7 Rules of Good Email Etiquette for Business Professionals

Despite the rise of team messaging software like Slack and MS Teams, email is still by far the most popular method of communication for businesses. 

86% of business professionals choose email as their preferred way to communicate at work. People also spend a good deal of their workday reading and responding to email.

The average office worker receives about 121 emails per day and sends about 40 of them. 

This vital piece of the business technology eco-system isn’t just a form of getting messages from one computer to another, it can tell you a lot about the person sending or replying to the message.

Some common things that go through people’s minds when reading email are:

·      No signature? Their company may be lacking a little organization. 

·      Too many exclamation points? This person seems highly emotional. 

·      Poor grammar/spelling? I might want to think twice before trusting this person with anything important.

Because email is something that just about any level of employee needs to use, it’s important to have a good presence in your email messages. Poor email etiquette can make you look unprofessional to colleagues, supervisors, and customers. It can also negatively impact your chance of a promotion. 

Here are some of the top email etiquette rules to follow to enhance how others perceive you.

Do a Spelling & Grammar Check

No matter how eloquently you write an email, if it has four spelling errors and improper use of “their/they’re” then that’s what people are going to see. You’ll come off looking either unprofessional, incompetent, or both. 

Most email programs will have a spell check built-in that will highlight misspelled words. However, you might also drop a word by accident, which can often happen when you’re typing in a rush, and that can also look just as bad. 

It’s a good idea to use both a spelling and grammar check tool, such as Grammarly, which has a plugin that can be used for Outlook and other programs. 

Be Careful of Emoji Use

The use of emojis on social media and in text messages is common. Using them in emails can get you into trouble by making you look unprofessional.

If you are sending an internal message congratulating everyone on a job well done, then a happy face emoji or even one blowing a party horn would most likely be okay.

But ending your email to a customer with “Have a great weekend” and a beer glass emoji is a big etiquette mistake.

It’s best to never use emojis in external emails and only sparingly for internal communications. 

Don’t Sneakily BCC People

When you blind carbon copy (BCC) someone on a business email, you’re sending the message to a third party behind the recipient’s back. This is generally frowned upon except in a few rare circumstances. 

Before you use the BCC block, ask yourself why it’s necessary to BCC instead of CC. In most cases, it’s best to avoid the BCC altogether so you don’t end up with a big problem later when someone finds about a BCC on one of their messages.

Use a Signature

When you don’t use a business signature, your email comes off as less professional. Because people receive so many emails throughout the day, the recipient may not immediately recognize you, and a signature helps them put an email address with a company.

Signatures also allow you to add additional helpful information, such as your phone number and title. 

Stop & Check Who’s Receiving a Reply Before Hitting “Send”

Volumes could be written about the people that had a major embarrassment or got into hot water because they hit “reply all” when they meant to only respond to the sender. 

A good habit to get into when you send an email is to always take a moment to check over who is receiving the message before you hit the “send” button. This helps you avoid reply-all mistakes and times when you mean to reply all but ended up hitting reply instead. 

Use a Professional Greeting & Closing

Starting your email with “Yo, Team” isn’t going to score you points for professionalism. Likewise, beginning with barking a virtual order instead of saying “Hi, Betty” first, can make you seem insensitive.

Use a professional greeting at the beginning of your emails (Hi, Dear, Hello, etc.) and also at closing. 

The closing can be a little tricky, as people aren’t always sure how to end and email before their signature. A good tip is to pick something you use 90% of the time and stick with that (Regards, Best Regards, Thanks, Sincerely, etc.).

Don’t Get Fancy With Fonts

Going crazy with the font style you use can be just as bad as using too many emojis. If you’re using purple Comic Sans font, you immediately are perceived as less professional than someone using Helvetica, Times, or another classic font in black.

You want your message to be readable. Your email’s message should also be the thing someone remembers, not the fancy font you used.

Get Expert Business Email Solutions to Improve Productivity

BrainStomp can help your business with effective email solutions for productivity, security, and much more! 

Schedule a free consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

How to Use the Snipping Tool to Email Screenshots

One of the common tasks that people do throughout the week is to take and send screenshots. They may need to point out a problem on a website or within a cloud platform, or they may need a quick way to get input on a graphic without sending a huge file.

Within Windows 10 there is a pretty handy business solution for screenshots called the Snipping Tool (aka: Snip & Sketch Tool). 

How this differs from other screenshots tools you may have, like a screenshot button on a keyboard or a snipping tool in Chrome, is that it can be used from within Outlook in addition to anywhere you may be on your computer. 

You also have multiple options in how you take a screenshot, which allows you to get the exact part of a screen you need into your image.

Using The Snipping Tool in Outlook 

First, we’ll go through how to use the Snipping Tool from within Outlook to quickly email a screenshot. Then, we’ll get into the more robust Snip & Sketch Tool. 

