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Use strong passwords instead of default or simple one. Passwords should not be shared nor be written down.

Considering a new website? Not sure how to move forward with so many choices? Let’s debunk some of the common myths… 1. Why do I still need to pay if there are free website services? There are quite a lot of free website builder offerings - or so-called “free website services”. Once you sign up, you'll start discovering the limitations and the many hidden costs. You'll also realize that they aren't entirely free at all, and it would be difficult as you'll then find it challenging to move your website data to a paid service instead. Users end up paying more in the development process. Bear in mind; there is no such thing as a free lunch. 2. Once a site is built, it's finished. It's typical when it comes to creating a website; people consider web development as a one-time project. However, the process of creating a website should be ongoing, continually updating, and improving. A site is as much a human being in many ways, as it needs constant care to stay functional and alive. Apart from web hosting , your site needs to stay updated with content, plugins, security extensions, removing bugs, and any emergency errors fixed, etc. Regular maintenance and support is the only way to ensure your site can run normally and flawlessly. 3. Commercial websites are expensive Not necessarily. Development costs are dependent on the complexity of your website. More, it might cause extra effort if there are adding functions or features requested. Ask your service provider or contact us for a free quote . There is always a solution to feature up your site, and there is no hidden cost to surprise you as you will notice the development cost before the project kick-started. 4. Rich content leads to a good search experience Without a doubt, “content is king”, however, it might also lead to high bounce rates without considering structured information even if there is quality content. As users face information overload, they may lose focus or have less patience in browsing your site in search of relevant information. Without structuring your site's content, it could decrease usability and introduce navigation problems. 5. Content is not as important as design in web development Using dummy content or fake information within the web design process is common. Most of us believe that content can be implemented immediately once the website is complete. Apparently YES, however, “lorem ipsum” can result in products with unrealistic assumptions and potentially serious design. Build a website with copywritten content could help deliver improved content as a whole; otherwise, it’s more decorative than design. 6. Responsive web design is optional Absolutely not optional. Having a responsive website isn't a novelty anymore, but a must due to the modern use of multiple sized screens. If your website isn't mobile-friendly, your rank will start to drop within Google's mobile search results. “Starting April 21st 2015, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact on our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high-quality search results that are optimised for their devices.” Google had made this clear since 2015. Would you like to learn more about web development and how it can benefit your business? Thinking of our maintenance and support plan for your site? Our team is happy to answer any of your questions, let's get started on your website, contact us at +852 3622-8500 .

Every business, no matter the size, should put its employees’ well-being and productivity at its core. After all, it’s the driving force that propels your business to grow. Adapting to small changes can significantly improve the levels of engagement and productivity in your workplace. One of these changes is moving to a cloud-based system when it comes to your software. And when the cloud is mentioned, Microsoft 365 can’t be far behind. In line with taking advantage of using technology to improve your operations, Office 365 offers more than just a set of nifty tools, it’s basically a new and innovative way of working. With this, we’ve listed the top reasons why you should consider using Office 365 for your business: 1. Easy Access Office 365 allows you to work anywhere and at any given time, as long as you have an internet connection. Being completely cloud-based, these tools allow you to access your e-mail, files, and the rest of the Microsoft Office Programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) from any location, and any device. This is just one of the biggest pros of Office 365, as this is highly beneficial to companies or organizations with remote employees in multiple locations. If you’re subscribed to a plan that includes the desktop version of Microsoft Office, the software can also be installed up to five devices per user. Talk about mobility. 2. Reduced Operational Expenses As a subscription-based service , Office 365 entails an annual or monthly fee. This gets rid of the hefty upfront costs for purchasing new software, as you’re leasing vs. buying. This also positively impacts IT costs from capital to operating expenses. With Office 365, you have the power and the option to switch off services that you don’t use. In addition, a monthly subscription enables you to cut costs and spend your savings on other operational expenses. 3. No more licensing issues! Going through software licenses is a challenge for business owners. You might overlook these details when one employee is using an older version, while the others are using a newer version of the software. As a key decision-maker, it’s your goal to bring everyone up to speed by working using the same version of your toolset. You don’t even have to go over this hurdle with an Office 365 subscription. This cloud-based system includes all licensing requirements, and it can be deployed company-wide. This means everyone has the same version of Microsoft Office, and all users will get upgrades at the same time. 4. Collaborate seamlessly. Fostering a collaborative environment is one of the workplace goals a leader must accomplish. With Office 365, this is highly attainable as anyone who needs to contribute or edit a document can work at the same time, and apply real-time changes, versus having multiple versions of the said file. This basically means everyone gets the same version of the truth! The subscription also allows your team direct access to multiple files rather than attaching them to e-mails. What’s even better is Office 365’s permission to restore files into older versions, in case changes have to be reverted. 5. Advanced Security Features In contrast to the misconception that cloud isn’t safe, Office 365 is as safe as any on-premise system. It largely depends on how cautiously you use it, and on the security measures, you practice per your IT usage policies. Office 365 guarantees its subscribers a fail-proof built-in security system for safekeeping your company’s data. Office 365 has clear and definite pros for boosting your business productivity. It revolves around the aspects of enhancing your team’s collaborative abilities, enhancing workplace mobility, and ensuring your data security. Indeed, Office 365 provides business solutions that go above and beyond the installed version of Microsoft Office.

