Testimonial from Elite Foodservice Equipment Co., Inc.

Recently, we brought CMIT Solutions on board as our IT Solutions Provider and installed a BDR (backup disaster recovery) unit. Larry Schweitzer, President of CMIT Solutions of East and West Nassau explainedthat in the event of a problem with one our protected servers, the BDR would be able to “stand-in” as a “virtual” server, while the CMIT technician repaired the downed server.

Prior to Hurricane Irene making landfall here on Long Island, we took precautions by “safely” shutting down all of our servers. Unfortunately, even though our file server was off during the storm and subsequent power outage, something happened that rendered it incapable of restarting.

We called CMIT and senior technician Derric appeared on site and brought up the BDRwithin a couple of hours, allowing us to keep working as if nothing happened. We also learned through this process that the BDR continues to send our data offsite while it provides the virtualized server to our network. This was a great comfort to all of us.

Furthermore, the BDR unit continued to work seamlessly until CMIT could return to our site to troubleshoot and successfully repair our file server.

One more thing…As it turns out, through this whole event, and completely unbeknownst to us, Larry’s office continued to provide these services to our business, even though they were without power in their own office until later that week.

Great performance for CMIT!

Joshua Mass
Executive Vice President
Elite Foodservice Equipment Co., Inc.

Tips on Using Google Search Box!

Google is everywhere and you can use their search bar for pretty much anything and everything. Much to the chagrin of the company's trademark attorneys, the name has become synonymous with "search," but there's much more you can do with that little rectangle bar than just search for content.Check out a few of our favorite tricks:

Check flight status -- Enter the name of the airline, the word "flight," and the flight number, and Google will show you the latest status.

Convert currency -- Enter an amount and type of currency, the word "to," and the currency to which you wish to convert.

Find local time -- This search works using natural language. Simple type, "What time is it in X," with the X being the name of a city.

Make a calculation -- This one is interesting because Google again uses understanding of natural language to go beyond mere arithmetic.

More tips to come in our next blog post!

More Tips on Google Search!

We showed you some pretty cool features about the Google Search bar. Here are some more tips that you'll love!

Define a word -- Put that Oxford English Dictionary away. Look up definitions using Google by entering "define:word" in the search box (replace 'word' with the term you wish to define, and don't use quotes).

Track a package --Simply enter a tracking number into the search box. This works with UPS, Fedex, DHL, and most other large shippers.

Get the weather--Simply type "weather:nameofcity" and Google will return the forecast for the location in the search results. If you're looking for your local weather, just type "weather," and Google will determine your location based on your IP address.

Convert Measurements--Can't recall how many gallons there are in a hogshead? Google has the answer. Also works with more conventional unit conversions, such as cups to ounces.

Search a website--Google isn't just for searching the Web at large. You can use Google's search engine to dig into a specific URL. It's very handy for searching sites with large archives, such as news outlets. To do so, enter the keyword you wish to find, then "site:exampleurl.com" (without quotes), substituting the domain you wish to search for exampleurl.com. In this example, we're searching the New York Times for mentions of Mario Batali's Babbo restaurant.

Tips to Strengthen your Email Marketing

Email's ubiquity and low cost make it a great tool for small-business owners to communicate with customers and potential customers. Unfortunately, the electronics arms race that has ensued between spammers and spam-filters requires entrepreneurs to think strategically about the design and content of such broadcasts.However, even if your message has made it past the spam filter, there are still lots that can go wrong. Here are a few tips on getting the most out of your email marketing efforts.

1. Carefully consider the way you use images. In many email clients, the default settings automatically block embedded images, so don't rel solely on images to convey important information. Make sure any vital information that appears in the images (such as our phone number or other contact info) also appears elsewhere as text. Whatever you do, don't send emails that include only images or images with very little text.

2. Use a table of contents in lengthy message. If the content of the email comprises more that a few short paragraphs (for example, in an eNewsletter), include a Table of Contents so the recipient can easily locate topics of interest.

3. Test, test, test. The best way to avoid formatting errors is to view the message in as many email clients as possible, including Outlook, Outlook Express, iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.) Thunderbird, Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Windows Live. Set up your own unique email accounts in as many of these as possible, and send a test version of your email before releasing it to the masses. For an automated method of doing this, consider using a tool like Campaign Monitor.

4. Don't forget to include a Call to Action. You don't want your recipient merely to contemplate the content of your message. You want them to DO SOMETHING! Whether that action is to call you, email you, or visit your website, now is not the time for modesty. Ask and you shall receive!

Prepare Your Technology from Hurricane Irene!

Hurricane Irene, a powerful Category 3 hurricane, is threatening the east coast and it looks like we may get hit hard. It is best to be prepared for a storm like this. It is said that Irene will hit Long Island this Sunday.

Prepare Your Technology
Be sure you have a full backup of all your important data. (both on and off-site preferably)

If you have a UPS battery (Uninterruptible Power Supplies with surge protection) be sure the unit is connected and the auto shutdown software is installed and working.

If you do not have a UPS battery on each device we recommend shutting down your PC's and servers if you expect, or are prone to power outages. A sudden loss of power will damage computer equipment. At the very least, be sure you have surge protectors if you do not have UPS units.

We advise you to unplug your PC if you do not have a proper UPS or surge protector.

If you're in a flood prone area, make sure to keep all your computers and hardware off the floors.

**If you have a server and multiple PC's, it might be safest for you to shut down your office for this weekend to protect your systems. Before you take this action, please contact Larry and discuss if this is the best way to prepare for your site**
Office: (516) 986-1884

Manage all of your Google Gadgets!

Do you know how to add google gadgets to your G-mail Account? No?!
Well we're going to show you!