Open your message, make sure your cursor is clicked into the message body, and then choose the Insert menu.

Click on the Screenshot icon.

You’ll see options to screenshot any open windows you have. You can also choose Screen Clipping at the bottom.  

If you click one of your Available Windows, a screenshot of that entire window will be taken and automatically appear in your email message. Note: You may want to resize the image.

Using the screen clipping option will pull up the first window that you have open and allow you to drag your cursor to take a screenshot of just a portion of that window, rather than the entire thing. 

Once you let go of your cursor, that part of the screenshot will automatically appear inserted into your email message.

This is a quick an easy way to take and email screenshots from within Outlook. 

Using the Snipping Tool Outside Outlook

If you’re not in Outlook and want to use the Snip & Sketch tool to take a screenshot, the easiest way to access it is by keyboard command:

Press: Windows Key + Shift + S

You have four different options for taking your screenshot:

·      Rectangle

·      Freeform

·      Full Window

·      Full Screen 

Once you take the screenshot, you’ll see a thumbnail show up in the lower right corner of your screen. 

Click the image to open the full Snip & Sketch Tool. 

From here you can mark up the screenshot with a set of basic tools (that’s how we got that red arrow in the photo above). You can also crop the screenshot. 

This is really helpful if you’re trying to drag across a particular region with a black outline and can’t seen to get it just right. Take more of the outline than you may want in the screenshot and use the Snip & Sketch Tool to crop it. (Much easier!)

What Can You Do Inside the Snip & Sketch Tool?

Beyond the editing features we already mentioned, you can do a lot more once you have your screenshot open inside the Snip & Sketch Tool.

Here is a rundown of the menu options.

Click New to chose between taking a screenshot:

·      Now

·      In 3 seconds

·      In 10 seconds

The editing group of icons across the top allow you to use: 

·      Touch writing

·      Ballpoint pen

·      Pencil

·      Highlighter

·      Eraser

·      Ruler

·      Crop

The next group of icons, on the right, allow you to zoom, save, copy, and send your screenshot.

The send option allows you to send by email, through OneNote, in Microsoft’s Feedback Hub, or through another app you install.

The “three dots” menu gives you the following options: 

·      Open file

·      Open file with

·      Print

·      Send feedback

·      Settings

·      Tips & Tricks

Snipping Tool Settings

You get a few more settings you can use to customize your screenshot tool. This includes:

·      Auto copy your screenshots to clipboard

·      Ask to save snips before closing

·      Open snips in more than one window

·      Automatically put an outline on all your screenshots

How to Get Saved Screenshots into Outlook

If you already have a screenshot saved on your computer that you want to use in an email, you have two ways you can do this: 

·      Attach as an email attachment: Do this by either using the Attach File option on Outlook’s Home menu or drag and drop your image from a folder over your email message.

·      Insert the screenshot in the email: Use this when you want the screenshot to be seen in the email message without needing to open the attachment. The easiest way to do this is to use the very top Search box and type “insert” and then chose the Insert Picture option.

Need Help With Email Tips, Security, and More?

 BrainStomp can help your business with smart email solutions for productivity, security, and much more!

 Schedule a free consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

Email Etiquette: When & Why to Use BCC

Even with the advent of SMS and team messaging, email is still the #1 preferred method both internally and externally for organizations. Seven in 10 people would rather communicate with a company by email than any other method. So, it’s still one of your most important business solutions. 

But email, especially if it’s internal, can have its pitfalls if someone steps out of line and breaks an unwritten email etiquette rule.

One of the rules that can be particularly abused is the BCC (blind carbon copy). For example, if it’s found out that a colleague is BCC-ing the boss on emails without the recipient’s knowledge it can cause major office tension.

On the other hand, the BCC can also be incredibly helpful when sending a message to multiple recipients, who don’t necessarily need to be aware of each other’s email addresses.

The Difference Between CC and BCC

When you use CC, you’re including someone that is part of the conversation on an email, but not specifically addressing the email to them. Use of the CC is common in business. It can also often be overdone with people getting copied on things they don’t really need or want.

Sometimes the CC is used as coverage to make sure someone is kept in the loop on a decision. 

When you use the BCC, you’re including someone on an email but not letting the recipient(s) or anyone CC’d on the email know that you’ve actually copied another person.

If BCC sounds a little sneaky, it’s because it is. But it also does have some legitimate reasons to use it.

Using BCC incorrectly can have some big consequences if you’re trying to have good office relationships with colleagues. It can also cause some embarrassment in your client or vendor communications if it’s not used when it should be.

When is BCC Okay to Use? 

There are generally two main scenarios when email etiquette says that it’s perfectly okay and proper to use a BCC.

Sending a Mass Email to Multiple Recipients 

There are times when you are sending the same email to multiple recipients, but they don’t necessarily need to see who each other are, and you may not want them to.

