Evolution of Sm Business
What Our Clients Say
IT Makeover Winner
Reduce Vulnerabilities
SBS Mobile Workers
VoIP for Business
Event Announcements
Microsoft Tips and Tricks
Employee Spotlight
 

Event Announcements

May  High Tech Happy Hour
Thursday, May 31st at Coliseum Bar sponsored by Neider & Boucher Attorneys & Counselors
Visit www.hthh.org for more information

Applied Tech Lunch & Learns
Small Business Server
Portage County Business Council
5501 Vern Holmes Drive, Stevens Point, WI
Wednesday, May 30th
11:30-12:30
Registration at 11-Free Lunch

Microsoft Connections Event
Thursday, June 14th
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
(Welcome time - 7:00 a.m.)
Alliant Energy Center -
Exhibition Hall
1919 Alliant Energy Center
Madison, WI  53713

Microsoft Office
Tips and Tricks
Learn to use
Clip Organizer
Reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Microsoft Clip Organizer is a Microsoft Office tool that arranges and catalogs clip art and other media files stored on your hard disk. Learn how to make Clip Organizer work for you and to quickly find the clips you need.

After completing this course you will be able to:

◘ Search in Clip Organizer for media files (known as clips) you have stored in your computer.

◘ Organize your clips into collections so that you can find them more easily.

◘ Use the Clip Art task pane to insert clip art.

◘ Download new clips from the Office Clip Art and Media site into Clip Organizer.

SEE DEMO

Employee Spotlight

Timothy Barrett
Microsoft Small
Business Specialist

Timothy Truman Barrett is cleverly disguised as a mild-mannered geek. He actually is a happily married man with his lovely wife of 16 years, Dayna. They have two wonderful daughters, Stephanie and Lauren, who are also lovely. And Tim hates monkeys. A lot.

Obsessed with building things from Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys almost from birth, Tim finally got his first computer at age 15 – an old, used TRS-80 Model I that was built in the 70’s. It had no instructions or manuals, but by trial and error he figured out how to make it work. He quickly learned the "BASIC" programming language and spent that entire summer bugging his mother and six siblings by constantly showing them all the "cool" stuff he could do with it. The rest, as they say, is history.

After studying Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and physics at Louisville Technical Institute, he went to work in the healthcare industry. He worked extensively with medical and accounting software, voice-activated computers and homes, and provided specialized computer training for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.

As a veritable "jack-of-all-trades," Tim has worked with just about everything: sewing machines, table saws, X-ray machines, IBM mainframes, phone systems, servers, PCs, and the occasional backhoe. He is also a published author. In 2005 he co-wrote "Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 Unleashed," and he recently agreed to co-author another Microsoft book that is due out in 2008.

At age 38, Tim is currently a Microsoft Certified Professional, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist, and the founder and President of the Kentucky Small Business Server User Group (KYSBSUG). His motto is, "No Geek Left Behind." He also has strong religious values as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Microsoft Connections presents:
"THE EVOLUTION OF SMALL BUSINESS"

As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Applied Tech will be featured at the June 14th Microsoft Connections, bringing a local perspective. Connect with the experts, resources, and information that can help your small business get the most from your Microsoft® software. Join us for a comprehensive look at the evolution of small business IT solutions: From the Micro-Small Business PC Experience (less than 5 PCs) to the Small Business Server Experience (5-75 PCs). Throughout the day's event you will gain insight into how Microsoft Small Business solutions drive business value, efficiency, and profitability for your entire organization. Topics of discussion include information management, hosted services, security, mobility, and business management solution software.

PRODUCTS DISCUSSED AND DEMONSTRATED include:

1. WINDOWS VISTA & 2007 MICROSOFT OFFICE SYSTEM
2. OFFICE LIVE
3. WINDOWS SMALL BUSINESS SERVER 2003 R2
4. WINDOWS MOBILE
5. MICROSOFT DYNAMICS

Register today for this ½ day event and see the NEW 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista and why you should consider upgrading. Plus understand how Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 can improve the way you work with customers, communicate with co-workers and stay connected when you're away.

