More and more businesses are choosing to monitor their employees’ online behavior, as it’s one way of keeping their data and devices secure. However, there are consequences to monitoring your employees’ activities. For instance, doing so can make them feel like their privacy is being violated, which can affect productivity and morale. Because of this, it’s important that you know the advantages and disadvantages of employee monitoring, as well as some guidelines to follow, should you decide to implement it.

The case for monitoring

Monitoring your employees’ activities on company devices can be beneficial, as it helps:

• Protect your organization from data theft or harm since careless or disgruntled employees may leak or steal your data.
• Ensure members of your staff comply with policies such as not downloading illegal programs or visiting websites with illegal or hostile content.
• Provide evidence in case of a lawsuit should an employee participate in illegal activities using your business’s computers.

Arguments against employee monitoring

Of course, you should also be aware of the potential downsides to monitoring. These include:

• Reduced productivity, as monitoring can put a damper on employee morale and the perceived distrust may make your employees less driven to perform well.
• Privacy or discrimination issues that may stem from you being privy to personal details about your employees that you would’ve never known about had you not monitored them. For example, you may discover their political or religious views, sexual orientation, or medical problems. This subjects your business to potential privacy or discrimination issues if you or your management team acts negatively based on any of this information.

Monitoring guidelines to follow

If you decide to monitor your employees, here are a few tips you should follow.

1. Create written policies
When you monitor your employees, ask yourself, “Am I doing this for security purposes? Is it to ensure my employees aren’t wasting time on games or social media?” Monitoring policies that are too strict could create an atmosphere of distrust.

Set guidelines for acceptable use of email and social media, web browsing, instant messaging, and downloading software and apps. Also, make sure to include how monitoring will be carried out and how data will be used, secured, and destroyed.

2. Inform your employees
It’s important to inform your employees about the scope of your monitoring policies. If they find out you’re doing it secretly, you could face legal issues.

Explain to your employees why you’re monitoring them and the risks your business faces from misuse of digital assets. Reassure them you’re not doing it to spy on their personal lives, but to create a compliant and law-abiding workplace. Because their activities will now be less private, encourage your staff to use their smartphones for personal matters. Also, provide your employees with a copy of your written policy for them to read and sign.

If implemented correctly, employee monitoring makes your business more secure and productive. For more information about security and other IT support tools, get in touch with us today.

When people think of monitoring employees’ online activities, they typically imagine tyrannical bosses who want to make sure their subordinates are working during their shift. However, there is much more to monitoring their activities than that — doing so can actually help increase productivity and protect the business in the process. Find out the pros and cons of monitoring your employees’ online behavior by reading this blog.

The case for monitoring

Monitoring your employees’ activities on company devices can be beneficial, as it helps:

• Protect your organization from data theft or harm since careless or disgruntled employees may leak or steal your data.
• Ensure members of your staff comply with policies such as not downloading illegal programs or visiting websites with illegal or hostile content.
• Provide evidence in case of a lawsuit should an employee participate in illegal activities using your business’s computers.

Arguments against employee monitoring

Of course, you should also be aware of the potential downsides to monitoring. These include:

• Reduced productivity, as monitoring can put a damper on employee morale and the perceived distrust may make your employees less driven to perform well.
• Privacy or discrimination issues that may stem from you being privy to personal details about your employees that you would’ve never known about had you not monitored them. For example, you may discover their political or religious views, sexual orientation, or medical problems. This subjects your business to potential privacy or discrimination issues if you or your management team acts negatively based on any of this information.

Monitoring guidelines to follow

If you decide to monitor your employees, here are a few tips you should follow.

1. Create written policies
When you monitor your employees, ask yourself, “Am I doing this for security purposes? Is it to ensure my employees aren’t wasting time on games or social media?” Monitoring policies that are too strict could create an atmosphere of distrust.

Set guidelines for acceptable use of email and social media, web browsing, instant messaging, and downloading software and apps. Also, make sure to include how monitoring will be carried out and how data will be used, secured, and destroyed.

2. Inform your employees
It’s important to inform your employees about the scope of your monitoring policies. If they find out you’re doing it secretly, you could face legal issues.