For example, say you have a new vendor policy that you need to send out to 25 vendors. Rather then spending the time emailing them all one by one, you can simply email the message to yourself and BCC all your vendors. 

They will each receive a copy but won’t have the addresses of those who may be competing with them for your business.

Another example of this is if you are sending out a marketing pitch to media organizations. In this case it’s okay to use the BCC since none of them would be related and wouldn’t necessarily need to see that each other were copied.

You are BCC-ing Yourself

Sometimes it may come up that you want to send a copy of an email to another one of your email addresses. For example, you may be using your personal email to send a message from your mobile phone, but still need to have a copy in your business email for follow ups. Or vice versa.

In this case, it’s also okay to use BCC because the recipient obviously already knows you are going to have a copy of the message. You might choose to use BCC instead of CC just to reduce any confusion if they don’t recognize your other email address as being yours.

When is BCC NOT Okay to Use?

Really, in just about all other scenarios, BCC can be a big problem and considered somewhat of a “jerk move” in office vernacular. 

When you use BCC, you’re basically hiding the fact that another person is getting a copy of the email, and other than the two noted above, there aren’t many situations where that is considered okay.

Here are some of the ways you do not want to use (abuse) the BCC.

To Copy the Boss to Get a Coworker in Trouble

You may be having a hard time with a coworker, but blind copying the boss on an email exchange with them isn’t going to make things any better. In fact, your boss might think less of you for the breach in email etiquette.

To Send an Office Pal an Email Exchange to Ridicule a Colleague

If you are blind copying your office “best bud” on an email exchange with a colleague to ridicule or otherwise have a laugh or gossip at the other person’s expense, this is big breach of etiquette. It’s also just really mean, and could actually cost a person their job if it’s found out.

To Copy a Friend on a Positive Email

This scenario might seem okay, but it can backfire on you. 

For example, say you are BCC-ing your friend on a recommendation email you’re making to your company’s HR department about that friend being a great candidate. What happens if your friend does a “reply-all’ to say, “Thanks!” Suddenly your HR department knows you hid the fact you were copying another person and things could get awkward.

In this case it would be better to simply forward your email after you sent it if you wanted to show you friend what you said about them.

Need Smart, Productive Email Solutions?

 BrainStomp can help your business implement the best communication solutions, including email, cloud messaging, and more.

Schedule a consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

6 Tenets of a Zero-trust Security Network

Cybersecurity is an always evolving landscape of more advanced threats, followed by fixes for those threats, followed by new threats designed to get around those fixes. 

Things have become worse lately due to the pandemic, and scammers taking advantage of the disruption and employees newly working from home on less secure networks. Everything from phishing scams to ransomware have been increasing in frequency.

Another twist that’s making cybercrime more of a threat to business wellbeing is that large criminal cartels are organizing ransomware attacks and improving their efficiency. According to the Sophos 2021 Threat Report, attacks that used to take days or weeks or carry out, now only take a few hours. 

This organization of cybercrime and the increasing sophistication of threats have led to a new cybersecurity approach called Zero-trust.

What is Zero-trust Security?

The typical security structure is known as “castle and moat,” meaning that a strong perimeter is put up to keep the bad guys out of a network, and those inside the network are typically free to move around “the castle” and do what they need to do.

But with Zero-trust security, users and applications that execute code aren’t automatically trusted just because they’ve made it inside the network. This approach puts in play additional challenges and barriers designed to check user and app permissions. 

Another measure taken is to identify the good guys, which is a much shorter list, rather than having to continually identify all the bad guys. This achieves better security, especially against new zero-day malware variants, because any users or applications not already whitelisted are blocked by default. 

Zero-trust security isn’t a single platform, rather it’s an approach in how security measures across busines technology like advanced threat protection appliances and cloud tool settings are configured. 

When implementing Zero-trust security, here are some of the core tenets to consider. 

Advanced Identity Management

Due to the move of business data to cloud accounts, behind company logins, hackers are going after user logins with increased frequency. 77% of all cloud account data breaches are due to compromised login credentials. 

Just because someone has the right username and password, doesn’t mean they’re a legitimate system user.

Advanced identity management puts additional authentication barriers in place. These can include things like:

• Multi-factor authentication

• Adding a challenge question for higher privileged users

• Restricting system access if a user is logging in from outside a certain geographical region

• Automatically logging users out after a timeout period

Application Whitelisting

One of the most difficult types of malware for traditional antivirus/anti-malware software to catch is fileless malware. This is because it doesn’t use malicious code at all, and instead sends commands to a legitimate Windows process, typically PowerShell.

Application whitelisting sets up your list of “good guys” and designates which programs are allowed to execute commands, and then blocks all others by default. 

Application Ringfencing

Application ringfencing is closely related to whitelisting. It takes security a step further by designating what types of interactions those approved programs can have with each other. 

Thus, if a hacker is trying to use one whitelisted program to send a malicious command to another, the event could be blocked if that action wasn’t approved due to ringfencing.

