewellynn, CEO of nViso.
Today, the use of cloud computing is evolving beyond cost containment. Mason sees it as a shift to using the cloud to support systems of engagement—those front-office applications that often directly touch the customer and typically involve line of business executives.
Mason believes there are five top reasons small and midsized businesses should consider cloud now.

1. Cloud offers better insight
Fifty-four percent of leading organizations are using analytics to derive insights from big data, in turn helping them target customers and product opportunities more effectively; cloud provides greater flexibility and access to leading-edge analysis tools.
Cloud also helps organizations share data across applications, enabling insights to be developed from disparate data points—linking mobile accesses to a business’ web site with a local sales promotion to drive purchases, for example.
“The real challenge for the midmarket,” says Mason, “is figuring out how to get closer to the customer and be more relevant, more targeted—big data and analytics delivered in the cloud can do that with huge efficiencies for small and midsized companies.”

2. Cloud helps collaboration
Cloud allows work to be accessed from multiple devices and from anywhere, which in turn makes it much easier for teams to collaborate on shared data.
There’s also a perception that cloud divides IT and line of business into dueling camps. Mason says that cloud is actually bringing lines of business into closer collaboration with the CIO. “IT will have a point of view of how will [the cloud solution] integrate into our existing systems, what might some of the security concerns be—it’s not all driven by line of business.”

3. Cloud can drive better engagement
Using cloud to quickly and efficiently improve systems of engagement can mean forging a tighter link with the customer.
For example, if a sales executive wanted to trigger event-based communications based on customer actions, such as mobile device location or social media participation, she could do so by tapping into an existing cloud-based solution for sales and commerce—without a lengthy IT deployment, and possibly without any involvement from IT at all.
“Back-office optimizations and cost efficiencies are almost reaching their point of diminishing returns,” Mason says. “It’s more of the outbound, outward-facing connection points and optimizing that experience, primarily for the customer, to drive top line growth, rather than efficiency in the back office, which has been the emphasis of IT for the last couple of decades.”

4. Cloud is speed
Fifty-two percent of leading organizations are turning to cloud to drive more rapid innovation in products and services. No more waiting to make the cut on the IT department’s long list of priorities.
“We’re seeing solutions that line of business decision-makers can quickly implement and see value from,” says Mason. “[Cloud] is shortening the decision from recognizing a need to implementing a solution to that need; it’s short-circuiting many of the traditional elements of ‘how do I solve this problem.’”

5. Cloud benefits are measurable and you pay as you grow
From efficiency gains to improved employee mobility, leading organizations are able to measure significant benefits from their cloud investments, and can pace their investments so they avoid a big up-front capital expense and pay monthly as the business scales.
Mason says that cloud “removes a lot of the barriers of upfront capital investments—if you can pay for something as a service, as needed, by the hour or by the month, it negates the lack of in-house technology expertise and needing to buy, install and maintain technology on your own premises.”
Leveling the playing field—cloud, mobile and data
We asked John to describe some of the IBM investment decisions that really demonstrate the commitment to the plight of the start-up, the small and the midsize enterprises. Mason points to IBM’s 2013 acquisition of SoftLayer and the $1.2 billion investment in 2014 to expand its global cloud footprint.

“This was a huge indicator to me of IBM’s commitment to bring the benefits of cloud solutions to companies of all sizes,” says Mason. “Over the past year, we’ve seen that investment grow with additional data centers coming online around the world, and most recently, an agreement with Intel to bring new security features to the cloud.”
IBM SoftLayer gives clients the ability to choose a cloud environment and location that best suits their business needs. Mason says that, “the simplicity, flexibility and security of the SoftLayer offering is exactly what midmarket clients in particular are seeking.”
Looking to other playing field levelers, Mason first cites the IBM agreement with Apple as a way to help companies of all sizes take advantage of mobile solutions for their business. And then with a twinkle in his eye he added Watson Analytics to his list--the newly announced natural language-based cognitive service for data driven decisions. “It will give SMB clients instant access to the most powerful predictive and visual analytic tools available – and a freemium version will shortly be available for any business professional, regardless of a company’s size or location.”

“Where previously larger companies had an advantage, today it’s not really the case anymore,” says Mason. “You can argue that small and midsized companies don’t have the legacy technology to deal with and can move faster, be more nimble and more in tune with their customers.”

7 Steps For Safer Surfing

used with permission from HP Technology at Work

You might not think about it when you’re browsing the web, shopping online and interacting on
social media, but you are the first line of defense against cyber security risks. The power to be safe is in your hands, and at your fingertips. Developing and maintaining good habits can make online activity much safer, and more enjoyable for you and your colleagues.
The following 7 good habits take only minutes to learn. and are easy enough to incorporate into your daily work life.