Explain to your employees why you’re monitoring them and the risks your business faces from misuse of digital assets. Reassure them you’re not doing it to spy on their personal lives, but to create a compliant and law-abiding workplace. Because their activities will now be less private, encourage your staff to use their smartphones for personal matters. Also, provide your employees with a copy of your written policy for them to read and sign.

If implemented correctly, employee monitoring makes your business more secure and productive. For more information about security and other IT support tools, get in touch with us today.

Wary of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, nations all over the world are imposing travel restrictions and considering lockdowns yet again. Fortunately, many companies can still sustain operations, thanks to remote work. More and more businesses have been enjoying work from home setups with the help of the right tools. This article is a list of our favorites.

But first, here’s why remote work is a boon for businesses

For both employers and employees, a remote working arrangement has attractive benefits. Many remote workers report increased job satisfaction ⁠— being spared the stress of a daily commute and having a better work-life balance boost their productivity and overall happiness.

At the same time, organizations can tap into a potentially larger labor pool, hiring from just about anywhere and finding highly skilled talent at lower rates. And in the face of natural calamities, outages, and the ongoing pandemic, a distributed workforce becomes a necessary business continuity measure — a means to protect employees and keep productivity up, even as traditional workplaces remain unavailable.

All of this is possible because we have the technologies to support remote work. With a plethora of software to choose from, we’ve selected the ones that will help your remote teams thrive.

Real-time communication and collaboration software

Every successful organization needs to communicate. When communication breaks down, productivity and engagement suffer. Given the lack of face-to-face contact, regular, real-time communication is arguably more critical for remote teams and their managers. The following apps make it possible, seamless, and simple.

Our picks: Slack, Mattermost, RocketChat, Microsoft Teams, and Join.me

Deemed the alternative to email, Slack is the leader of the pack since it is the easiest to integrate with countless applications. Its basic functionality enables remote workers to direct message (DM) or create “collaboration hubs” around departments, projects, or any topic. Meanwhile, Mattermost and Rocket Chat are open-source tools that recreate many of Slack’s capabilities.

Microsoft Teams and Join.me are well-known video chat and conferencing apps. However, as a full collaboration and communication suite, Teams offers more for Windows users. It allows Voice over Internet Protocol, direct and group messages, and integration with all the Office 365 apps. On the other hand, Join.me does not only provide free video conferencing services,, but it also allows participants to use a cool brainstorming feature called “whiteboarding” for real-time interaction on a shared document.

Remote desktop applications

Work computers often have business apps that our PCs don’t. Accessing your work computer while on the go or out of the office was once unheard of. Remote desktop apps have made it possible, allowing users to work remotely on a computer through another device and from any location.

Our picks: TeamViewer and Splashtop

TeamViewer has capabilities such as screen sharing, file transfer, wake-on-LAN, and clipboard transfer. Free for personal use, the app is easy to set up and is available for multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Android. Splashtop has similar capabilities but with the added benefit of “low-latency” transfers or the transfer of a high volume of data and messages with minimal delay.

Project management essentials

When you’re managing dozens of team members located in different parts of the globe, things can start to fall apart quickly. Time differences and distance can create significant complexity if you lack the right tools. These two apps can help you overcome the challenges and streamline project organization and collaboration.

Our picks: Trello and Basecamp

Trello’s overall shining feature is its simplicity. The web-based tool’s approach to project management is built around one concept: the bulletin board. Users can create boards that represent projects, and each board can be populated with cards assigned to specific members and customized with deadlines, comments, and attachments.

Basecamp, on the other hand, is a web-based management tool for planning and collaboration on projects. There’s no installation needed, just your regular web browser to access its powerful core functions that include task management, messaging, collaboration, file sharing, scheduling, quick search, and reporting.

With the current global crisis, remote working tools have become even more crucial to sustaining productivity, accomplishing projects, and solidifying distributed teams. It’s important your organization chooses ones that are well-suited to budget, infrastructure, and goals. Our experts can help make a proper assessment and configure the perfect remote working setup. Talk to us today.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, we may yet see a resurgence if we fail to suppress its current and future variants. One way we’re preventing the spread of coronavirus is by implementing remote work strategies. Remote work allows people to work through quarantines, as well as keep companies and even economies afloat. Here’s a rundown of exceptional tools many remote teams are using.