Rule of Least Privilege

Many companies give too many users higher access privileges in a network or cloud application than they actually need. The more user accounts you have that can do things like add other users or edit security configurations, the more at risk you are because a hacker has more targets.

Using the Rule of Least Privilege means that your company only grants the absolute minimum user privileges needed for an employee to accomplish their daily tasks. This reduces the accounts that, if taken over, could cause serious harm. 

Using a Dedicated Admin Account That is Not a Regular User Account 

Taking least privilege a step farther is to reduce your high-level privilege accounts to just one. If you set up a single dedicated administrative account, you can significantly reduce the risk of a devastating insider attack.

Admins then just log into that account when they need to handle administrative duties, and log back out and into their own user account when done. This also keeps that account’s password more secure because the account isn’t being used for email, etc. 

Continuous Monitoring & Automated Response 

Another important tenet of Zero-trust security is to continually monitor your network, including cloud account access, for any threats and to have an advanced threat protection (ATP) application in place.

ATP apps give you the ability to add automatic response that doesn’t require admin intervention, such as quarantining a suspicious threat immediately that an admin can then review later. This ensures that a network is being protected 24/7.

Need Help Implementing Zero-trust Security Measures?

BrainStomp can help your business implement some of the core tenets of zero-trust cybersecurity to ensure your network and data are protected from new and emerging online threats.

Schedule a free cybersecurity consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

What is Microsoft Productivity Score & How Do I Use It?

All-in-One platforms like Microsoft 365 are more than just a set of office software tools, they’re designed to help teams connect, collaborate, and improve workflow efficiency.

For example, just adding the ability to share files stored in a cloud environment through a link instead of having to attach files to email can save each employee up to 100 minutes per week (over 6.5 hours per month).

But how do you know if your team is using your office technology in the most productive ways? Maybe they’re still emailing file attachments instead of sharing files by link.

One of the tools developed to grade the productivity of your team in Microsoft 365 is Microsoft Productivity Score. Using this tool allows you to gain valuable insights into how your team is using multiple applications, how well they’re collaborating, and more.

You can even gain security and network insights as well that can help you improve overall office performance.

How Does Microsoft Productivity Score Work?

Productivity Score looks at eight areas of productivity within the platform, five of them are termed “people experiences” and three of them are “technology experiences.”

For each of these, your team can score 100 points, for a total of 800 points altogether if they’re fully optimized in their use of Microsoft 365.

You can access the Microsoft Productivity Score tool from inside the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. The main dashboard will show you your organization’s overall score and allow you to click into each of the eight different areas for further insights.

Image Credit: Microsoft

The tool uses research on best practices for productivity (such as the 100-minute stat mentioned above) to grade how your employees are doing and give you recommendations for improving your team’s overall productivity. You can also view your score against peer benchmarks.

Here are the types of insights you’ll find in the tool that you can then use to inform more productive workflows.

Content Collaboration

Learn how your team is sharing files, how easy your cloud files are to access, and general collaboration efficiency using OneDrive, SharePoint, and Exchange Online. 

Some of the insights include how often people are reading, creating, and sharing files online, which would point to higher productivity. You can see exactly how many people are collaborating well and the trend over time.

Communication

Apps that are analyzed in the communication metric are Microsoft Teams, Yammer, and Exchange online. The score looks are whether people are using just one mode to communicate or fully utilizing all available methods.

You also get a detail of how people are communicating the most:

• Sending emails

• Sending messages in MS Teams

• Posting in communities

Meetings

How effective are your meetings? This is a question that the meetings metric of Productivity Score attempts to answer. It compares best practices for effective meetings – such as having everyone engaged and sending follow up materials afterwards – against how your team is doing. 

Mobility 

Being able to work flexibly from any location and any device is proven to improve productivity. This metric examines how many people in your organization are using Microsoft 365 products, such as Outlook, on more than one device.

Teamwork

Collaborating in apps like Teams and SharePoint illustrate a dynamic team that is communicating well and utilizing shared knowledge. This area of the tool evaluates how many team members are contributing to shared workspaces. 

Microsoft 365 Apps Health

This metric looks at the Microsoft 365 apps themselves that are stored on employee devices. It gives you cues into how many are using the most recent version and how many are being updated regularly. This is an important metric for both security and productivity.

Photo Credit: Microsoft

Network Connectivity

In the cloud world, network connectivity plays a big part in productivity. If employees are having to wait on slow networks, it can take much longer to do their work.

This area of Productivity Score identifies any network problem areas your team may have and provides you with recommended solutions. 

Endpoint Analytics

Another important aspect of productivity is endpoint health. How well are the computers and mobile devices performing that your team is using to access Microsoft 365 apps? This metric looks at both hardware and software health and performance.

