The Variety of Services Provided by an IT Solutions Company

In the age of data and high information flow, businesses large and small need to understand just how they can utilize the vast web of data that exists on and around the Internet. Information technology, or IT for short, can be defined as the study and use of computer and telecommunications technology for the management of information. In the present day and age, much is heavily dependent on this flow of information. For a company to be able to survive, it needs to be able to effectively manage its technology and data infrastructure. The services of an IT solutions company can be very helpful for companies who aren't willing or able to spend the time and resources on a dedicated team.
Within this field, there are naturally a wide variety of services that need to be taken into account. A good IT solutions company will offer most or all of the following services to clients.
1. Data Backup and Cloud Storage
Most of the essential information of any company today is going to be stored digitally. It is therefore essential to securely store this data so that, in case of any type of system failure, all the information can be efficiently and quickly recovered, mitigating negative effects on finances. Cloud storage is becoming a very common way to deal with this. It basically involves storing files in an offsite server for a fee akin to rent. This provides a high level of security and the surety of an experienced management team.
2. Network Administration
If a company makes extensive use of a local computer network, it's important to have a technician with the skills to manage that network. This can be expensive; network administrators demand a high salary for such an essential work function. A good IT solutions company will offer this as part of their package.
3. Security
Modern networks, especially those involved in commerce, are especially vulnerable to viruses and other attacks. New exploits and vulnerabilities are found daily, and it would behoove any company to keep their system updated in order to stay as secure as possible. Network security support keeps the system protected by using the essential security patches, detection software, and firewalls to keep important data safe.
4. Email Service
Email is an essential resource for any company, whether it is involved in e-commerce or simply internal company correspondence. Having somebody to manage this system is the best way to make sure an organization's communication infrastructure runs smoothly and securely.
These are all very important things to think about when trying to maintain a business in the modern age of the Internet. Though some companies can afford to have internal employees dedicated to their systems, it's often a better option to outsource these functions to an IT solutions company. For many, this is the most cost-effective and resource-efficient way to maintain a working IT infrastructure.

When searching for an IT solutions company, learn more by visiting http://www.teklinks.com/.

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How to Avoid a Computer Crash Disaster

Are you sure that your computer backup system is providing the results you want? Just because you have a back-up system in place doesn't mean it's necessarily set up to save everything you need backed up.
We've all heard many times that you must back up your computer files often and in several places. And that is absolutely a best business practice. But what you don't hear as often is that you need to check the data after the backup to make sure you have all the files you want to have backed up.
My Story - What I Did Wrong
I thought I was doing all the right things. I have a cloud backup service that backs up daily behind the scenes, and I also back up regularly to an external hard drive.
Then my computer hard drive crashed. It's never a matter of if, by the way, it's a matter of when it will crash!
Since I hadn't needed to access my backup files before the crash, I never checked to see what was actually in the backups. As it turned out, everything wasn't getting backed up like I thought it was. I hadn't checked with my cloud service to make sure I had it set up properly, nor had I checked the back-ups I was saving to my external hard drive to make sure files were being included correctly. Some of my files got backed up but not all.
Luckily, my computer tech guy was able to restore my files. But of course, there is still the worry I had before and during the time he was working on my computer, plus the added cost that I wouldn't have had to incur if I had done my backups correctly.
What I Did Right
Using an online email service is one thing I was doing right (and of course continue to do) that helped me get back some of my files. I could easily retrieve documents I had sent to people or ones they sent to me. That enabled me to continue work that I might not have been able to otherwise. It was a huge time saver and stress reducer since I didn't have to recreate the documents from scratch!
The other thing I did right was to work with a virtual assistant. I was sending her files to work on that I would have only had on my computer (and probably would have lost) had I not been working with her. But because I was, I had them in my email Sent folder.
Here's What You Should Do Right Now to Avoid the Problems I Faced:
Schedule regular back-ups (even daily if necessary) to several locations. You should have your files backed up to 3 different sources:
1. Use a cloud service that will save your files to their servers. The cost is well worth the peace of mind.
2. An external hard drive.
3. I also recommend backing up all your files to a flash drive or CD. I hadn't done this before the crash, but my tech guy gave me my restored files on a flash drive and I now intend to keep it as an extra back-up. But flash drives and CDs don't necessarily last forever so don't use them as your only back-up platform.
And you want to back up your entire system at least once a week. Windows version 7 or later comes with a built-in feature that will make a mirror image of your entire computer. Save that to your external hard drive (or even 2 hard drives to be really safe!).
Don't keep your external hard drive near your computer. In the event of a disaster such as a fire, you don't want them to be right next to each other or they'll both burn up!
Review your data after backing up to make sure all files are there. Make sure you understand the procedure for backing up with your service and/or device.
Consider working with a virtual assistant as an added measure of back-up. This is a good idea even not taking into consideration the back-up factor. Outsourcing is a great way to free up your time so you can focus on the revenue generating activities you do best to grow your business.
BONUS TIP: Don't forget to back up your website as well, especially after you have made any significant changes. There are several plug-ins that you can install for this, both free and paid. Search what is available and choose the one that best fits your needs.