Does it have to directly contribute to financial gains or employee engagement? Whether it’s financial or non-financial, an ideal business benefit should be an outcome of an action or decision that contributes to achieving business objectives. These actions involve investing in tools that could boost employee performance and productivity. And when it comes to productivity, Microsoft’s Office 365 is top of mind. This includes Teams, the suite’s messaging app. We’ve listed down the top reasons why using Teams as your official messaging app is the best tool for streamlined communication in the workplace. Share everything in a common space. Apart from its messaging features, Microsoft Teams has all the components of Office 365 integrated into one common space. This means that everyone can all review a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet at the same time, as everything in the Office Suite is brought together, and can be viewed in the Teams app. Highly Customizable Teams can be tailored to meet your unique business needs. It gives you platforms with options for extensibility and open APIs, with general availability. With added support from Microsoft, your company will be able to create and customize the applications and other services to integrate with Microsoft Teams. Scheduling Features Virtual meetings are a cost-effective and vital platform for today’s businesses. In Teams, you can view your scheduled meetings, time, agenda, and the attendees. You also have the option to do a video call, text, or go for a voice call. These features are also available in the mobile app for both Android and iOS. Organized Channels With Team’s compartmentalized channels, you can easily sort through your messages, depending on their urgency and priority level. This feature enables you to avoid getting side-tracked with random messages and spend time on the channels where you must address more urgent tasks. Improved Security Security is one of the Team’s features that sets it apart from the pack. By using any of Office 365’s platform services, you are assured to be provided with top of the line security and compliance capabilities. Teams are also a part of Microsoft’s global network of data centers that have a transparent operational model. With these advantages, Microsoft Teams has proven to be an effective collaboration and communication platform. Elevate your overall productivity by investing in Office 365 , and get long-term business benefits to achieve significant business growth.

Cybercrimes such as identity theft, fraud, and other malicious attacks abound on the world wide web. It goes without saying how essential password protection and security controls are these modern times. These cybercrimes are known to disrupt lives all because of the absence of strong security measures. But who has the time and capacity to remember all those passwords? We’re overwhelmed with passwords, and most of our online activities require them. You may be one of those who faithfully stick to good password management practices, but these can only secure us to a certain extent. The fact remains that people are still using weak and easily accessible passwords. With this, what makes strong and secure passwords? First off, make it as long and complex as you possibly can. This requires hackers more time and effort in guessing. Your password should always contain at least ten characters, must have a combination of special characters, punctuations, and in different cases. Most importantly, never use the same password for two or more accounts or devices. Hackers who break into one machine can potentially use the same password to access other machines as well. Good thing there are options available online to help us safely keep our precious passwords. One of these options is 1Password. With 1Password, you only ever need to memorize one password for managing all your online accounts. Yes, just ONE password for everything! All your other passwords and important information are protected by your Master Password, which only you know. Talk about security and convenience. With a single click, you can use 1Password as an authenticator for sites that support two-factor authentication. The coolest part of all is the next time you sign in, 1Password will fill your one-time password automatically. Start being more cautious of your passwords today and protect yourself from impending threats online. Learn more about 1Password here .

Advances in technology surface day in and day out, and these have changed how business processes transpire. Breakthroughs in IT are proven to increase productivity and collaboration among the workplace. As a business grows, so does its IT requirements, and small and mid-sized businesses opt to seek assistance from an IT managed service s provider. The same concept also applies when you’re downsizing. These service providers provide strategic IT solutions that are made to keep your operations running seamlessly. These are just some of the many reasons why outsourcing IT Managed Services should be your top option. In this post, we’ve listed the key benefits of outsourced IT Managed Services: Basically, these managed services providers should essentially be your in-house IT staff member but without the associated cost. By outsourcing IT managed services, you have access to their proficient staff who are available 24/7, for any IT problem or concerns. When it comes to office relocations, problems with technology can pop up unexpectedly. Even a tiny mistake when re-configuring systems at a new location can cause unnecessary downtime on business productivity and functionality. To ensure your information systems function well during when relocating, have an experienced IT professional oversee your technology move. With Uniserve, we can help eliminate your moving stress and make sure your IT works flawlessly in your new place. Contact us to find out how a partnership with Uniserve can help your business today.

