Merry Christmas!

Wishing The The Happiest of Holidays! To your family from ours at The Technology Coach! 2010 Was a VERY exciting year for us, both professionally and personally. Siobhan and I welcomed our first child Saoirse Kendall Born Sept. 20th. If you'd like to see pictures (and who doesn't!) of our new baby, find us on facebook and we'll be happy to "friend" you. While you're there why not check out our facebook fanpage, full of tips and tricks we include our Blog entries and any news on our facebook pages. Social Media Marketing is a very powerful tool and we'd love to help you explore how it can help your business, just ask! As if 2010 wasn't busy enough it was also our first year operating as an incorporated company, if you'd like to hear about why we made the decision to incorporate after 7 years in business just send us an email, we'd be happy to tell you about why we made the decision and the professionals we involved to help us through it! Last but not least the end of 2010 also marked the beginning of our new branding, with the name change on the horizon for early 2011 we've already registered our new domain, thrown up a temporary place holder website and created new email addresses for myself (scott@outhouseit.com). Keep your eyes peeled and ears open for more exciting news on the launch of Outhouse I.T. Inc, Where our mission is to provide small businesses with a full service, cost effective alternative to an in house I.T. Department.   And now for our gift to you, our loyal customers and friends, this months technology tip is about creating an out of office email message to automatically let others know you are away from the office during the holidays, you'll find details here on our Blog. As many of us wind down for the Holiday Season. We're reminded at this time of year of the importance of family, taking some time for ourselves and enjoying the rest of life as much as we enjoy running our businesses! Again a sincere Happy Holidays from our family to yours and all the best in 2011!

IT Key To Cutting Costs For Small Businesses

Businesses focus on reducing costs with IT

Nearly three-quarters of small businesses consider IT to be a key driver in helping reduce the costs of operations, according to research firm Techaisle.

The top three IT initiatives for small businesses are:

*Migrating from older technologies

*Maintaining and improving current IT infrastructure

*Developing and implementing new IT applications

In terms of implementing new IT applications, these small businesses are increasingly  moving towards virtualization, business intelligence and collaboration. Over 30% of small businesses are either actively investigating or investing in these technologies.

Improving workforce productivity and improving effectiveness of sales and marketing are also on the agenda of small businesses to address increased competitiveness, slow economy, and uncertainty. To improve effectiveness of sales and marketing, nearly 36% of small businesses are investing in improved email marketing campaigns, 28% are looking at Google Adwords and 21% are looking at Facebook advertising.

"Vendors who focus on IT as driver for operational savings will succeed as operating costs reduction is what SBs want from IT,”said Anurag Agrawal, Techaisle.

“Small businesses are the prime candidates for the Consumerization of IT where they are pushing increased automation through pervasive computing, improved productivity through collaboration, and efficient sales and marketing using latest social media capabilities.”

Don't get scammed online, be careful!

What is Phishing?
Phishing is when someone tries to trick you into revealing your personal information like user names, passwords, or PIN by pretending to be someone they're not. It usually happens through email, but can also happen through instant messaging or by telephone or sms Text message when someone asks you to provide or confirm your personal information.

Avoiding Phishers.
It's a good idea to open up a browser window and type in your banking website directly into the address bar of the browser instead of copying and pasting (or clicking on) links from emails. A link in an email may take you to a site that looks like your backing site, but isn't. Most banking sites won't ask you to click on links in email communications for your protection.

Change your PIN sometimes.
If you're worried that your account may have been compromised, a great step you can take right away is to log in and change your PIN. Follow these easy steps to change your PIN online:

It's okay to blow the whistle.
If you ever receive a suspicious email or call, don't provide any personal or sensitive information and get in touch with your bank immediatley to follow up on the inquiry.