But first, here’s why remote work is a boon for businesses

For both employers and employees, a remote working arrangement has attractive benefits. Many remote workers report increased job satisfaction ⁠— being spared the stress of a daily commute and having a better work-life balance boost their productivity and overall happiness.

At the same time, organizations can tap into a potentially larger labor pool, hiring from just about anywhere and finding highly skilled talent at lower rates. And in the face of natural calamities, outages, and the ongoing pandemic, a distributed workforce becomes a necessary business continuity measure — a means to protect employees and keep productivity up, even as traditional workplaces remain unavailable.

All of this is possible because we have the technologies to support remote work. With a plethora of software to choose from, we’ve selected the ones that will help your remote teams thrive.

Real-time communication and collaboration software

Every successful organization needs to communicate. When communication breaks down, productivity and engagement suffer. Given the lack of face-to-face contact, regular, real-time communication is arguably more critical for remote teams and their managers. The following apps make it possible, seamless, and simple.

Our picks: Slack, Mattermost, RocketChat, Microsoft Teams, and Join.me

Deemed the alternative to email, Slack is the leader of the pack since it is the easiest to integrate with countless applications. Its basic functionality enables remote workers to direct message (DM) or create “collaboration hubs” around departments, projects, or any topic. Meanwhile, Mattermost and Rocket Chat are open-source tools that recreate many of Slack’s capabilities.

Microsoft Teams and Join.me are well-known video chat and conferencing apps. However, as a full collaboration and communication suite, Teams offers more for Windows users. It allows Voice over Internet Protocol, direct and group messages, and integration with all the Office 365 apps. On the other hand, Join.me does not only provide free video conferencing services,, but it also allows participants to use a cool brainstorming feature called “whiteboarding” for real-time interaction on a shared document.

Remote desktop applications

Work computers often have business apps that our PCs don’t. Accessing your work computer while on the go or out of the office was once unheard of. Remote desktop apps have made it possible, allowing users to work remotely on a computer through another device and from any location.

Our picks: TeamViewer and Splashtop

TeamViewer has capabilities such as screen sharing, file transfer, wake-on-LAN, and clipboard transfer. Free for personal use, the app is easy to set up and is available for multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Android. Splashtop has similar capabilities but with the added benefit of “low-latency” transfers or the transfer of a high volume of data and messages with minimal delay.

Project management essentials

When you’re managing dozens of team members located in different parts of the globe, things can start to fall apart quickly. Time differences and distance can create significant complexity if you lack the right tools. These two apps can help you overcome the challenges and streamline project organization and collaboration.

Our picks: Trello and Basecamp

Trello’s overall shining feature is its simplicity. The web-based tool’s approach to project management is built around one concept: the bulletin board. Users can create boards that represent projects, and each board can be populated with cards assigned to specific members and customized with deadlines, comments, and attachments.

Basecamp, on the other hand, is a web-based management tool for planning and collaboration on projects. There’s no installation needed, just your regular web browser to access its powerful core functions that include task management, messaging, collaboration, file sharing, scheduling, quick search, and reporting.

With the current global crisis, remote working tools have become even more crucial to sustaining productivity, accomplishing projects, and solidifying distributed teams. It’s important your organization chooses ones that are well-suited to budget, infrastructure, and goals. Our experts can help make a proper assessment and configure the perfect remote working setup. Talk to us today.

The global pandemic hasn’t defeated many hard-working managers and teams. By implementing remote work arrangements, they’re meeting deadlines, collaborating on projects, and hitting business goals, all while avoiding the ever-evolving coronavirus. In this article, we’ll go through a list of the essential tools for the new normal that is remote working.

But first, here’s why remote work is a boon for businesses

For both employers and employees, a remote working arrangement has attractive benefits. Many remote workers report increased job satisfaction ⁠— being spared the stress of a daily commute and having a better work-life balance boost their productivity and overall happiness.

At the same time, organizations can tap into a potentially larger labor pool, hiring from just about anywhere and finding highly skilled talent at lower rates. And in the face of natural calamities, outages, and the ongoing pandemic, a distributed workforce becomes a necessary business continuity measure — a means to protect employees and keep productivity up, even as traditional workplaces remain unavailable.

All of this is possible because we have the technologies to support remote work. With a plethora of software to choose from, we’ve selected the ones that will help your remote teams thrive.