Open the below Google Gadgets link in a browser window, then watch the video on how to manage your gadgets.

Google Gadgets Lab

Video: How to Manage your Google Gadgets

Larry Schweitzer Presents at NCCPAP!

On July 27th, Larry Schweitzer gave a presentation to the Nassau/Suffolk Chapter of NCCPAP entitled 'Technology for CPAS's - Don't Get Left Behind". It was attended by approximately 40 members of the organization and covered New Technologies and the effect on CPA's. The session was extremely interactive in both discussion and questions. This presentation was highly informative and beneficial to all the attendees.

Does Your Business's Online Profile Need Improvement?

It is crucial to make sure that your online profile has completely accurate information so that customers can easily find you and are presented with a current profile. Many prospective customers do their research online and all information should be up-to-date. This includes the right phone number and location, but also an easily navigated web page. Customers can quickly be turned away if they can’t find what they are looking for in a short amount of time.

To first ensure that everything is up-to-date, type your company name into multiple search engines to see what comes up. Check your Place Page on Google as well. You can register with the Google Local Business Center to create and/or edit your page. Besides search engines, all social networks should be verified as well. Finally, look for business reviews on Yelp or similar sites. Responding to reviews, whether they were positive or negative, is valuable customer service.

Making certain that your business is being represented correctly and consistently helps create a professional outlook for your company. More than ever, future customers are using the Internet to look for information.

Do You Need A Second Monitor?

Are you often working with multiple software programs at the same time and feel that your monitor display is too crowded? It may seem like a good idea to buy a larger monitor, but also consider buying a second one. Not only are two 22” monitors cheaper than most single 30” monitors, but you will get increased screen space too.

Before you purchase anything however, you want to make sure that a second monitor is supported by your PC. You can do this by seeing if your computer has more than one video output. (A second one can be installed as well.) Different connections are okay—you can use both DVI and VGA, as shown in the picture below. If needed, CMIT can help you figure out if your computer supports it already.

Once your second monitor is purchased and plugged in, Windows should recognize them both. If not, right click on your desktop, select “Screen Resolution” and use the “Detect” and “Identify” buttons to configure the second display. Once this is up and running, you are free to arrange your windows however you please. Some people choose to keep email and chat programs open on one screen while working on a document on the other.

You can put them in “Duplicate” mode to show the same display on both screens, or only show one monitor at a time, depending on what you are doing. Press “Windows key + P” to look through all the configurations, or view the options in the “Screen Resolution” control panel. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions about what is best for you or for quotes on any hardware purchases.

The Importance of a Paperless Office

Regardless of your industry, it is simple to see the technology advances around us. Recently the New York Times reported that airplane pilots are replacing flight manuals with digital versions via iPads. This is physically lighter, quicker to update, and easily searchable. A digital or paperless office allows businesses to eliminate (or alleviate) file cabinets and storage issues. While this seems very ideal, things like computer crashes and software glitches required companies to maintain both physical and digital copies of everything. For certain industries, government regulations require paper archives as well.

Crashes and glitches are at times inevitable but with advances in data security and backup systems, paperless offices are much more reassuring and often become a necessity. At CMIT we urge businesses to have a data security and backup recovery plans in place in case of emergency. We know the importance of going digital and how it can save both physical storage space and money. With the latest technology, there are open opportunities for enhanced efficiency, convenience, and cost savings.

CMIT of East Nassau Expands to West Nassau County!

Larry Schweitzer announced today the expansion of his CMIT Solutions (CMIT) business to meet the needs of businesses in both East and West Nassau County, NY.

Previously only serving East Nassau County, CMIT Solutions of East and West Nassau is a professional, affordable option for quality information technology (IT) support. Schweitzer's company provides local small businesses in those markets with all the benefits of a full-time IT staff at a significantly lower cost. Through enterprise IT support, CMIT offers local small businesses a full range of preventative computer maintenance and monitoring services that can help avert costly, large-scale emergencies.

To read the rest of this article that was featured on citybizzlist.com, please click here!

Using Windows Live Writer

With the current trend of social networks and companies enhancing their online profile, creating and maintaining a company blog is a great way to raise your online profile. Microsoft’s Windows Live Essentials is a great resource to create and publish a professional blog for free.

First, download the software package for Windows Live Writer here.

After doing so, you want to choose a blogging platform. You can select a service you currently use (we use Blogger), or pick a new one. WordPress is very popular as well. Enter your login information and you will have an editing window that looks very similar to Word or Outlook. Make a title and starting typing your post.

You can add images and video with ease. Choose “Picture” or “Video” from the toolbar and select the source where they are stored. You can also click on the “Insert” tab for additional multimedia options.

Once you are ready done adding and editing your post, click the “Publish” button and your blog will have successfully added the content! We will continue to keep you informed about other functions that Windows Live Writer offers in order to get the most exposure for your business.

Top Tips to Stay Safe on the Internet

Here are some tips that can ensure your Internet security is not compromised. We hope you find them useful and please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

• Create different passwords for various accounts, so that if a hacker gets into one account, they can’t get into another. Password management tools like LastPass are available to help save all your usernames and passwords in one database.

• Beware of advertisements that seem “too good to be true”. These are likely frauds and scams and could lead to you voluntarily giving out your information.

• Similarly, be careful of sharing information that is sensitive, such as birth date and social security number.

• Be sure that your anti-virus software is up to date. While this isn’t bulletproof, it will certainly decrease the odds of malware infecting your computer.

• Also keep your software up to date in order to best prevent security breaches. These updates keep viruses and malware away on a continuous basis.

• Keep your browser up to date as well.

• Enable a firewall and have it configured appropriately. Many operating systems will have one built in, otherwise you can purchase it from various venders.