March 2nd, 2010 by linzi
As you are probably aware by now, Microsoft is asking millions of web users across Europe if they would like to switch to a different web browser from another company or stay with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, as part of its settlement with the European Commission.
The ‘browser ballot’ is a move by Microsoft to make it easier for users to pick an alternative browser should they wish, other than the company’s own offering - Internet Explorer, which is pre-installed on all Windows PC’s and apparently has just over 45% of the market share. Windows PC users will see a ‘ballot box’ via a Windows Update Service when they switch their computer, allowing them to pick which web browser they want to use to access the internet.
Microsoft Browser Ballot Screen
As well as opting to stay with Internet Explorer, you will also be presented with the other top four web browers; Firefox, Safari, Opera and Chrome. The top five browsers of twelve in total will be presented in a random order and users will be able to click a button to install whichever browser they want and to find out more information.
Microsoft Browser Choices Screen
The pop up window will keep re-appearing until you have selected your preferrred internet browser.
We recommend that you stay with Internet Explorer especially if you are running certain applications which require this browser, but if you do choose to opt for another browser, Firefox and Chrome are our other favourites. It is recommended that you do not run more than 2 browers as this could affect the performance of your PC/Laptop.
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March 1st, 2010 by linzi
…..Twitter has been around for quite a while now and up until yesterday we hadn’t been ‘tweeting’. However, the time has come for Essential Business Technologies to join in the tweeting community and our new Twitter account has just been set up. Yippee!! Or, should I say, Coo Coo, Chirpy Chirpy, I tought I saw a Puddy Tat!!! (You can tell I am new to this!)
Anyway, join us at ‘EssBizTech’ and follow us as we start tweeting and letting you know what we are up to, what our plans are and other highly interesting (and sometimes witty) IT related news that will become your daily/weekly/monthly ’must read’!
Must fly as I have to be up early tomorrow morning, and, as we all know, the early bird catches the worm……oh dear!
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February 26th, 2010 by linzi
I have just returned from a Microsoft Business Partner Event in London and I am hugely impressed by the new Microsoft Office 2010 application. I’m so impressed, that I just had to blog about it!
Microsoft Office 2010 provides truly simple, smart and timesaving tools, allowing you to connect with people through Unified Communications Technology, creating amazing and quick results, whether you are in the office or on the move. Office 2010 will make life so much easier, and here’s why……
OneNote 2010: This is very snazzy! I’ve never used OneNote before, but I most definitely will now. In simple terms, it provides real time accessibility allowing you to pull together everything from weekly accounts figures to digital images and if you require colleagues to work on the document for a project, this can be achieved by connecting multiple team members, working simultaneously so that you can share ideas, resources and make changes all in real time. What I found really useful was using the ’side note’ function, which basically stays on your screen as you move between programs so you can note down your thoughts and when you click back on one of your notes, OneNote has tagged the program or webpage you were looking at at the time, keeping you super organised whilst multi-tasking.
Outlook 2010: This has many impressive features. The conversation view, clean up and ignore functions act like a ‘mute button’ for your inbox and can remove annoying duplicate information. The size of mailboxes has increased and there is a useful memory bar which shows how much space you have left and how much you have used. Mail tips provide alert notices before a message is sent to protect information leakages or mistakes which could cause great embarrassment. The really clever part is the integration with Unified Communications technology which will completely enhance your use with Outlook, allowing you to connect and communicate with others using voice, webcam and more. The integration is sleek and simple.
Word/Excel/Powerpoint: Each of these have many enhanced features and to complement them is the new ‘Backstage’ view - a useful tool to use with documents by providing you with commonly accessed commands when opening or finishing a document. I can see that this will increase productivity and reduce training costs.
Obviously, everything I have commented on has been based on a demonstration by Microsoft……..so I am going to test this out for myself and I will report back with my verdict. I’m confident I will find even more positive and exciting new functionality to rave about! Watch this space….
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January 11th, 2010 by linzi
Our Tunbridge Wells Office In The Snow
Snow, snow, snow! There’s been plenty of it and as usual it has caused the same disruption that we get whenever it snows………only this time, it has lasted a lot longer and that has meant an increase in employees not being able to get into the office.
Over the past couple of weeks, the majority of our support calls have been from clients requesting remote access for staff to be able to connect to their desktops in the office, from the comfort of their own homes. Quick and simple to do, Essential Business Technologies was on the case and everyone was able to carry on working.
Did you know that if you have a Microsoft Small Business Server, the ability to take over any desktop in your company remotely is already built into the server, but it may not necessarily be switched on?
Even if you don’t have a Microsoft Small Business Server, there are many other ways to be able to work remotely.
Here at the Essential Business Technologies’ Tunbridge Wells office, we all left our cars at home wrapped up in blankets of thick fluffy snow and instead, we enjoyed the walk, wrapping ourselves up in our thermals and participating in a few snowball fights along the way! Happy Days!!
However, on one day I didn’t make it into the office choosing to work from home instead and it was so easy. Instant access to my desktop AND I plugged in my Swyx phone so I could still make and receive calls! Brilliant!
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