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How to Buy a Wireless Router - Some Suggestions

It's no secret that wireless internet is becoming THE standard for connectivity of our favorite devices. Chances are that more electronics in your home are wireless than are not. Though there are definite advantages of hard-wired network connections, such as faster speeds, less interference, and better security.
But the advantages of wireless networking are almost better. You can connect nearly 250 wireless devices to a single router, place them anywhere in your home (within range) and these devices can be slimmer, sleeker and more portable than their Ethernet burdened buddies.
The device that make wireless networking possible is the router.
It has a few important jobs; one - it takes your internet signal and blasts it off wirelessly. It also manages traffic over the network so that multiple devices can use the network without there being a traffic jam. Your router also acts as a firewall, for your safety, and always includes administrative settings for network management.
So, choosing the correct router for your setup is incredibly important.
First of all, it's important to identify what kinds of devices you are going to connect to your network. Nearly everything is wireless these days; so be sure to think outside of the box for this. Will you be connecting cell phones? Tablets? Computers? How about smart TV's, blu-ray players, or game consoles? Google Chromecast or Apple TV's? Security systems? Printers?
Are you planning on adding any of those things to your network in the near future? That's important too! You are likely to have this router for around 5 years, so if you are planning to add electronics to your home, it is better to buy a better router.
OK, got your list?
What kind of activity happens on these things?
Just because a device is connected to the router doesn't mean that it's a large user of your bandwidth. Printers, for example, send and receive very small amounts of information over the network. Video streaming and online gaming use lots of bandwidth. If you have many devices used for higher bandwidth activities, you need to consider a higher end router.
Understanding Routers:
When you go to the store and look down the networking aisle, you'll see a TON of boxes. Routers are classified in a few ways: by their standard, which nowadays is either N or AC, and their bandwidth, which can be anywhere from 150mbps to 2400mbps. A typical router box will say something like "N300" which tells you that it is wireless networking standard N, and can handle 300mbps.
What Standard Should I Choose?
There are two popular standards nowadays - N and AC, with AC being the newer of the two. Over time, wireless standards have evolved, going from a to b, to G (many people still have G routers in their home), and now to N or AC. As we jump wireless standards, we get better range, faster speeds, and upgrades in security.
When choosing a standard, keep in mind that you will only reap the benefits of that standard if your devices have a wireless card operating on that standard. For example, if you have an N router but your laptop's wireless card only has a G-capable wireless card, you will only reach the capable speed of the G wireless card.
Devices 4 years or older will often have G-cards in them. Devices 1-4 years old will typically have N-capable wireless cards in them. Newer, higher-end devices will often have AC network cards in them.
If you have many new, high end electronics, it is worth it to get the AC router in order to take advantage of their higher end hardware.
All routers are backwards compatible, so even the best of the best AC routers will work with the oldest of old wireless devices.
How much bandwidth do I need?
As previously mentioned, routers are sold with bandwidth as low as 150mbps and as high as 2400mbps. The higher the number, the more data can be sent and received by the router at a time. So, typically, the more devices you have, and the more data intensive those devices are, the higher the bandwidth you want to select.
The bandwidth number is a good indicator of the performance of the router as well. Typically the higher the number, the better the processor inside the router and the higher the range of the router. For today's buyers, I recommend getting at least an N600 - it packs enough of a punch to support your devices, both current and future, and often provides enough range to cover an entire household.
Dual Band
An N600 Router is what we call a Dual Band Router. It means that the router is broadcasting internet signal over two different frequencies, the 2.4Ghz frequency and the 5ghz frequency.
The 2.4Ghz frequency is the most commonly used frequency for wireless internet. All routers broadcast on this frequency, as do other devices like walkie-talkies, home phones, and even microwaves. This is great because all devices know to look for internet signal on that frequency and use it. It's not so great because that frequency has a lot of traffic on it and is the most susceptible to interference and packet loss.
The second band broadcasted from a dual-band router is the 5ghz frequency. It is a lot less trafficked, and thus, a better frequency to connect your dual-band enabled devices to. Nearly all newer devices will be able to connect to the second band; especially smart-TVs and gaming systems. Having a dual-band router allows you to connect to this frequency and enjoy higher levels of performance on these devices.
So which Router Should I choose?
The best routers to choose from, in order of price are these:
Netgear N600 - $79.99
Asus N900 - $ 129.99
Netgear AC 1200 - $129.99
Netgear Nighthawk - $199.99
Netgear Triband - $299.99