As a business owner, the volume of information you encounter daily continues to grow. As it does, Office 365 also works behind the scenes, through its applications. If you’re just getting started with Office 365, and you’re eager to learn more about it, then this guide is for you! In a nutshell, Office 365 is a cloud-based collaboration platform from Microsoft, with Office applications and other products services that users can subscribe to, based on their needs. With this, users can access emails, contacts, calendars, and other office apps like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote via desktop or mobile. In this post, we’ll walk you through an overview of each Office 365, app and how you can utilize it, along with some key benefits they can provide for your business. Microsoft Office Suite Microsoft Office is a suite of interconnected services, available for Microsoft Windows and Mac Operating Systems (OS). It consists of five main applications; Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. It enables users to create, edit, delete and share documents within or outside an organization. This can be installed on Mobile, Tablet, PCs, and other devices. Microsoft SharePoint Online Microsoft SharePoint Online is a cloud-based service that allows users to create, design, and manage sites, contents, and workspaces. It enables them to share their digital documents securely with team members within or outside of their organization, across Mobile, PCs, and Apple devices. SharePoint Online is available under E, P, or K family plans including Office 365 (Plan K1 & K2), Office 365 (Plan E1, E2, E3 & E4). Microsoft SharePoint Online Microsoft SharePoint Online is a cloud-based service that allows users to create, design, and manage sites, contents, and workspaces. It enables them to share their digital documents securely with team members within or outside of their organization, across Mobile, PCs, and Apple devices. SharePoint Online is available under E, P, or K family plans including Office 365 (Plan K1 & K2), Office 365 (Plan E1, E2, E3 & E4). Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams is a digital hub for workplace collaboration that brings together people, content, conversations, and apps all in one place. It is integrated with other O365 services to utilize the power of SharePoint, Word, Excel, Delve, PowerBI, PowerApps, Flow, and many more. It’s easy to add a tab for each of these services in the user’s channel within Microsoft Teams. Also, users can add third-party services like Yammer, Facebook, GitHub, and RSS feeds. Users can also do video calling and set up meetings within teams. Microsoft Teams works across Windows, iOS, Mac, web, and Android platforms. Microsoft’s cloud-first and mobile-first vision has made Office 365 one of the best productivity platforms for the modern workplace. Uniserve can help you create an environment where your team members can utilize highly reliable platforms for exchanging ideas, having conversations, collaborating, and doing their best work. Contact us today , and let’s collaborate on helping your team learn to truly utilize and leverage the advances of Information Technology. Microsoft OneDrive and One Drive for Business OneDrive is Microsoft's online cloud storage product and is available for free to all owners of a Microsoft account. It offers users a simple way to store, sync, and share files with other people and devices online. OneDrive is the central point for hosting and sharing files online when using Microsoft's services and applications. OneDrive for Business, on the other hand, is a special OneDrive version available to users of the Office 365 Business plans and SharePoint team sites. It’s managed by the users’ organization and stores their work files for collaboration with their colleagues. Practically, it has the same features as the consumer version of OneDrive, expanded with the additional organization and administration abilities to suit business environments. Microsoft Planner Microsoft Planner is a tool that offers a simple and highly visual way to organize teamwork. It enables users to create new plans, organize and assign tasks, share files, set due dates, and get updates on progress. It can also be used to manage data for events, attaching documents with a task, track a school project, brainstorm new project ideas, or even organize a customer visit. Microsoft Planner is available for O365 users who are subscribed to any of these plans: Office 365 Enterprise E1, Office 365 Enterprise E3, Office 365 Enterprise E4, Office 365 Enterprise E5, Office 365 Education, Office 365 Education E3, Office 365 Education E4, Office 365 Business Essentials, and Office 365 Business Premium. Microsoft To Do Microsoft To-Do is one of the latest apps to be included in Office 365. It’s a simple to-do list that makes it easy to plan a day to day tasks. Whether it’s for work, school, or home, To-Do will help users increase their productivity, and decrease their stress levels. To-Do has a unique way to organize tasks into lists, then combining those lists into a My Day view to clear the clutter and keep users organized. To-Do syncs with the users’ phone and computer, so they can access their to-dos from anywhere in the world. Microsoft Flow Microsoft Flow allows users to create and automate workflow across multiple applications, without having to develop any custom code by developers. Microsoft Flow can be used to automate email, alert, copying files from one source to another, synchronizing files across applications, collecting data from one service, and store it into other. Microsoft Flow is also accessible on any browser or mobile device. Microsoft Forms Microsoft Forms is a new service that has been added to O365, specifically created for teachers and students. Teachers can create quizzes and questionnaires on a topic and invite students to respond. Microsoft Forms has built-in analytic features that allow users to evaluate responses, and the results can be exported to an excel file. As of now, Microsoft Forms is available only for an Office 365 education subscriber. However, this service will be rolling out for Office 365 commercial subscribers. Microsoft Office Delve Office Delve allows users to manage their Office profile and organize information in such a way that it helps them see information, based on their priority list. Office Delve is the first app that is powered by Microsoft Graph.

