Services Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Technology Solutions

Protecting your PC – Three things to know about choosing a UPS

With all the stormy weather lately we thought its important to ensure you are protected from power surges and even power outages with the right UPS. A UPS is a Uninterruptable Power Supply, which will power your equipment when there is a power failure. As well the need for having a suitable backup of your system and data, blackouts and power outages (and the data loss they cause) can happen anywhere, any time. In addition to regular backups, for key equipment, you should be concerned about keeping power going to your PC during its normal operation.

A UPS provides battery power to your system for as long as an hour, which is more than enough time for you to save your data and shut down your system. A UPS plugs into the wall (and can act as a surge suppressor), and your computer and monitor plug in to outlets on the rear of the UPS.

Electronic circuitry in the UPS continually monitors AC line voltage; should that voltage rise above or dip below predefined limits or fail entirely, the UPS takes over, powering the computer with its built-in battery and cutting off the computer from the AC wall outlet.

Select your UPS type

There are commonly two types of UPS;

Line Interactive
These are the most common and cheapest units, they work by detecting a variation on the input power and when a change happens that is outside the threshold the UPS will switch on and the equipment will operate on the batteries.

Online
An online UPS differs from the Line Interactive units by always operating on the battery power, which effectively provides some electrical isolation. Online UPS’es are generally more expensive but their batteries will tend to last longer. In most cases the Line Interactive model will be acceptable.

Choosing the right Capacity

You next need to choose the right capacity; the higher the capacity the longer the equipment will run on the batteries. UPS capacity is measured in kVA which is simply 1,000 volt amps. A volt is electrical pressure while an amp is electrical current. The higher the kVA value the more power the unit has. For a standard home or office PC a UPS capacity in the range of 650VA to 1000VA is quite acceptable. If you are running more equipment or servers (like a business) you might need to use a 2000VA (which is 2kVA) or higher.

Ensure the UPS is monitored

Having a UPS monitored means the unit is connected to the PC or Server, and in the event of a power failure the PC will automatically shut down once the battery life of the UPS is running flat. Usually this can be configured so that when there is only 2-3 minutes of power left the PC is shutdown to prevent losing power (and possibly data).

So if you’re in need of some help with planning some upgrades, or even just some free friendly advice, get in touch with us, 6-370 8093.

To discuss how Tech Solutions can help call us on 0800 878 878 or email office@techs.co.nz.

SSD or HDD

Hardware, TECHS Talk, TECHS Tip

Solid State drives and why they are the biggest upgrade for your pc or laptop.

Are you the sort of user who finding simple things like starting your pc or laptop seemly tend to take too long? How about having outlook, internet explorer, excel or word and many other applications opening at that first boot in the morning?

You might as well go make a hot cup of coffee cause of the long wait. Most people tend to think when this happens it’s time to ask advice from that friend who’s in the IT Industry. Just upgrade the memory some tell you or just buy a new computer.

The fact is if your machine is from mid-2006 onwards it’s still cheaper to buy a new SSD drive and gain the performance like a new machine from this 1 simple upgrade.

We had a high usage client in the office recently. This user had high outlook usage which included large outlook files and multiple accounts loading. Before the upgrade it took from seeing the windows 7 boot logo to windows desktop and all start up applications being loaded and ready to use over 3 minutes. We replaced his normal spinning hard drive with a solid state drive.

Imaged his old drive to the new drive and started it for the first time. It took only 45 seconds to desktop. Just using the laptop became snappy the response was immediate. The laptop now seemed like a new machine. This is one example of the difference it makes in the real world.

SSD’s cost is per gigabyte is the only pit fall. An example currently you can buy a 500 GB HDD for only $80-$100. For a 256GB SSD it would cost you around $300 dollars. Now if you have a desktop adding a SSD in the pc and running 2nd HDD for storage in ideal you get the best of both worlds. However if you’re running a laptop you normally want to match GB for GB unless you have an external USB drive. If you’re a business user or home user you will notice upgrading from HDD to SSD more than any other upgrade you can do to your system. This makes for a snappy, faster experience.

Pros: Speed, Durability, Noise, No Fragmentation.

Cons: Cost per GB, Harder to recovery data in case of faulty drive.

Facts for Figures

Software, TECHS Talk, TECHS Tip

Most businesses reach a point where their accounts need to be processed by a computer. Selecting an appropriate package can be bewildering and many businesses become ingrained with systems with disparate purposes – the software package only performs basic accounting and a smorgasbord of spread-sheets and manual forms drive the day to day business functions.

This can lead to inefficiencies and plenty of scope for human error. Expending some time on researching applications that reflect the needs of business (combined with accounting functions) will enhance the company’s operations and consequent service to its clientele. Some items to consider when selecting a suitable package:

Pricing versatility – ability to set pricing levels based on customer, quantity, group, discounts, etc. Easy to update and revise.
Point-of-Sale – fast sales processing with barcodes, integrated EFTPOS to ensure accuracy.
Job Costing – create quotes and estimates, easy entries of actuals and materials, comparison of quoted versus actual.
Job Scheduling – assign Jobs to calendars, schedule regular equipment maintenance.
Reporting – reports providing decision making information rather than static facts and figures.
Multiuser – good performance on all network sizes, undemanding of resources.
Most accountants will recommend a package that suits them – choose one that suits your business.