Real-time communication and collaboration software

Every successful organization needs to communicate. When communication breaks down, productivity and engagement suffer. Given the lack of face-to-face contact, regular, real-time communication is arguably more critical for remote teams and their managers. The following apps make it possible, seamless, and simple.

Our picks: Slack, Mattermost, RocketChat, Microsoft Teams, and Join.me

Deemed the alternative to email, Slack is the leader of the pack since it is the easiest to integrate with countless applications. Its basic functionality enables remote workers to direct message (DM) or create “collaboration hubs” around departments, projects, or any topic. Meanwhile, Mattermost and Rocket Chat are open-source tools that recreate many of Slack’s capabilities.

Microsoft Teams and Join.me are well-known video chat and conferencing apps. However, as a full collaboration and communication suite, Teams offers more for Windows users. It allows Voice over Internet Protocol, direct and group messages, and integration with all the Office 365 apps. On the other hand, Join.me does not only provide free video conferencing services,, but it also allows participants to use a cool brainstorming feature called “whiteboarding” for real-time interaction on a shared document.

Remote desktop applications

Work computers often have business apps that our PCs don’t. Accessing your work computer while on the go or out of the office was once unheard of. Remote desktop apps have made it possible, allowing users to work remotely on a computer through another device and from any location.

Our picks: TeamViewer and Splashtop

TeamViewer has capabilities such as screen sharing, file transfer, wake-on-LAN, and clipboard transfer. Free for personal use, the app is easy to set up and is available for multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Android. Splashtop has similar capabilities but with the added benefit of “low-latency” transfers or the transfer of a high volume of data and messages with minimal delay.

Project management essentials

When you’re managing dozens of team members located in different parts of the globe, things can start to fall apart quickly. Time differences and distance can create significant complexity if you lack the right tools. These two apps can help you overcome the challenges and streamline project organization and collaboration.

Our picks: Trello and Basecamp

Trello’s overall shining feature is its simplicity. The web-based tool’s approach to project management is built around one concept: the bulletin board. Users can create boards that represent projects, and each board can be populated with cards assigned to specific members and customized with deadlines, comments, and attachments.

Basecamp, on the other hand, is a web-based management tool for planning and collaboration on projects. There’s no installation needed, just your regular web browser to access its powerful core functions that include task management, messaging, collaboration, file sharing, scheduling, quick search, and reporting.

With the current global crisis, remote working tools have become even more crucial to sustaining productivity, accomplishing projects, and solidifying distributed teams. It’s important your organization chooses ones that are well-suited to budget, infrastructure, and goals. Our experts can help make a proper assessment and configure the perfect remote working setup. Talk to us today.

Power outages can happen anytime and for a number of reasons, including accidents and natural disasters such as fires and hurricanes. While there’s little your business can do to prevent a power outage, you can mitigate its impacts on your operations by deploying an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for your computers and networking equipment.

UPS for network equipment

Also known as a battery backup, a UPS provides backup power in case of outages. It also protects against power surges, which don’t just damage computers, but also make you lose unsaved work.

Deploying UPS units for Wi-Fi routers and modems allows you to stay connected to the internet when the power goes out unexpectedly. This strategy works particularly well if your employees use laptops, as that means you only need power for your Wi-Fi gear.

UPS-supported modems or routers help you stay online for as long as 90 minutes, which should be enough time to get your bearings before power finally runs out. With a UPS, you will still have a fast, reliable Wi-Fi connection so you can perform your tasks, save important files, and keep serving customers.

Without a UPS, your staff may have to rely on cellular data to do their work, which is not only less reliable than Wi-Fi, but also more expensive. You may even incur additional telecom costs resulting from overreliance on cellular data.

UPS systems vs. generators

Although generators are indispensable for certain businesses, they also require greater upkeep. If you invest in generators, you’ll need to employ an entire team to manage these pieces of high-maintenance equipment. This may not be something that a small- or medium-sized business can afford.

That said, generators can prove useful during extended blackouts, but UPS systems should be enough to keep your business running in the event of an emergency.

What’s more, misusing or mishandling generators can result in fatalities. On the other hand, if you misuse a UPS unit or if it breaks down, the worst that could happen is you lose a day’s work; it’s unlikely that you’ll experience anything life-threatening.