Most small to medium-sized businesses continue to benefit from cloud services primarily to lower IT costs. The cloud’s unique ability to foster an agile and collaborative work environment sets it apart from traditional data storage systems. As more businesses transition to the cloud, it’s imperative to address the risks of cloud environments, particularly the potential loss of SaaS business-critical data. And with the significant adoption of SaaS apps like Office 365 among businesses, a full understanding of cloud data protection couldn’t be more vital. In this blog, we have outlined the top five reasons why businesses should make Office 365 protection and backup a top priority: These are just some of the many important reasons why backing up your Office 365 is vital to your business. Contact us today, and discover how we can help you find a backup solution that offers you both complete access and control of your Office 365 data, to avoid the unnecessary risks of data loss.

At some point, we’re pretty sure you’ve heard of ransomware in the office, read it in the news, or maybe you’ve seen a pop-up in your browser. Ever wondered what the fuss is about? If you’re curious about this form of a cyber attack, read on and we’ll tell you more about it. First off, what exactly is ransomware? Basically, ransomware is a form of malware that locks the user out of their files or their device, then demands an anonymous online payment to restore access. Ransomware can be traced back to 1989 when the “AIDS virus” was used to extort funds from recipients of the ransomware. Payments for that attack were made by mail to Panama, at which point a decryption key was also mailed back to the user. This type of malware has attacked organizations in nearly every industry over time and caused terrible business losses. Now that you know something about ransomware and its roots, how do you prevent and detect it? We’ve listed some useful tips on how you could spare your business from this malicious cyber attack. 1. Proactively monitor your server, network, and back up key systems. Installing monitoring tools can detect unusual file access activities, viruses , network command, and control traffic and CPU loads within your network. Safekeeping a copy of crucial systems can reduce the risk of a crashed or encrypted machine that can cause crucial operational mishaps. 2. Keep your operating system patched and up to date. If the software across your network is up to date, then exploit-based ransomware attacks can’t penetrate through it. If your business runs on outdated or obsolete software, then you could be at risk for ransomware. This is because the software your using isn’t getting the necessary security updates anymore. 3. Educate your end-users about malicious spam and creating strong passwords. Ransomware also relies on spam to infect an end-user, and potentially access your network. Once on your network, this malware can spread from system to system, using a list of common passwords. By learning how to spot spam initially, and implementing multi-factor authentication, your business can stay one step ahead of these cybercriminals . 4. Invest on dependable cybersecurity technology. By doing so, threats can be found faster, saving you IT time and money through reliable automated incident response. Sophos , for example, ensures your endpoint protection and firewall are talking to each other. It’s a simple yet effective idea that means you get better protection against advanced threats and spend less time responding to incidents.  Ransomware criminals make a living by preying on the ignorant. With new ransomware types surfacing frequently, as a business owner, you want to minimize your exposure to these threats, by all means possible. By following these useful tips, you can help protect your personal and business data from ransomware attacks.

In this digital age, IT services have been integrated with most businesses, and have turned a lot of possibilities into reality. With relevant IT breakthroughs, remote communication using Voice over IP (VoIP) or web calls became a prevalent part of business processes. VoIP phone services, especially those delivered via the cloud, have become the standard these days, especially for small to mid-sized businesses. As a business, you want to be able to serve customers from anywhere in the world, and the cost of international calls is expensive for both you and your clients. This is where VoIP comes handy. With VoIP, you can basically have a phone system that makes your customer service more efficient and allows your employees to work remotely and conveniently. What makes this system even better is it doesn’t require you to build or upgrade existing infrastructure. Read along as we list down the advantages of integrating cloud-based VoIP to your business: Considering a move to a VoIP phone system can be challenging, with all the services and features that are available. It’s always best to have a knowledgeable and professional IT Managed Services provider to assist you with major business decisions like this. As one of 3CX ’s partners, Uniserve can help you in integrating a reliable phone system that best suits your business’ specific needs, and assist you with achieving that seamless transition. Contact u s today, and let’s create the game plan for your business get ahead with IT.

