High Flying Technology

A Bicoastal Blog by Small Business Network Management Experts

Posts Tagged WingSwept

Beware of Emails from the IRS. Scam alert!

Jan 27

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology News, Technology Tips | No Comments

WingSwept and Clever Ducks would like to warn you about the a identity theft scheme that is being accompanied by tax season.  The newest scheme developed by identity thieves is to send an e-mail posing as the IRS.

One version of the scam IRS messages has victims receiving an e-mail advising they did not report all of their income to the IRS.  The recipient is then asked to download an attachment which the scammer claims is a portion of their most recent tax return.  When the attachment is downloaded, the victim’s computer has acquired a virus.

Another similar scam plays on a victim’s fear of being audited by the IRS.  A bogus information form is sent to the victim by e-mail who is told they must complete and return it.  If the victim does not complete the form, the scammer will then threaten them with levy penalties and interest.

In order to avoid the newest scam this tax season, it is important to remember one thing:  The IRS uses the US Postal Service to contact taxpayers—they never use e-mail.

Read more about the article this blog entry is based on.

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Prevent Your Computer From Failing

Dec 2

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology Tips | No Comments

Let your computer serve you longer by taking care of it. Make sure it does not have unecessary software on it, which take up space and may slow your PC down. If you are sure you don’t need a certain program anymore, you can go to your “Start” menu, to your computer’s “Control Panel”, and then to “Add or Remove Programs”. find that program that is no longer being used and select it to be removed.

Another way to keep your PC healthy, is to protect it from threats. Are you up-to-date on your anti-virus software? The wrong virus can not only slow down your computer, but can stop it dead in its tracks. If you are in the WingSwept or Clever Ducks area, contact them to see how they can help protect your business and extend the life of your technology equipment. Visit their websites today: http://network.wingswept.com and www.cleverducks.com.

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A Tip to Help Extend Your PC’s life

Nov 18

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology Tips | No Comments

Although there is no definitive answers to the life span of desktop PC, there are definite ways to increase your PCs performance and help extends its life. One way is to use a surge protector. It helps prevent the sensitive components of a computer from being adversely affected by fluctuation in power of lightning strikes.

Hope this information brought to you by WingSwept  and Clever Ducks is helpful!

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What Small Businesses Need to Know About Hard Disk Failure

Oct 12

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology News | No Comments

What Small Businesses Need to Know About Hard Disk Failure

WingSwept and Clever Ducks found that this study done by Google to be informative and useful to those interested in hard disk failures. Google only released some of their results, but three major conclusions are below. To read an article about this study click here.

The Surprising Truth about Temperature!

 Despite what most believe, high operating temperatures aren’t the worst things to happen to your system. Disk failures are more common in LOW temperature environments.

Tracking Performance

Google found that tracking four specific SMART counters (scan errors, reallocation count, offline reallocation, and probational count) were clearly associated with subsequent hard disk failures. But, they also found that more than HALF of the failed drives in its sample of over 100,000 disk drives showed no problems in these four categories before failure occurred.

Does Age Matter?

This is one thing Google could not pin-point in their study. There seems to be a slightly higher failure rate during the first three months; disks that survive this burn-in period are then uniformly reliable for around a year. The manufacturer of a three year-old drive has a bigger impact on reliability than the fact that the drive is three years old. Unfortunately, Google was unwilling to share WHICH manufacturers they found to be the most reliable.

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Managing Technologies in Uncertain Economic Times

Sep 15

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology News | No Comments

The current economic downturn has challenged many business owners to re-evaluate existing business models, operational efficiencies, and capital expenditures.  Many forward thinking organizations are finding unique opportunities and looking past near-term challenges to position themselves for success when market conditions calm and return to vibrancy.

 Doing More With Less

A critical role information technology firms play in uncertain economic times is to help clients manage costs and identify inefficiencies.  Taking advantage of technologies that are already owned can create returns through reduced management costs, more effective compliance with regulations, and increased efficiencies in operational execution.  Cost savings and efficiencies free cash flow for investments and capital expenditures that competitors may not be positioned to leverage.

Clever Ducks and WingSwept apply best practice solutions that are unique and optimized to our specific customer’s needs.  IT is not a one size fits all business and through investments in technology and people we are able to deliver unique strategic solutions, exceptional customer service, and timely technical support. 