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Let's Get Fantastically Lost in eLearning Navigation Design

I Know a Short-cut To Grandma's House, The eLearning Navigation Wolf Suavely Said...

Are you in the midst of designing an eLearning navigation structure for your courses and looking for REALISTIC ways to NOT scare your poor unsuspecting learners?

Not sure how to lead your learners down the narrow path that leads to eGlory, eSuccess and eXpensive toys?

We have scoured the web in search of ways to make eLearning navigation design quicker, more effective, and less of a mess.

If you are fed up with fantasy gobbledegook engineered to obfuscate, join us now as we ignore the Doublespeak and give you the bare-bone facts on how to wax your eLearning course navigation and YES, live happily ever after.

Auto advance and linear storytelling structures can only go so far. To truly care about the comprehension, retention, and achievements of students is to design eLearning courses that are easy to explore.

If content is King then eLearning navigation is the secret skeleton key to the entire on-the-job training kingdom.

Whether we refer to eLearning navigation as modern art or proven science, the fact remains that the map is not the territory and no amount of whining will make it so.

Without a clear step-by-step roadmap that learners can easily follow, all the blood sweat and overtime is for naught.

Picture this: You're late for a meeting in an unfamiliar part of town. Suddenly your trusty GPS and mobile phone goes dead. In desperation you fumble underneath the seats and pull out a tattered map book.

Your spirit lifts and as it is about to soar, you realise it's the 2001 edition and utterly useless. What do you do? How will you find your way? How will you let your client know that you will be late?

Luckily, in real life, you can pull into the nearest petrol station and buy a new map, or at the very least, ask for directions to your intended destination. In the developing world of eLearning navigation and digital content design, there are no clever devices or friendly attendants. If you or your learners get lost in a dodgy part of the course, you stay lost.

To remedy this means to provide your learners with a foolproof structure that allows them to focus on the actual content instead of wasting time attempting to find that sweet "you are here" spot.

When we have a reliable vehicle and know where we are headed, the journey can be planned and we are more confident to stop along the way to admire the sights.

Think of your course style and structure as a fully kitted out 4x4 ready to conquer unknown horizons. First you need to ensure that your vehicle is mechanically sound and tough enough to handle a bit of bundu bashing, should the need arise.

Once your vehicle is tuned, it's time to pack and kick off. But to where?

What good is a rough and ready mudslinging machine if you have no destination in mind and did not bother to plan a route? Sure, adventure is afoot, but what if you had a class of students with you in the car?

In eLearning navigation design and styling, the final destination (your objective) is as important as the pit-stops (their progress markers) along the way.

The royal road to successful eLearning course navigation relies on knowing your audience and tailoring every aspect of your presentation into a vivid and memorable experience.

Rushing through a linear time-line and simply dumping data is tempting fate and will not lead to positive outcomes.