Special Report – Business Continuity

There is one additional special report in Productivity Score that is specifically designed for the post-pandemic world we live in. The Business Continuity report looks at how your organization is handling a shift from in-office to remote working.

Get Help Navigating the Modern Workplace!

BrainStomp can help your business take full advantage of digital tools like Microsoft 365 as well as implement security and workflow solutions to keep you ahead of the curve.

Schedule a free cloud consultation today! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

Benefits of Switching Your Browser to Google Chrome

People tend to get very attached to their internet browser. It’s where a lot of them spend most of their time while using their PC or mobile device. 

As an example, even though Internet Explorer has lost support from Microsoft Teams and is about to lose more app support this year, about 5% of US desktop users are still sticking with it.

When you’re looking for the best technology solutions for your workflows, the browser you choose can impact several areas: 

• Productivity

• Security

• App compatibility

• Forms/website component accessibility 

• And much more

Currently the most popular browser in the U.S. is Google Chrome. It has about 59.43% of the desktop browser market share. No other browser even comes close to its popularity. The next popular browser is Safari at 16.4%.

What makes Chrome so popular? We’ll go through the highlights below.

Why Is Chrome Such a Popular Browser? 

Sleek, User-Friendly Design

Google understands that users are going somewhere else when they use a browser. They don’t want a lot of clutter getting in the way of viewing a website or working in a cloud application.

Chrome is very sleek and minimalistic, giving you small icons that you can use to get to settings and other areas, but otherwise giving you a lot of clean real estate for viewing a site.

Large Choice of Developer Extensions 

Because Chrome is the most popular browser by far, developers will typically create browser extensions for it first before any others. This gives users the widest choice of any browser for addons they may want to use to enhance their web experience.

User-Friendly Security 

In some browsers the security options can get overwhelming and confusing, but in Chrome, it’s very straight forward.

They have a Security check option in settings that allows you to click a button and get an instant update on several security areas. This includes a very helpful compromised passwords prompt that will alert you to any stored Chrome passwords that have been noted as being involved in a data breach.

Platform Support

Chrome again has an advantage when it comes to platform support because it’s the more used browser out there. Cloud application developers know that they need to ensure their application works well in Chrome first, so they design for Chrome.

This means that you won’t run into issues that you can find in other browsers with applications not working correctly.

Native Integration with Google Apps

When you keep everything in the family, the user experience is often smoother. Gmail, Google Docs, Drive, and all the other Google apps integrate natively with Chrome. This gives you the optimum user experience if using these applications.

Built-In Features

Some of the built-in features of Chrome allow for easier management of downloads, in-browser viewing of documents and PDFs, and video viewing. 

Users don’t really notice these types of features because they’re designed to not be noticed and to just make things work for the user for seamless experience.

Easier Mobile Tab Management

Trying to manage tabs on a mobile browser can be frustrating. The smaller screen often makes it hard to move from one browser tab to another.

A recent Chrome update made tab management simpler when using the mobile version of the browser. You can view all opened tabs on the same screen by tapping the tab icon at the bottom. This opens a screen where you can see each page and then easily click into the one you want. 

Detailed Sync Settings

It’s very convenient to have access to things like bookmarks and apps in a browser across your different devices. Chrome allows you to easily sync between devices, and you also can choose what you sync. 

For example, if want to sync your open tabs but not your browsing history, you can simply set one to “on” and the other to “off” in the sync settings. 

You have the ability control individual syncing of: 

• Apps

• Bookmarks

• Extensions

• History

• Settings

• Theme

• Open Tabs

• Passwords

• Addresses, phone numbers, and more

• Payment methods 

Fast Browsing Experience

Chrome has been known as a bit of a memory hog in the past, but Google has been working on this issue throughout recent updates and the user experience is much faster now.

The improved speed of the browser eliminates one of the reasons that users went looking for alternatives to Chrome.

 Great Developer Console

For those that like to get an in depth look at a site, Chrome has a robust developer console. 

It allows you to view site source code, view the site as it would look in various mobile devices, monitor bandwidth and much more. 

Are You Using the Right Tools for the Best Efficiency?

BrainStomp experts can help your business migrate to Chrome and choose the best digital tools for an efficient workflow.

Contact us for a consultation at 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

What Technology Trends Should You Watch for in 2021?

A new year brings with it planning to stay competitive and strategizing for business technology upgrades that will make the most difference for your bottom line.

Watching upcoming technology trends is a great way to anticipate where you may need to focus your IT budget. Companies that are paying attention to new IT advances as well how technology is adjusting to world circumstances (like the pandemic) have the best chance of being resilient and growing.

A survey of small businesses by Cisco found that 70% of small business owners are accelerating their digital transformations because of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed the way we live and work.

In your planning for 2021, it’s important to pay attention to the following technology trends that will be shaping how businesses operate this year and beyond.

Zero Trust IT Security Strategies

Cybercrime statistics rose dramatically during 2020 for everything from phishing scams to ransomware attacks. Criminals took advantage of the pandemic disruption as well as new sophisticated malware variants. 