 In 2008 Gartner released a study of the total annual cost of ownership of workstations and laptops in an unmanaged environment versus a managed environment.  The study took into account all direct (hardware, software, support consumables, network-related costs, facilities, and administration) and indirect costs (downtime, suboptimal functioning, user-induced problems, user-to-user support costs, non-business computer usage, time spent customizing desktops, time spent researching technology purchases, getting quotes, and dealing with vendor problems).  The cost savings on a well managed workstation was nearly $2,500 annually while the savings on a laptop was nearly $3,000.   These are real cost savings for companies, achieved by minimizing time spent by employees trying to make their systems work, minimizing downtime, and extending the life of equipment through proper maintenance. Ultimately, as the Gartner study show, well managed technology not only saves money, but provides you the freedom to manage your business.

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Managed Services Offer Stability in a Rocky Economy

Jul 14

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Managed Services | No Comments

The economy is causing most all businesses to tighten up spending, only spending on products and services they find necessary to the running of their business.  WingSwept and Clever Ducks, as managed services providers, are in a position to provide its valued service to small and medium sized businesses that can’t afford internal IT staff.  Experts predict that the managed services industry will continue to grow in spite of, or perhaps as a result of the recent changes in the economy. In tough economic times, WingSwept and Clever Ducks offer to handle all or most of a company’s IT needs from a remote location at a monthly fixed cost that is attractive and affordable to those in need of a dependable network. Read more here.

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Understanding your Blackberry- One Tip at a Time

Jul 8

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology Tips | No Comments

We know how connected most people are to their blackberry. It’s an important business tool to many people, and WingSwept and Clever Ducks want to make being connected even easier for you by supplying you tips for your blackberry on a regular basis. First and foremost…Stop Paying to Use 411!

Install the program Beyond411 to get FREE instant access to yellow pages, white pages PLUS you get straight to Google, movie times, weather and an encyclopedia. You will impress your friends with the knowledge of a concierge at your fingertips. Plus the results are formatted to fit the Blackberry. Go to this website for full instructions: Click here   or you can dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411). Look out for the next blackberry tip coming soon.

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Information Technology Consulting Firms Develop Synergy for Best Results

Jun 13

Posted by Jay Strickland in General, Press Releases | No Comments

June 13, 2009 –WingSwept and Clever Ducks are companies very similar in nature but find themselves across the country from one another, which make them ideal partners for cooperative action. The founders of both companies met and hit it off in a Heartland Technology Groups peer group where resources and advice are exchanged. WingSwept and Clever Ducks decided to move beyond the occasional conference and phone call and emails, by sending WingSwept’s head of marketing, Molly Moore, all the way from Garner, NC to the Clever Ducks nest in San Luis Obispo, CA.

WingSwept and Clever Ducks not only share the same market niche providing reliable technology solutions to SMB market, but also strive to grant their clients the utmost satisfaction. Both companies work in a creative team environment, and work to provide clients with peace of mind and efficiency through maintained networks.

“Help from an outside source that completely understands what we are trying to do is exciting but rare. Sharing ideas makes us both stronger,” says Amy Kardel, COO of Clever Ducks.  “It is an efficient and effective way to make a difference in our business and for our clients.”

By pairing up with other organizations outside of each other’s competitive range, best practices for businesses are shared and collaborative thinking is constant and on-going. This business model can be applied in any industry, but mutual company integrity and open communication is required for success. Due to the economy, there is no better time to make cost-conscious and creative decisions to positively impact business results.

“This transfer was a unique and advantageous decision for both companies. We ultimately were exchanging expertise, because I was able to learn from Clever Ducks while providing them with a fresh prospective on their material,” says Molly Moore, WingSwept’s head of marketing. “The success of this trip and our combined desire to develop world-class companies in our respective markets will allow for a platform for continued collaboration well into the future”.

ABOUT WINGSWEPT

WingSwept consists of two companies that provide full-service information technology consulting focused on interactive media and essential technology systems. WingSwept Communications and WingSwept Technologies currently have offices in North Carolina and Virginia. Their staff of more than 25 serves a diverse set of clients in all 50 states and around the world. WingSwept’s services focus on the areas of government services, network support, web application development and vertical marketing. The companies maintain separate divisions with dedicated staff for Web/database development and information technology consulting.  WingSwept Communications was established in 2000, followed by the incorporation of WingSwept Technologies in 2002 by its president, Jay Strickland. For more information on WingSwept’s services, please visit our Web site at www.wingswept.com.

ABOUT CLEVER DUCKS

Clever Ducks is a professional IT services company, located in San Luis Obispo, California offering a proven service portfolio for clients looking for simple monitoring solutions to complete outsourced IT. Since 1992, Clever Ducks has put its clients ahead of their competition and in charge of their data with reliable and efficient information technology solutions.  Their team uses innovative technologies to manage applications, desktops, servers, and networks so they run effortlessly and securely for a fixed monthly fee. For more information call 805.543.1930 or visit www.cleverducks.com.

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