The best strategy to effective course flow and design is to weigh the PROs and CONs of each navigation model and customize your approach according to the learners you are attempting to reach.

1. Next/ Back Navigation

PRO - The Next/Back eLearning navigation structure is the simplest and most widely deployed navigation structure in all of digital navigation-dom. The premise and operation is as simple as watching a slideshow. Follow the arrows and click 'next' to proceed or click 'back' to return to the previous slide.

CON - Next/Back navigation is a fantastic way to keep the attention of learners focused, but without mixing it up with other navigation styles you'll end up with a pretty unimaginative and devastatingly boring course. Sure, we all love that back button, but the point is to move forward, so use this design and layout sparingly.

2. Horizontal Bar

PRO - The Horizontal bar is a classic mainstay of digital learning and one of the most popular eLearning navigation styles. Normally found at the top or bottom of the screen, the bar allows for secondary drop-down menus and helps learners to find their way in milliseconds.

CON - The Horizontal bar structure may be ideal for short and simple eLearning courses and material, but it can only display a limited number of main options, which makes it a no-no for more complex and comprehensive instruction.

3. Vertical Column

PRO - The Vertical style (aka sidebar navigation) is a golden oldie and is still a favourite with most of the major eLearning authoring platforms like Articulate Presenter, Storyline, Lectora, and Adobe Captivate (and, ahem, our own KnowHow LMS). By default, the menu is positioned as a column on the left side of the screen and can also be loaded with sub-menu items and links.

If you were wondering why you're not likely to encounter a vertical menu on the right side, check out this interesting usability study done on the differences between a column on the right vs. a menu on the left.

CON - The side-bar layout's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. A plethora of sub-menu links can easily confuse learners. Menu items should be kept to only essential info relevant to the lesson at hand.

4. Tabbed Navigation

PRO - As the name says, this navigation structure consists of tabs lined up in a bar or stacked in a column. When learners click on a tab, the content appears either on the side or below. This style gives you more space for content and enables learners to swiftly access info without leaving the page.

The fact that most adult learners are already familiar with 'analogue' tabs in binders, notebooks and filing systems is also a big bonus as this makes navigation intuitive.

CON - To be able to offer your learners tabbed content means you need some serious design and/or coding skills to make them work. Depending on the design, a string of tabs could easily take up quite a bit of space. Stacking tabs on top of each other in a column layout and can also lead to confusion as most people are used to the 'intuitive' side by side tab structure.

5. Breadcrumb Navigation

PRO - The Breadcrumb navigation style hails from the imaginative realm of fairy stories and is most often incorporated as secondary structure. In the same manner that Hansie and Grietjie (Hansel and Gretel) relied on a trail of crumbs to find a way back home, the breadcrumb structure lets learners know exactly where they are and where to go next.

A list of secondary 'quick-link' navigation items enable learners to switch between the home page and chapters without getting lost (or eaten by a reclusive witch with a baking problem).

CON - Breadcrumbs are powerful tools when correctly deployed and should be reserved for info-packed lessons with a clear and categorised structure. The more knowledge you have to impart, the better breadcrumbs will work, but as ever, be wary of confusing learners with too much info and not enough insight.

6. Grid Style Kung Fu

PRO - The Grid eLearning navigation style is best suited for visually driven content. Information is presented via appealing images and placed in a series of boxes or tables. This structure presents the content in an aesthetically pleasing and uncluttered format and allows learners the opportunity to easily achieve greater retention.

CON - If your subject matter allows for vivid imagery then the Grid layout will make your content look awesome, but... But text-based content in a box quickly gets boring and cumbersome. A balance between words and pictures is the holy grail you are searching for. Especially if you are one of those rebellious 'creative' types who believe imagination is the key to all learning.

And... the end.

Congratulations! You now know the six sharpest and smartest ways to help your learners navigate, explore and discover your curricula.

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the way to a learners mind is through the imaginative faculties of the right brain! Our humble advice is to keep it simple, creative, relevant, and real.

Don't forget to remember that it's not what you are teaching; it's what they are learning...

Dan is a writer and the Creative Director of The KnowHow Hub. Read more at http://www.knowhowelearning.com

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