For more details including a full agenda visit www.microsoft.com/connections  or contact
Applied Tech at 608.257.6051 x23.

"Knowing that Applied Tech is constantly monitoring our server and workstations allows me to focus on the strategic issues of our business. Encore is quite pleased with the service and expertise of Applied Tech and looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship."

Jeffrey Jaschinski
Encore Construction, Inc.

The Middleton Chamber of Commerce, Applied Tech, Microsoft and HP are happy to announce the winner of the over $20,000 IT Makeover, Harbor Athletic Club!!! Harbor Athletic Club is Middleton’s premier 3-generation fitness club and was voted Best of Madison 12 times! And now with the help of the Middleton Chamber of Commerce, Applied Tech, Microsoft, HP and WatchGuard they will also have the best in technology. As the grand prize winner, Harbor Athletic Club will receive the following software, hardware and services valued at over $20,000:

Steve McKenzie, IT Director for Harbor Athletic Club explains how the IT makeover benefits their company, "We are really excited to update some of our old computers here at Harbor. We are also really looking forward to being able to schedule things with each other and coordinate with Outlook Exchange. The Small Business MS Server will also allow some of our staff to do remote access into their email and calendars".

Not only will Harbor Athletic Club receive the much needed hardware and software upgrades, they will also receive the outstanding support that Applied Tech offers through 6 months of TechCare. This valuable service includes full help desk, monitoring and maintenance, to name just a few as well as access to a fully trained and knowledgeable staff of IT professionals.

Congratulations to Harbor Athletic Club, the 2007 IT Makeover winner!
And thank you to all who participated!

Microsoft's newest operating system in more than five years, Vista was launched this past November.  If you plan to, or have recently installed a new operating system on your computers, then it's a good time to review some security measures to reduce your vulnerabilities (no matter which operating system you use):

• Create a security plan: Though upgrading to a new operating system (OS) appears to be a simple process, it is important to note that you are making a change in your business' IT systems, so it's necessary to protect your current data and other assets in the process. Your systems are particularly vulnerable at a time when you are running a new operating system that may have "bugs" or other issues that are likely to be discovered only after people start using the OS in a variety of settings. At the same time, you shouldn't have to wait to take advantage of the latest improvements and developments in technology. You can make a smoother transition by creating a security plan that includes installing security software, updating patches, and re-educating your employees about pertinent security issues that arise.

Read more

You probably know what a server can do for your office. But do you know what it can do when you're out of the office?

A 2003 survey of Small Business Server users conducted by Lawrence Associates LLC offers a clue. It found that employees were able to perform an average of 20% more revenue-producing tasks, thanks in no small part to functions that allowed them to stay connected to their office computers while they were away.

Ann Westerheim knows about these productivity gains firsthand. As the president of Ekaru, a Westford, Mass., small-business technology adviser, she's seen the benefits in client after client.

One of her customers is a small law office in which the principal attorney's home is linked to the main office through a server's remote-connectivity features. Another small-business client is a marketing firm with employees constantly on the go.

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More and more businesses tired of racking up high telecommunications bills are turning to the Internet for their phone service.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services enable businesses to conduct calls across the same network to access the Internet and get email – and at a fraction of the cost of traditional voice networks. However, VoIP developers have been focused on quality and reliability versus security. Therefore, if you choose to adopt VoIP, it is up to you to take the proper steps to secure it.

Background and benefits
The technology behind VoIP has been around for a few years; early incarnations of VoIP were plagued by spotty service, muddled and dropped calls. Only in the last few years has VoIP service improved enough to make it sufficiently reliable and stable for business use. In fact, businesses are finding that a well-planned and implemented VoIP system can provide call quality and reliability that rivals mobile phone or landline calls.

The number one benefit of VoIP is its low cost. In the conventional telephony world, multiple phone lines, conference calling features, and long distance charges create many extra charges. However, most VoIP providers not only offer unlimited local and long-distance calling for a relatively low flat fee, the fee also includes most, if not all, of the additional features businesses need. In addition to lower phone bills, here are some other benefits of VoIP:

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