During the midst of the pandemic, the FBI reported a 400% increase in cybercrime reports. 

Trying to identity cyberthreats is becoming much more difficult because of the stealth techniques they use. This had led to the popularity of a cybersecurity strategy called Zero Trust.

Zero Trust means that system protections are put in place to trust no application except for those that are approved. This application white listing ensures that even if a system has never seen a malware variant before, it can still block it because it will block anything not on the approved list to do things like enter a network, run a program, or give instructions to a system application. 

Centralized Databases 

Companies are finding that cloud data can get unruly the more applications you use. And if applications aren’t sharing data, that means companies can end up with multiple databases of customer information in different apps that don’t all have the same data.

A new type of application that’s gaining popularity and will grow in 2021 is a customer data platform (CDP). This is not a CRM program, but rather a centralized database where all customer information is kept. The CDP then is connected to other apps (like a CRM, ticket system, etc.), which all pull data from that single database. 

This improves data quality, visibility of all data to all apps, and reduces data error and manual entries of the same information into different SaaS tools. 

The Home Office As the New Main Office

Permanent remote workers are projected to double this year, as companies coming off the pandemic lockdowns are realizing the benefits of a remote work environment.  

Many companies are keeping remote workers permanently for some or all positions for reasons such as:

• Higher productivity

•  Business continuity and flexibility

• Lower costs

• Fewer sick/personal days taken

• Higher employee morale

What this means for companies is that they are transforming the way they think about “the office,” and how they need to handle things like device and network security. Remote home offices are now a big part of the conversation when it comes to technology and cybersecurity budgets for 2021. 

Optimizing for Behavioral Analytics 

Web tracking tools are moving past just tracking cookies and into mapping tools that can gauge how fast people are moving down a page to where their eyes land on the content they’re reading.

This behavior analytics technology is going to be more mainstream and as easy to add to a website as a few lines of code from a SaaS tool. 

Automation and systems like chatbots that use natural language are improving customer service and shortening response times. The next step is to not just be reactive, but to actually change what content is served up based upon how a website visitor is engaging with the page to improve their experience.

Big Push for IoT as 5G Comes Online

IoT has been a technology trend for a few years now, but one thing that has kept it from exploding even faster is the need for faster and more robust networks.

As 5G finally reaches fruition this year and delivers on those lightning-fast speeds and near zero latency, you’ll see more IoT devices being deployed in businesses. 

Not only is 5G supposed to be faster, it also can handle more devices than a 4G/LTE network, which means no congestion as more devices are added.

Some of the IoT devices making their way into offices are:

• Voice assistance connected to business apps (like calendars, contacts, etc.)

• Smart lighting

• Smart locks

• IP security cameras

• Smart sensors

Get Help With Your Technology Plan for 2021

BrainStomp experts can help your business plan for smart technology upgrades so you’re prepared to take on this year and beyond successfully.

Contact us for a consultation at 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

Why It's Time to Move Away from Internet Explorer

One of the browsers that has been around since the early days of the internet is Internet Explorer (IE). It was released by Microsoft in 1995 and held an impressive 95% of the browser market share in 2003.

But as the 2020’s unfolded, more browser competitors arrived, with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all being introduced in the early part of the century, causing IE to lose its dominance.

The final sign of an impending end to IE was when Microsoft introduced a new browser in Windows called Edge. This is now its default browser and IE 11 is on the way out.

If you want to keep a modern I.T. infrastructure at your office, it’s important to know when software, browsers, or operating systems are going to lose support so you can upgrade well before that happens.

If you’re using Internet Explorer on any devices, it’s time for an upgrade to a different browser now. We’ll tell you why. 

Why You Need to Migrate from IE 11 to a Newer Internet Browser

Microsoft Teams & Microsoft 365 Ending Support for IE

While IE 11 is not yet at its official end of life, it might as well be for Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 users because support is being ended for the browser by both.

Microsoft Teams has already ended support for IE on November 30, 2020. 

The rest of the applications in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, MS Forms, etc.) will end support for the browser on August 17, 2021.  

What does “loss of support” mean, exactly?

Microsoft describes it this way, “customers will have a degraded experience or will be unable to connect to Microsoft 365 apps and services on IE 11.”

This means that either the applications will no longer be able to be accessed in the browser at all, or you may have an unreliable experience including one or more of the following:

• New Microsoft 365 features won’t be available

• Some functions may stop working in the browser

For Teams users, this can mean that anyone trying to join your Teams video calls may not be able to when using the IE browser. If you use Teams often to host video meetings, you may want to add a notice to your meeting invites that IE 11 is no longer supported, and suggest the use of an alternate browser, like Edge, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.

Gmail & Google Workspace Apps Ending Support for IE

If you’re not a Microsoft 365 user, you still need to think about switching away from IE, because Microsoft isn’t the only developer dropping support for Internet Explorer, Google is as well.