Plug in your network gear now

If your business doesn’t have locations in disaster-prone areas, you probably haven’t given much thought to installing UPS systems for your desktop computers, let alone your modems and routers. But accidents and emergencies are inevitable — and when they happen, you’ll find that having internet access is one of the most important things you need to ensure business continuity.

Think of a UPS as an investment that not just protects your systems from data loss, but also keeps your network equipment functioning in emergency situations.

To learn more about UPS systems and network equipment as well as backup and disaster recovery planning, give our team of IT experts a call today.

An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) is an essential component of a business’s IT network. It ensures that networking equipment stays operational during power outages or failures. This allows you to stay online so you don’t suffer the productivity- and profit-draining impacts of a power outage, especially one that happens without warning. Learn more about UPS systems and why they’re invaluable to businesses of all sizes.

UPS for network equipment

Also known as a battery backup, a UPS provides backup power in case of outages. It also protects against power surges, which don’t just damage computers, but also make you lose unsaved work.

Deploying UPS units for Wi-Fi routers and modems allows you to stay connected to the internet when the power goes out unexpectedly. This strategy works particularly well if your employees use laptops, as that means you only need power for your Wi-Fi gear.

UPS-supported modems or routers help you stay online for as long as 90 minutes, which should be enough time to get your bearings before power finally runs out. With a UPS, you will still have a fast, reliable Wi-Fi connection so you can perform your tasks, save important files, and keep serving customers.

Without a UPS, your staff may have to rely on cellular data to do their work, which is not only less reliable than Wi-Fi, but also more expensive. You may even incur additional telecom costs resulting from overreliance on cellular data.

UPS systems vs. generators

Although generators are indispensable for certain businesses, they also require greater upkeep. If you invest in generators, you’ll need to employ an entire team to manage these pieces of high-maintenance equipment. This may not be something that a small- or medium-sized business can afford.

That said, generators can prove useful during extended blackouts, but UPS systems should be enough to keep your business running in the event of an emergency.

What’s more, misusing or mishandling generators can result in fatalities. On the other hand, if you misuse a UPS unit or if it breaks down, the worst that could happen is you lose a day’s work; it’s unlikely that you’ll experience anything life-threatening.

Plug in your network gear now

If your business doesn’t have locations in disaster-prone areas, you probably haven’t given much thought to installing UPS systems for your desktop computers, let alone your modems and routers. But accidents and emergencies are inevitable — and when they happen, you’ll find that having internet access is one of the most important things you need to ensure business continuity.

Think of a UPS as an investment that not just protects your systems from data loss, but also keeps your network equipment functioning in emergency situations.

To learn more about UPS systems and network equipment as well as backup and disaster recovery planning, give our team of IT experts a call today.

Power outages are a major inconvenience to businesses. Even a few hours without electricity can lead to thousands of dollars in lost productivity and revenue. Fortunately, there’s something businesses like yours can do to reduce the effects of power outages, and that’s using an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for your computers and networking equipment. Read on to learn more about the benefits of using a UPS for your network hardware.

UPS for network equipment

Also known as a battery backup, a UPS provides backup power in case of outages. It also protects against power surges, which don’t just damage computers, but also make you lose unsaved work.

Deploying UPS units for Wi-Fi routers and modems allows you to stay connected to the internet when the power goes out unexpectedly. This strategy works particularly well if your employees use laptops, as that means you only need power for your Wi-Fi gear.

UPS-supported modems or routers help you stay online for as long as 90 minutes, which should be enough time to get your bearings before power finally runs out. With a UPS, you will still have a fast, reliable Wi-Fi connection so you can perform your tasks, save important files, and keep serving customers.

Without a UPS, your staff may have to rely on cellular data to do their work, which is not only less reliable than Wi-Fi, but also more expensive. You may even incur additional telecom costs resulting from overreliance on cellular data.

UPS systems vs. generators

Although generators are indispensable for certain businesses, they also require greater upkeep. If you invest in generators, you’ll need to employ an entire team to manage these pieces of high-maintenance equipment. This may not be something that a small- or medium-sized business can afford.

That said, generators can prove useful during extended blackouts, but UPS systems should be enough to keep your business running in the event of an emergency.