Why Your Business Needs To Get Involved in Social Marketing

Getting your customers to speak about product / services through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Squido, Myspace, LinkedIn etc. can be one of the most successful guerrila marketing initiatives in today’s online world. When visitors see positive things said about your company and/or your product it also helps improve the credibility of your company. This credibility element will be manifested when more and more of your customers speak about your product quality through the social network platform.What is the big deal about being endorsed in the public domain by members of social marketing sites? Well think about it for a second – usually business controls what is said about them by way of push advertising. By building a positive social marketing persona your business is apt to receive more positive publicity because the remarks are viewed more as ‘honest’ feedback about your products and services.Here is some of the ways that you can be found through Social Networking.. Facebook & Other Social Networking Sites After creating your profile in Facebook and other social networking sites (like Linked In) you can join several of the networks organized by city, workplace, school and region. These networks help users connect with members of the same group and connect with friends and share your interests, hobbies, links, exchange messages etc.Community members share their opinion on a certain product they have used and this offers a great business marketing opportunity. Through these networking sites you have other people sell your products indirectly by making favorable comments about your product. After all, people will trust the opinion of one man they know more than the opinion of 20 other people they are not familiar with. With millions of people as members, these social networking sites are virtual communities and offer a platform where people can promote their business.Social networking sites like these are the place where you can create a buzz. Advertising Copy Losing Credibility What is your service or product? What is the message you want to get across? Too often clients have creative sites that don’t really say much about their business. There should be a balance between creativity and getting your message across. What makes you different? What is your value proposition? Your message combined with strong color psychology will convey to the user your company’s strengths and invoke the right emotion. Only you know exactly what your company stands for — creating the same message should be the core function when building your own website. Social Networks Driving Purchase Decisions More and more people rely on the opinions and favorable product reviews done by others in the selection of goods and services. Social networking sites are a very key contributor to cementing the opionions of a given product or service.With social networking sites reporting a surge in the number of followers each day these will soon become the focal point of any product marketing initiative by business owners. Business that is wondering about the way of tomorrow — hope you are reading!

Canadian Government launches ad campaign promoting tax relief for businesses pruchasing new computer equipment

Canadian Government launches ad campaign promoting tax relief for businesses pruchasing new computer equipment

Ottawa, Ontario, October 20, 2010… The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, is pleased to announce the launch of the Government of Canada's advertising campaign promoting the 100% capital cost allowance rate for computers.

Minister Ashfield reminds Canadian business owners that they have until January 31, 2011, to acquire new eligible computer hardware, including systems software, in order to claim 100% of the capital cost allowance.
"We know it is important for Canadian businesses to remain competitive in today's changing world," said Minister Ashfield. "That's why our Government brought in measures like this one, and many others in Canada's Economic Action Plan. These temporary measures will help Canadian businesses through this challenging economic time, and make sure they have the tools they need for the future."

Announced in Canada's Economic Action Plan, this temporary tax relief measure allows Canadian businesses to claim a 100% capital cost allowance deduction for eligible computer hardware, including systems software, acquired after January 27, 2009, and before midnight, January 31, 2011.

Minister Ashfield is urging Canadian businesses to take advantage of all of the available tax relief measures the Canada Revenue Agency administers.

For more information on tax cuts for businesses, go to www.cra.gc.ca/taxcuts.

Before You Buy a Computer: Should You Get a Consumer or Business Class PC?

An important consideration when buying a computer for work purposes is whether you should purchase a consumer model or a computer specifically designed for business. Many computer manufacturers offer what appear to be the same computer make and model in both their home and business divisions, but they are actually not the same computer. Here's what you need to know about the differences between consumer and business grade PCs, and which kind you should get for your home or mobile office.

Percent of Business vs. Personal Use

First determine how often you will be using the computer for business use. If you telecommute infrequently (e.g., only during rare severe weather), then a consumer class PC should be just fine -- provided the computer has the appropriate applications and resources for your job, of course. Likewise, if you'll be using it 90% for personal entertainment and only 10% for work, a consumer computer may be more fitting.

Computers sold to consumers usually cost less than business PCs, and since they're sold everywhere, including Best Buy and Walmart, you can pick up a consumer computer very quickly and easily.

Durability and Reliability

For more dedicated or serious work use, invest in a business class computer, which offers more value in the long run than the consumer counterpart. Business computers are built to last, with higher quality components that are tested more rigorously. Parts used for consumer computers may be more generic or even cheap, while computers designed for professional use more often include higher grade materials and name-brand parts. This emphasis on durability means that a business class laptop or desktop you buy now should last you several years.

Business-Appropriate Features

Business grade computers offer more features for professional work, such as fingerprint readers, remote desktop control software, and encryption tools. The professional operating system version that comes on business PCs is also more suited for workers than the home version; Windows 7 Professional, for example, has features -- which Windows 7 Starter and Home editions do not have -- for easily joining a corporate network and using Windows XP software. If you're not convinced yet, consider this: business PCs typically don't include the crapware and "limited time trials" that bog down so many consumer PCs.