1. Create strong passwords
Passwords are usually the first, and sometimes only, protection against unauthorized access. They are the keys to your online kingdom, so keep these guidelines in mind.
• Many websites will let you know whether your password is safe when you’re in the process of creating it. Pay attention to that, and if the site indicates that your password is weak or not secure, create a better one.
• Do not use your name, common phrases or words or acronyms that can be found in the dictionary—including foreign languages.
• Avoid prefixing or suffixing your password with numbers or using known keyboard patterns like “Qwerty2.”
• Stop making sense. Create passwords that use a variety of letters, symbols and cases so you’re less predictable to hackers and password-cracking systems.
• Use a random-password generator app like 1Password to create and store unique passwords.

2. Lock your computer screen
You never know who might use your computer when you’re not around, so it’s important to lock your screen to prevent unauthorized access. In the office, a co-worker, guest, or a service provider might view or use your unattended computer. This is an easy way for private information to become public.
It only takes a few seconds to lock your PC. Just press the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys and then select the option “Lock this computer.” For your smartphones and tablets, use the passcode feature, as these devices are just as vulnerable as your PC.

3. Secure mobile devices from loss
While mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops are valued for their portability, this convenience can become a security risk. It’s easy to lose or misplace these devices, so be sure to:
• Make a list of phone numbers, and email addresses to report stolen or lost devices
• Use a hardware cable lock for your laptop, or store it in a locked drawer
• Keep smartphones and tablets with you when in public
• Never put devices in your checked baggage when traveling

4. Protect data on mobile devices and removable media
Mobile devices and removable media, such as USB drives, enable us to easily share and transport information, but can lead to the loss or misuse of data. Although it’s important to protect the actual devices themselves from loss, it’s equally important to protect the information they contain by:
• Turning on and accepting software updates
• Creating regular backups of important data
• Erasing all data before you discard, donate or give away a device
• Encrypting all data, if possible
• Using anti-virus software and keeping it up-to-date

5. Identify URLs before clicking
Simply stated: think before you click. A malicious website that looks legitimate is a common method used by criminals. However, verifying the real destination is easy—just place your cursor over the displayed URL, and the true destination will reveal itself with a small pop-up. Don’t click if it looks suspicious.
For URL shorteners like tinyurl.com and bit.ly, simply add a plus sign (+) to the end of the URL to display its true source. For QR codes, choose a reader app that allows you to preview the destination before opening the link. And when it comes to mobile apps and software, download from a trusted source, like Google Play, Microsoft.com or Java.com.

6. Use public Wi-Fi safely
Public Wi-Fi is riskier than corporate or home Wi-Fi because you can’t determine its setup and security features. So, take extra precautions when using it.
• Do not access sensitive personal accounts, such as financial accounts
• Ensure websites use HTTPS and display a lock icon
• Watch out for “shoulder surfing” from people and security cameras
• Never use a public computer, such as one in a hotel lobby, to access personal information
• Use only for general web browsing, e.g., weather forecasts and restaurant reviews

7. Think before you post to social media
Social media provides a convenient, fun way to stay in touch with friends and family. But be cautious about what you post. Understand both personal and business risks, and take the following precautions.
• Always comply with your company’s rules for business conduct
• Ask friends and family to keep your personal information private, including relationships
• Be cautious about participating in games and surveys or clicking on links suggested by others
• Review and update your social media privacy and security settings often

Use daily
Bad habits might die hard, but good habits can protect you from cyber threats. You are the first line of defense in protecting yourself, your colleagues, and your devices against security risks. And as criminal methods and tactics are becoming more advanced, it’s more important than ever to establish and maintain good security habits.

Migrating from Windows Server 2003 is not optional — it’s a necessity

Change is inevitable. And with IT operations, that phrase couldn’t be truer. In April 2014, Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP. And now MIcrosoft has announced it will no longer support Windows Server 2003 after July 14, 2015. The risk of running outdated, unsecure, and non-compliant infrastructure and software is too great to ignore. Migrating from Server 2003 to Server 2012 isn't necessarily difficult, but moving your data and applications can be a logistically complex, worrisome task. Start thinking about it now, put it in your budget, and get ready to make the move. But remember you don't have to do this alone—Emerge is here to help!

We can work together to help you transition smoothly. You can count on us to help you plan, design, implement, manage, and support your migration. Our service team is knowledgeable and certified on Windows Server 2012. Not only can we help you transition to new infrastructure, we have the expertise so you can make this migration with confidence.

Don't take a chance on compromising your business data because your network system is running out of date software. We can get you up to speed! If you are ready to make the switch or are interested in an assessment of your current situation, please contact us at Emerge, 859-746-1030 or info@emergeits.com.

Gmail or Exchange?

used with permission from HP Technology at Work

When it comes to business email, change is in the air.
Web-based platforms have all but taken over the personal email market—Gmail alone has over 425 million active users worldwide and counting [1]. With Microsoft® also ending extended product support for Exchange Server 2003, now could easily seem like the perfect time to switch your office desktop email client and server to an online solution.
But most small businesses should think twice.
Solutions that are perfect for home use are often underpowered when it comes to getting office tasks done, and email is no exception. Here are the top ways desktop email clients and servers are still beating their browser-based challengers, and why they should still be your top choice for business email.

Desktop client advantages
• Offline management: Whether you’re on the road, flying to a presentation, or just in a Wi-Fi dead zone, having local access to your messages and attachments means you can stay productive without having to worry about internet access.