What’s more, misusing or mishandling generators can result in fatalities. On the other hand, if you misuse a UPS unit or if it breaks down, the worst that could happen is you lose a day’s work; it’s unlikely that you’ll experience anything life-threatening.

Plug in your network gear now

If your business doesn’t have locations in disaster-prone areas, you probably haven’t given much thought to installing UPS systems for your desktop computers, let alone your modems and routers. But accidents and emergencies are inevitable — and when they happen, you’ll find that having internet access is one of the most important things you need to ensure business continuity.

Think of a UPS as an investment that not just protects your systems from data loss, but also keeps your network equipment functioning in emergency situations.

To learn more about UPS systems and network equipment as well as backup and disaster recovery planning, give our team of IT experts a call today.

Millions of businesses worldwide use Microsoft Outlook, preferring the free web-based email and calendar service over its many competitors. Outlook also offers tasks and contacts management capabilities, among other nifty features that will help you work smarter and boost your efficiency. Let’s take a closer look at some tips to help you make the most of Outlook.

Organize your inbox

Is your Outlook inbox getting a little too cluttered for your liking? Use the Clean Up feature to tidy up your inbox.

From your inbox, click the Home tab and choose from one of three Clean Up options:

• Clean Up Conversation – reviews an email thread or a conversation and deletes redundant messages
• Clean Up Folder – reviews conversations in a selected folder and deletes redundant messages
• Clean Up Folder & Subfolders – reviews all messages in a selected folder and any subfolders, and deletes redundant messages in all of them

Ignore conversations

Besides redundant messages, group conversations that aren’t relevant to you can clutter up your inbox. The Ignore button helps you organize your inbox and focus on relevant emails.

To activate this feature, select a message, then click Home > Ignore > Ignore Conversation. Alternatively, you can open a message in a new window and click Ignore under the Delete function. You can easily revert this action by going to the Deleted Items folder and clicking Ignore > Stop Ignoring Conversation.

Send links to files

This function is especially useful when you need to send large files to your coworkers or clients. You can send a link to the file instead of the file itself as well as set permissions to allow recipients to edit and collaborate on linked files in real time.

To do this, upload the file you wish to send to OneDrive. Then from the message box, click Attach File > Browse web locations > OneDrive.

Tag contacts

To get the attention of a specific person in a group email or meeting invite, use the @Mention function. This works particularly well for emails sent to multiple recipients or if you want to convey the urgency of your message.

In the body of your email or invite message, type the @ symbol followed by the name of the person you want to tag (e.g., @johndoe). Doing so will highlight the name in the message and automatically add it to the To line of your message.

You can also search for messages you’re tagged in by selecting Filter Email from the Home tab, and then clicking Mentioned.

Add notes to emails

With Outlook, you can add sticky notes to specific parts of an email. To add a sticky note, simply drag your cursor to highlight your chosen text in the email, and then release the mouse button to trigger a pop-up object menu. On that object menu, select Add Note. This will open a OneNote feed within Outlook, where you can add text or images to your sticky note.

Schedule a Teams meeting

Teams is Microsoft’s unified communication and collaboration platform, and it includes the Outlook add-in. This feature allows you to set up Teams meetings directly from Outlook. It also lets you view, accept, or join meetings while in either app.

To schedule a Teams meeting on Outlook, follow these steps:

1. Switch to the calendar view on Outlook. Click the New Teams Meeting tab.
2. Add individual participants or entire contact groups to the Required or Optional fields.
3. Type in the topic, start time, and end time of the meeting. There’s no need to add the dial-in phone numbers and conferencing IDs to the invite, as Outlook does this automatically for you.
4. Create a message inviting the recipients to the meeting, then click Send.

Share emails to Teams

With Outlook, you can easily share an email from your inbox directly to a specific Teams channel. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Select the email you want to share.
2. Click the Share to Teams button.
3. On the Share to Microsoft Teams pop-up menu, type the name of the person or channel you want to share to. Check the “Include attachments” tickbox if you want to include the email’s attachments.

These are just some of the things you can do to improve your Outlook experience. For more on how to get the most out of Outlook and other Microsoft products, drop us a line today.

Microsoft Outlook comes with a raft of features that make managing your busy schedule and boosting your productivity easier. If you find Outlook’s myriad capabilities a little overwhelming, don’t worry — these tips and tricks will have you using Outlook like a pro in no time.