To discuss the specific needs of your business on what the most appropriate, economic and effective accounting package would be for you, please contact our expert, Ian Hannan

Making Best Use of Security Cameras

Cameras, Security, TECHS Talk

Security cameras are no longer the big old clunky things that you see pointing at you when you are getting some cash from the bank, who goes to the bank these days anyway? They are small, hi-def, clever and also affordable units.

Network (or IP) based cameras can be easily integrated into your existing home or office network, which removes a huge cost of having to install coax cable into a building where the cameras are needed.

Once you have a network camera getting access to it from anywhere via an internet connection is also easy, a smart phone can easily be connected and display what is happening. You can also link the camera into your website

Cameras are not just for companies wanting to protect their hordes of gold, you can keep an eye on your back yard if you are away for the weekend, or make sure the kids don’t try and feed the cat to the neighbour’s dog while you are inside the house

Cameras can be configured to alert you when certain conditions occur, eg. an certain amount of movement in the field of view. The can even email you snapshot of the image. And of course, they can record all the movement – this can be to a regular PC or even a service like Dropbox. Some cameras can even have pan and tilt controls so from afar you can change where the camera is looking. Pretty nifty.

KING STREET LIVE PROJECT

Recently we completed a project for King Street Live to provide cameras at their new music venue. These serve a number of purposes – primarily those working at the bar are able to keep an eye as to what is happening at the entrance and the garden bar with only having to turn their head. Security at the door are able to keep an eye as to what is happening inside and out the back via the smartphones

In addition these cameras record all motion so in the unlikely event of an issue camera footage is available to verify the events that happened.

And lastly, these are providing additional security measures when the venue is empty

Some things to consider…

Power – most cameras will support power-over-ethernet, which is great as it means all you need is one piece of cable to do everything, the cheaper cameras don’t support this so it means you will need power where you plan to locate the camera
Image quality – do you need high-def ? do you need night vision? Many low end cameras wont handle high-contrast very well, so for example a sunny day but with areas in shade. Remember there’s no point having a camera if the image quality doesn’t deliver what you need.
Bandwidth – the more cameras you have the more bandwidth you will use. This isn’t normally a problem unless you have lots of cameras, but something to be aware of if you are wanting to keep an eye on lots of cameras from a remote location.

Some Do’s and Don’ts

Do talk to experts like Tech Solutions to ensure you get the right advice before you start
Don’t make all your decisions based on cost – a poor quality image isn’t going to be any good
Do consider where & who will require to access the camera footage
Don’t get too complicated – have a clear objective in mind at the start
Do make sure the system is scalable – if or when you want to make changes you shouldn’t have to start again

So if you’re in need of security systems, or even just some friendly advice, get in touch with us.

To discuss how Tech Solutions can help your business call us on 0800 878 878

Business internet: are you on the best internet plan?

Services, TECHS Talk

I had an issue this week where a business client that normally had a good internet connection was experiencing really slow service and timeouts.

The router was saying it was connected, however tried another router just in case this was at fault, same issue. Potentially there could be a number of reasons for this problem so I applied the usual precautionary checks. However in this instance the issue was relatively simple;

The client was on a 5 gig plan. This issue here is that if the client used more than the allotted 5 GIG of data, their connection was “throttled” back to dial up speeds, frankly the connection was almost unworkable.

A phone call to the service provider confirmed this was the issue and the type of connection was changed over the phone with the clients ok. The end result was the internet plan was changed overnight resulting in things being back to normal the next day.

What to do?

If you have had an internet connection for some time it may pay to review what you are getting.
Check to see if you have a capped rate and check to see if you go over your capped rate what happens to your service?
Does it “throttle you down” or will it continue and you just pay for the extra data you might have?

It may save some heartache!

So if you’re in need of some help with getting the right internet plan, or even just some friendly advice, get in touch with us.

To discuss how Tech Solutions can help you call us on 0800 878 878.

Benefits clients get when coming to Tech Solutions

Services, TECHS Talk

I.T. is like other businesses – there is competition and the customer has choice.

So why do our customers consistently use us?

Aside from our humour and indisputable good looks (according to our mothers anyway!), the main reason is we are 100% focused on results for our clients.
From helping set up that new laptop or I-pad, through to building a website or commissioning a new server, our customer’s needs vary on a daily basis and we attempt to resolve the issue, big or small, as quickly and economically as possible.
Being locally owned and operated means that we have a Wairarapa focus, and understand the I.T needs of our community.
We work with both domestic and commercial customers.
Our team are on the road daily and can be found in Featherston, Greytown, Martinborough & Carterton as well as Masterton. We do work for clients in other parts of the country also and even have clients in Eketahuna.
Having a team of 14 full-time staff working around the region enables us to promptly respond geographically and also have a diverse skill set to be able to handle even the most complex computer issues. It also means there is less business risk, as we have the coverage to provide service when people are away on leave or sick.
Our trained and qualified staff have experience with both PC & Apple product.
We service what we sell; unlike the franchise stores we can do more than just sell you a computer; we have the experience to advise on the best equipment for you, can assist with the set up and commissioning of the machine including programme and anti-virus software, teach you how to use it if need be, and then fix it if it breaks.
We’re in this business for the long haul; we’ve been around since 1976, and have 237 years of combined team experience, so we tend to build long term relationships with our clients.

So if you’re in need of I.T. support, or even just some friendly advice, we invite you to experience these benefits for yourself.

To discuss how Tech Solutions can help your business call Lloyd on 0800 878 878 or email lloyd@techs.co.nz

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