Digital breakthroughs such as mobile and cloud are paving the way to a world of new opportunities for businesses. These technologies are helping companies save on operational costs, and cultivate efficiencies. Best of all, these new technologies are designed to be easy to use and integrate into your business processes. To stay competitive, as a small business owner, you need to adapt and incorporate newer and more advanced IT into your everyday business operations. Almost every industry has been experiencing rapid and sometimes overwhelming change over the last couple of years. As a business, how do you thrive in this fast-changing environment? Read along as we share some useful pointers to help you and your business adapt to technological advances as you bring new life to old technology. 1. Cultivate a culture of learning and growth. Businesses should constantly encourage employees to find a level of trust in the unexpected, and embrace change as part of the routine. Make sure your team is on board with every digital solution you adopt may it be an innovation in IT or a significant change in business processes brought up by adopting new technology . 2. Invest in resources that sustain change. Before adopting new technology, conduct an analysis of the diversity of resources needed for a positive outcome. Be highly mindful when forming a team that administers the transition. Form a team with a strong passion for change, a high tolerance for complex and uncertain situations, and a solid track record for collaboration and teamwork. 3. Prioritize flexibility and speed. As part of modernizing your IT , your systems must have the flexibility to keep up. Modular systems available today rapidly cater to a range of possibilities for connection and configuration. Go for modular platforms that can accommodate a wide range of plug-and-play functions for your business. 4. Think ahead. Devise an engaging and intuitive plan for adapting to the latest technology. Your systems modernization can help you set a direction based on customer value and employee engagement. While planning, your IT modernization should not be stiff. Set it up as a self-correcting journey with learning curves in between. In each step, you learn from previous changes and discuss what could be done better next time. 5. Measure, recalibrate, and optimize. Continue tracking your success even after you achieve a seemingly smooth transition. Your vendors, IT department, and marketing team should all constantly work together to make the adaptation better for the business. Always ensure there’s always room for innovation and technological growth. In revolutionizing your company’s technology, your goal should be an effective and sustainable platform for strategic success. The critical issues, as with any structural IT effort, are not purely technical. They involve learning how to create systems more effectively, engage individuals, and cater to your business’ specific needs. Contact us today and discover how we can assist you in creating a modern, improved, and updated IT system for your business.

New technologies have brought modern server options to businesses, promoting productivity and greater service. In the modern world of Enterprise IT, selecting the right business server could be a great ordeal – is it better to go for cloud-based or an on-premise server? When it comes to IT infrastructure , “one size fits all” doesn’t apply. IT priorities depend entirely on what's important to your business. As you set up your IT infrastructure, you will be faced with overwhelming decisions that will set the foundation for your company’s IT infrastructure. Our goal here is to ensure that you make the best choice for your business. Before we head over to deliberating the best server type for your business, let’s first define what a server is. Basically, a server is a type of computer or device that allows the transformation of data. It delivers the information that your computer requests. Now that we’ve defined what a server is, let’s proceed to determine which one is the best for your business. An on-premise server is a traditional way that people have purchased and used software . You need to pay the total cost up-front, receive a licensed product, to be installed by your IT Managed Services Provider, and run on your own server. With on-premise infrastructure, you need to own and manage your physical computer server, or servers, internally and complete all the back-ups and upgrades to the software. There are also costs to house the server – air conditioning, electricity, warranties, etc. An on-premise server is also available for users to access it online and remotely. A cloud-based server, on the other hand, is a more modern and increasingly popular approach where a business pays a subscription to use the software, made available to them online via a server that is owned and managed by a cloud services provider. Cloud computing means the server infrastructure, security, data integrity, backups, and updates are all managed by the cloud provider. Whether you go for cloud or on-premise, you can get the best of both worlds when you have a stable and dependable IT infrastructure from a trusted IT Managed Services provider . Now that you know the servers’ key differences and benefits, it’s high time to decide which one best fits your business’ needs. Ultimately, your decision should be based on what will work best for your business, considering your budget, internal resources, and future growth plans. Drop us a line today, and let’s create the best fitting and sustainable IT infrastructure for your business.