• Full backups: When a browser-based service is down, you’re out of luck until the provider fixes it. In contrast, most desktop email clients give you full, personal control over your backups, which can be particularly important if your emails contain sensitive data that needs to be encrypted.

• Attachments and filtering: Yes, webmail clients have basic flags and filtering, but most can’t compare to the advanced filtering, categories, reminders, rules, and tags that can save users hours of time in desktop email clients.

• Security: Protecting sensitive company and client data shouldn’t be taken lightly, and most browser-based clients have little to no support for cryptographic standards like S/MIME or other encryption options. To stay secure, desktop email clients are still the way to go.
Hosted email advantages

• Easy migration: It’s not just about messages. Users, permissions, attachments, contacts, and more all need to be brought over when upgrading to a new system like Exchange Server 2013. With hosted email, there’s a clear path. With webmail? Usually not so much.

• Compatibility: Microsoft Outlook was designed from the start to run over Exchange, not Google Apps, and it shows. To ensure the fewest problems and glitches with your desktop email client, a hosted solution is usually best.

• Reliability: Hosted Exchange services like those available from Microsoft feature business-class reliability with guaranteed 99.9% uptime and a financially-backed service level agreement [2].

• Security: Features like Data Loss Prevention (DLP), approved mobile device lists, enforced PIN locking, and the ability to wipe confidential company data from lost phones are all advanced security features generally only available with hosted email.

The best of both worlds

All that being said, choosing your email client and host doesn’t have to always be an either/or solution. Outlook, for example, can be used to monitor personal Gmail accounts in addition to your business email if you have a Google Apps for Business account. And hosted Exchange services mean smaller companies don’t have to buy their own server to use Exchange by taking it to the cloud [3].
Web-based email clients like Gmail can be great for personal email. They’re simple, easy to access from anywhere, and often free. But while those are great reasons to use Gmail for your personal account, when it comes to getting work done efficiently and securely in the office, a desktop email client still wins out.
[1] The Verge, Gmail now has 425 million active users, June 28, 2012
[2] Microsoft, Exchange Online
[3] Microsoft, Compare Exchange Online plans

3 Business Fails From Hollywood Films - And How To Avoid Them

used with permission from MSFT for Work

Hollywood is big business. Summertime is a competition between studios where the biggest
explosions and craziest plots (now in 3D!) equal enormous profits. What about business in movies? Turns out, there are some awful business decisions being made not by the studios but by the characters in their films. To get you ready for a summer of superheroes and things going pew-pew-pew, here’s a look at 3 of the all-time worst business decisions made in films. Don’t forget the popcorn!
• Lex Luthor’s plan in Superman: a lesson in hiring staff
Mr. Luthor is supposedly one of the world’s smartest men, and has built a multibillion dollar company through his intelligence. His master plan is to divert nuclear missiles to cause the San Andreas Fault to drop California into the ocean, turning his newly acquired desert property into prime oceanfront real estate.

There’s an environmental lesson here—nuclear winter and the massive debris field wouldn’t exactly make for the best resort property. But there’s a key lesson in how to bring in the right talent for your team. Luthor leaves the execution of his plan in the hands of one of the most incompetent henchmen of all time, Otis. Surely the smartest man in the world would have hired some better staff? No one wants an Otis on their team.

• Building the giant walls in Pacific Rim: why you listen to data analysts
In the near future, the Earth is under attack by giant monsters (kaiju) from under the ocean. So far, the only effective means of fighting them were giant robots. Naturally, the leaders of the free world decide that the robots are too expensive and instead spend billions creating a really big wall—which turns out to be completely ineffective at stopping kaiju that can simply climb over it, like a sci-fi Maginot Line.

This is why you listen to your analysts. The data scientists in Pacific Rim told everyone who would listen that the kaiju are getting bigger and it would only be a matter of time before they walked over the walls. The only way to stop them? More giant robots. When the fate of the world (or your business) is at stake, listen to your data analysts. They understand context and can see patterns that lead to avoiding enormous, expensive blunders.

• Rebuilding the Death Star in Return of the Jedi: failure to innovate
The Galactic Empire built a huge space station with the power to destroy entire planets, using a massive amount of resources and manpower. The Rebel Alliance discovered a weakness and with about 30 pilots managed to blow it to smithereens. Rather than innovate a new solution to controlling the galaxy, the Empire decides to build… another Death Star. Which the Rebels promptly blow up.

Innovation could have saved the Empire an enormous amount of resources. First, whatever security breach the Rebels exploited to get the Death Star plans was clearly not filled. Second, the Emperor knew the Rebels would try to attack and let them come anyway, despite the new Death Star’s reactor being totally exposed. He might as well have painted a giant bullseye on it. Success in business and in crushing the rebellion requires stepping outside your comfort zone—not repeating the same mistakes over and over.

Mistakes of Dr. Evil-like proportions are common as plot foils—but real businesses need not worry about making such errors if they hire intelligently, listen to their analysts, have access to the proper data, and properly innovate.