Service and Warranty

Finally, business computer systems come with better support options and may be more easily supported by your IT department as well. The default warranty on business computers is usually double or longer than those on consumer models. Business users also tend to get priority support, via a dedicated support line, and you can opt for on-site tech support available within hours rather than having to send in your computer for repair, which could take weeks.

Closing Thoughts

Business class computers are designed to reflect and support companies' critical reliability and performance needs. If you're buying a laptop or desktop PC to make money (i.e., for work), invest in one designed for business users and the investment should pay off in terms of better reliability, easier troubleshooting, and more professional features. If you find a consumer model that you're interested in, check if the manufacturer offers a similar model in its business division.

Inkjet or Laser, which is the most cost effective printer technology for your small business?

The Science Behind Page Counts, Cartridge Yields and The 5% Rule!

Everyone wants to make the right decisions when buying printing supplies. Reliability, print quality, print speed and ease of use typically are the most important considerations, but comparing costs is also very important.  You want products that deliver on their promise!

What Is Printer Yield?

Customers are becoming increasingly aware of the cost of owning and operating their printers and multifunction products (MFPs). The cost of consumable supplies such as toner cartridges or solid ink sticks is a major component of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for a printer or MFP. The per-page cost of printing is driving many printer and MFP purchase decisions today, as these costs can be combined with print volume and print coverage assumptions to give companies a reasonable estimate of the monthly and annual TCO for a specific printer or MFP.

In the past, printer and MFP original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) used different, proprietary methods for testing and reporting consumable yields. This made factual and accurate comparisons of products from differing manufacturers impossible. Reporting was traditionally done using “5% area coverage,” but that did not guarantee comparable results because many other testing variables affect the stated yield, including:

• Page size and margin settings
• Image types used to create 5% area coverage
• Number of cartridges used during testing process
• Number of printers/MFPs used during testing process
• Environmental testing conditions (humidity, temperature, and so on)
• Lack of stated confidence level for published consumable yield

Any variation in these factors during the testing process can cause significant differences in reported yields. The development of an industry standard method for testing and reporting consumables yields has helped eliminate these inconsistencies, and gives customers the reliable information they need to make their technology buying decisions.  Thus, almost all manufacturers now support industry standards such as those set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The International Standards

The ISO and IEC have adopted a standard for black-and-white devices – ISO/IEC 19752 – which is described as a “method for the determination of toner cartridge yield for monochromatic electrophotographic printers and multifunction devices that contain printer components.”   Black-and-white printers and MFPs reporting toner yields under ISO/IEC 19752 use the following explanation: Toner Cartridge Yield: Average XX,XXX standard pages (declared yield in accordance with ISO/IEC 19752. Yield will vary based on image, area coverage and print mode).

ISO/IEC 19798 is a similar standard that has been adopted for color laser devices. ISO/IEC 19798 is described as “a method
for the determination of toner cartridge yield for color printers and multifunction devices that contain printer components.”  Reporting format is as follows: Average Continuous CMYK Yield: XX,XXX pages, or Average Continuous CMY Yield: XX,XXX pages and
Average Continuous Black Yield: XX,XXX pages (if the black Yield is different than color - such as where a printer has a larger capacity black cartridge).

ISO/IEC 24711 is another standard that has been adopted for inkjet and solid ink devices. ISO/IEC 24711 is described as “a method for determination of ink cartridge yield for color inkjet printer and multifunction devices that contain printer components.” Reporting format is similar to ISO/IEC 19798 shown above. Different implementations of color tables and color balance optimization among manufacturers can lead to yield variations between color cartridges, even if they have the same toner weight. To account for this, ISO supports a second reporting method called “composite yield,” allowing a single average reporting yield for Cyan, Magenta and Yellow toner cartridges. Black is reported separately as an individual yield.  Average Continuous Composite CMY Yield: XX,XXX pages. Average Black Continuous Yield: XX,XXX pages.

ISO/IEC 19752, ISO/IEC CD 19798, and IS0/IEC 24711 specify the use of a standard test page for black-and-white and multiple test pages for color products, explicit testing procedures, statistical sampling, environmental controls and well defined cartridge end-of-life status.