As of March 15, 2021, Google Workspace apps will no longer work in IE 11. 

This includes popular applications that are access via web, such as:

• Gmail

• Google Drive

• Docs/Sheets/Slides

• Meet/Chat

• Keep

• Google Calendar

• and others

Google will begin warning users with a banner that will recommend IE users migrate to another browser to “avoid any possible disruptions in service such as degraded performance and security vulnerabilities.”

Other Web Applications

You can also expect multiple other cloud applications to follow the lead of Microsoft and Google and end support of Internet Explorer in their platforms. Salesforce, for example, is ending IE 11 support for its Lightening Experience and communities on December 31, 2020.

Some apps have already dropped IE support. Such as, popular CRM program Zendesk, ended support for IE 11 back on December 31, 2019.

What You Need to Do

If you or any employees at your business still use Internet Explorer, you need to upgrade now to another browser to avoid loss of service from multiple applications, including Microsoft 365 and Google’s Workspace apps, as well as to ensure you’re not risking any security vulnerabilities. 

Is IE 11 at End of Life?

No, the browser isn’t technically at end of life yet. Because it’s a component of Windows, it takes on the lifecycle of the operating system. So, if you’re running IE 11 on Windows 10, it won’t reach EOL until that OS does in 2025. 

However, because so many applications are dropping support for the browser, it will effectively be at loss of support even prior to the official EOL. 

Your Browser Options

There are four key browser options that are supported by Microsoft 365 and Google apps. These include:

• Edge (Microsoft’s new browser that took over from IE)

• Chrome (Currently, the most popular browser)

• Firefox (Known for having good default security settings)

• Safari (Works well on Mac, but not supported on Windows)

Get Help Migrating Data and Web-based Workflows 

BrainStomp can help your business with a smooth migration from IE 11 to another browser, including ensuring all data and settings are transitioned along with your web-based workflows. 

Contact us for a consultation at 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

8 Benefits of Moving to Firefox for Your Internet Browser

One of the most used productivity tools is the internet browser. It’s often the first place that people go when logging onto their device in the morning and it’s used throughout the day for multiple tasks.

From Google searches to using web-based cloud apps, a browser plays a big part in your user experience.

The average person spends the equivalent of over 100 days per year online.

Just one shortcut that a particular browser offers that another doesn’t, can mean a significant boost in productivity day in and day out. Security is also another big consideration when choosing an internet browser. 

Choosing the right technology solutions is important, and especially one that is infused into a workflow as much as your browser. 

There are four main options out there for supported internet browsers for applications like Gmail, Microsoft 365, and others. One of the best to consider moving to is Firefox.

Why Firefox Over Others?

Here are some of the drawbacks of other popular browser options: 

• Chrome: While it may be the most popular browser, people worry about privacy and tracking because Google’s main business is advertising. 

• Edge: While Microsoft’s replacement for Internet Explorer is gaining in popularity, it still has a long way to go before it has comparable plugin & developer support.

• Safari: Safari can have problems viewing certain webforms and does not support the Windows OS.

• Other Options: Other fringe browser options like Brave can leave you with less support from multiple web applications and lack of feature options.

Firefox Advantages

Light on Memory Usage 

One of the drawbacks of a browser like Chrome is that it’s known for being memory intensive. This can cause freezing issues when multi-tasking or opening multiple browser tabs. 

Firefox did a major update in 2017 that decreased the memory consumption of the browser, speeding it up for multiple tasks. 

Better Default Privacy Settings

Mozilla, the makers of Firefox, has a reputation for caring about user privacy. This is seen through stronger default security settings in Firefox designed to keep user data secure.

Some of the security options you have in Firefox include:

• Enhanced Tracking Protection

• Site Information Panel

• Content Blocking privacy features

• Lockwise Anti-Snooping Feature 

• Breached Website Alerts

• Fingerprinting Protection

More Customization Options

In many other browsers, you’re very limited in how you can customize. You may be able to add a theme color or image, but not much else.

Firefox gives you more customization options than other browsers, including the ability to move features around and install themes that change the browser’s look and feel.  

You can also customize the toolbars and overflow menu by adding the options you use the most and putting there where you want them.

HTTPS-Only Mode for Security

A new feature that Firefox recently introduced is HTTPS-Only Mode. When this is enabled it helps keep your web experience more secure by ensuring every connection is to a secure site.

If it detects you visiting a site with out HTTPS, you’ll receive a security alert.

Mozilla Keeps Improving Browser Speed

Mozilla continues to improve the speed and performance of Firefox. This focus on user experience is another reason to switch to Firefox as your default browser.

