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.