ISO Standard Methods

Because of ISO's explicit test procedures, the ISO standards are the only standardized rigorous method for determining toner & ink cartridge yield for laser, color, and ink jet printers. Some of their key features are:

• Using A Standard test document:
  Use of a standard page printed with printer default settings. This ensures that settings remain consistent across different tests, independent of platform or paper size. The document uses 5% coverage as its basis for comparison.  (see photo of document at right)
• Number of cartridges tested:
  Nine of each cartridge are tested, allowing reliable estimates of lowest predicted yield with 95% confidence.
• Source for cartridges:
  Cartridges and printers are purchased on the open market from three different sources. This ensures the cartridges tested are representative of those available to customers and ensures lot variation.
• Clear, objective, end-of-life criterion:
  Determines cartridge yield through measurements that establish an end-of-life criterion based on usable pages and that reflect the manufacturers' recommendations on how cartridges should be handled as they approach their end of life (for example, how many times they should be shaken).
• Number of printers:
  Cartridges are tested on three different printers (three cartridges on each printer) to avoid bias due to printer variability.
• Controlled environment:
  Printing environment is controlled and consistent because temperature and humidity variations affect cartridge yield.
• Objectivity:
  Because of worldwide and industry-wide participation, this reflects objectivity in developing a reliable and rigorous standard.

The ISO/IEC standards allow for objective comparisons of stated toner or ink yields for different printers or MFPs, regardless
of the manufacturer. Many customers use consumable yield information to estimate the toner life they can expect to
experience with their particular use and printer, and the manufacturer's adherence to these ISO/IEC standards enables this comparison.  But, it is important to note that the yield is a comparative statistic, and not a real world prediction of the final results. The number of pages that any user will get for their own printer will depend on a variety of factors, with page coverage (square inches of printing, density, and quality settings) having the highest impact. Research has shown that the industry average black-and-white page coverage is between 4% and 5%. There is an inverse relationship between page coverage and toner/ink yield — the lower the page coverage, the more pages
the toner/ink will print. Conversely, higher coverage pages result in fewer printed pages.

Cartridge yield - Things To Consider

As we indicated in this Guide, many factors affect cartridge yield. These include:

• Coverage of the printed document - how much toner is printed on the page. Values are usually based on 5% (page of text) coverage.
• Temperature and humidity.
• Age Of Cartridge.
• Toner "Hopper" or Ink Reservoir Design.
• Drum or Print Head Design.
• Storage prior to use.
• End Of Life Actions (such as shaking).

Q&A On Printer Yield

Q: Can I get the published yield for my specific printer?

A: Unfortunately No. The standards just ensure that the stated printed page yields of different printers are comparable, not what you will actually get (unless you only print thousands of the ISO test page!).  Also, the yield page number is not a guaranty that users will get
the declared yields in their own printer (as page coverage has the highest impact on actual yields). User applications running at approximately 5% page coverage under normal office operating conditions can expect on average to experience yields that are fairly close to the ISO declared yields.  Home users though may not get anything close, since home printing tends to be much more high coverage graphics, which reduces yields dramatically.

Q: What are the factors that will impact the user's yields the most?

A: The most important factor affecting yield is page coverage.  It is not unusual for office or home usage to run above or below that 5% average (for example, if you print a webpage with the Print Background Graphics option on, you could be printing 80%+ coverage). In general, pages with significant dark, shaded, or colored areas (logos or pictures) or a large amount of fine print will generate area coverage much higher than 5%. Other factors that
can reduce cartridge yield include: higher temperature or higher humidity levels where the printer operates (in laser printers, high humidity can cause clinging or clumping of the toner, and in inkjet can cause evaporation or clogging of the print jets), and using a higher print resolution setting (which causes more dots to be printer per inch resulting in higher density).  Color coverage varies by product class, but is generally much higher than black-and-white products. Letter/A4-size color printers and MFPs can have average page coverages in the 7 to 15% range (depending on the application and mix between color and black-and-white documents). Tabloid/A3-size color printers and MFPs tend to drive higher
color page coverages in the range of 10 to 30% in office environments. In graphic arts environments, average color page coverages can increase to the 40 to 60% range. In the home, coverage can be even higher since home users tend to be less aware of options and use best quality regardless of need.