In the latest 83.0 release in November 2020, Firefox’s SpiderMonkey JavaScript engine was improved, which resulted in:

• An increase in page load performance by up to 15%

• Improvement in page responsiveness by up to 12%

• Reduced memory usage by up to 8%

Save to Pocket Feature

A handy feature in Firefox is Pocket, which allows you to save webpages and videos for later at the click of a button. You can then access them through the free Pocket app. 

When webpages are saved to Pocket, it saves a clutter-free version that’s clean and easier to read.

Sync Across Different Devices

Firefox is a well-supported browser by multiple operating systems, including those for mobile devices. There is a Firefox version for both iOS and Android.

You can sign in on your different devices and have your settings, bookmarks, and more synced for a consistent experience wherever you’re browsing.

Blocking of Online Trackers

Every move we make online today is tracked by some type of cookie. From Google to individual websites and advertisers, our digital footprints can be being collected across multiple organizations. 

Mozilla isn’t in the business of selling advertising like Google, so it doesn’t have any “backdoor agreements” with advertisers. Its browser automatically blocks over 2000 online trackers from collecting your browsing data.

Get Help With Migrations & Improving Your Online Productivity

BrainStomp experts can help your business migrate to Firefox, upgrade your workflows, and help you be more productive using the best digital tools available.

Contact us for a consultation at 260-918-3548 or reach out online.

What Are the Most Useful New Features of iOS 14?

One of the biggest updates to come out in a while for the iPhone operating system was recently released, and it is chock full of efficiency improvements.

iOS 14 was released in September 2020, and if you haven’t updated yet, you’re going to want to as soon as possible because this update significantly streamlines the mobile experience.

Mobile devices now make up about 60% of the endpoints in a typical company and do more than half the workload. So mobile operating system updates have a more far reaching impact to a business than they did a decade ago.

The technology solutions in a company shape it’s performance now and in the future, so it’s important to stay on top of new developments both for PCs and mobile devices.

The BrainStomp team has taken a look at the new iOS 14 features, here are some of the most useful and time saving.

App Library

How many times have you swiped back and forth between your app screens trying to find a particular app? That problem has now been solved with the App Library feature in iOS 14 .

As soon as you complete the update, you’ll notice the App Library when you swipe to the last screen on the right. It neatly categorizes all your apps and makes the most used app icons larger. You can also access them all from one screen.

All images are from Apple

To further optimize your iPhone user experience, you’ll now want to hide the screens of apps between the App Library and your Home screen. 

To do this: 

• Press and hold any open area on your Home screen.

• Click the dots at the bottom.

•  Uncheck the circles under the additional pages to hide them.

• You can unhide pages by repeating the process and re-checking the circle.

Stacked Widgets on Your Home Screen

Widgets have had a major overhaul in iOS 14, they’re more helpful, there are more of them, they’re sizable, AND you can bring them to your Home screen.

You can choose to bring individual widgets to your home screen to see in a glance, without needing to swipe left. You can also make them small, medium, or large.

But one of the coolest ways to use widgets in iOS 14 is through stacked widgets. You can stack up to 10 different widgets in one single widget area to save space and then just swipe through them as you like. 

Siri Suggestions

One of the new widgets is Siri Suggestions and this can be a big time-saver, saving you a few clicks here and there, which really adds up over the course of a week or month.

What this widget does is anticipate activities you may want to do on your iPhone based upon your use patterns. For example, say you always open Pandora for background music as soon as you connect your phone to a speaker via Bluetooth in the morning. As soon as you make that connection, the Siri Suggestion widget will display the Pandora app for you on your Home screen as a suggestion.

Pinned Messages & Group Conversation Images

Another frustration that many users have on a regular basis is trying to find the right Messages conversation to reply to. Scrolling down a list of conversations can be time consuming and the difficulty of telling one group text from another can result in texting the wrong group.

These are two more issues solved in the iOS 14 upgrade.

You can now pin up to 9 conversations to the top of the Messages screen. They are displayed by the image icon you’ve created, making it much easier to find the conversation you need.

Group conversations can also be pinned and will be much easier to recognize because you can now give a group conversation its own image using a photo, Memoji, or emoji.

Send an Audio Message with Siri 

There are many times that you need to send a text, but you’re on the go and it’s not convenient to stop what you’re doing to tap out a text message. For example, if you’ve just landed at the airport and are rushing to make a connection, you don’t want to stop to send a text.

You can now send an audio text instead with a Siri command, allowing you to make an audio note “old school” style and have Siri send it for you via Messages.

To send an audio message with Siri:

• Bring up Siri with “Hey, Siri” or pressing the Home button

• Say, “Send an audio message to (contact name)”

• Siri will respond, “OK, recording”

• Speak your message

• When you stop speaking, Siri will give you the option to send, play back, or cancel.

Small Efficiency Improvements Add Up to Big Bottom-Line Benefits

BrainStomp experts help businesses create optimizations in their workflows that save time, lower costs, and improve productivity. Find out what we can do for you!

Contact us for a consultation at 260-918-3548 or reach out online.