Organize your inbox

Is your Outlook inbox getting a little too cluttered for your liking? Use the Clean Up feature to tidy up your inbox.

From your inbox, click the Home tab and choose from one of three Clean Up options:

• Clean Up Conversation – reviews an email thread or a conversation and deletes redundant messages
• Clean Up Folder – reviews conversations in a selected folder and deletes redundant messages
• Clean Up Folder & Subfolders – reviews all messages in a selected folder and any subfolders, and deletes redundant messages in all of them

Ignore conversations

Besides redundant messages, group conversations that aren’t relevant to you can clutter up your inbox. The Ignore button helps you organize your inbox and focus on relevant emails.

To activate this feature, select a message, then click Home > Ignore > Ignore Conversation. Alternatively, you can open a message in a new window and click Ignore under the Delete function. You can easily revert this action by going to the Deleted Items folder and clicking Ignore > Stop Ignoring Conversation.

Send links to files

This function is especially useful when you need to send large files to your coworkers or clients. You can send a link to the file instead of the file itself as well as set permissions to allow recipients to edit and collaborate on linked files in real time.

To do this, upload the file you wish to send to OneDrive. Then from the message box, click Attach File > Browse web locations > OneDrive.

Tag contacts

To get the attention of a specific person in a group email or meeting invite, use the @Mention function. This works particularly well for emails sent to multiple recipients or if you want to convey the urgency of your message.

In the body of your email or invite message, type the @ symbol followed by the name of the person you want to tag (e.g., @johndoe). Doing so will highlight the name in the message and automatically add it to the To line of your message.

You can also search for messages you’re tagged in by selecting Filter Email from the Home tab, and then clicking Mentioned.

Add notes to emails

With Outlook, you can add sticky notes to specific parts of an email. To add a sticky note, simply drag your cursor to highlight your chosen text in the email, and then release the mouse button to trigger a pop-up object menu. On that object menu, select Add Note. This will open a OneNote feed within Outlook, where you can add text or images to your sticky note.

Schedule a Teams meeting

Teams is Microsoft’s unified communication and collaboration platform, and it includes the Outlook add-in. This feature allows you to set up Teams meetings directly from Outlook. It also lets you view, accept, or join meetings while in either app.

To schedule a Teams meeting on Outlook, follow these steps:

1. Switch to the calendar view on Outlook. Click the New Teams Meeting tab.
2. Add individual participants or entire contact groups to the Required or Optional fields.
3. Type in the topic, start time, and end time of the meeting. There’s no need to add the dial-in phone numbers and conferencing IDs to the invite, as Outlook does this automatically for you.
4. Create a message inviting the recipients to the meeting, then click Send.

Share emails to Teams

With Outlook, you can easily share an email from your inbox directly to a specific Teams channel. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Select the email you want to share.
2. Click the Share to Teams button.
3. On the Share to Microsoft Teams pop-up menu, type the name of the person or channel you want to share to. Check the “Include attachments” tickbox if you want to include the email’s attachments.

These are just some of the things you can do to improve your Outlook experience. For more on how to get the most out of Outlook and other Microsoft products, drop us a line today.

Countless companies prefer Microsoft Outlook over other web-based email and calendar services because of its ease of use and convenience. Aside from being handy for managing business communications and setting up meetings, it can also be used for coordinating projects and organizing contacts. Here’s a quick guide to making the most out of these and other nifty Outlook features.

Organize your inbox

Is your Outlook inbox getting a little too cluttered for your liking? Use the Clean Up feature to tidy up your inbox.

From your inbox, click the Home tab and choose from one of three Clean Up options:

• Clean Up Conversation – reviews an email thread or a conversation and deletes redundant messages
• Clean Up Folder – reviews conversations in a selected folder and deletes redundant messages
• Clean Up Folder & Subfolders – reviews all messages in a selected folder and any subfolders, and deletes redundant messages in all of them

Ignore conversations

Besides redundant messages, group conversations that aren’t relevant to you can clutter up your inbox. The Ignore button helps you organize your inbox and focus on relevant emails.

To activate this feature, select a message, then click Home > Ignore > Ignore Conversation. Alternatively, you can open a message in a new window and click Ignore under the Delete function. You can easily revert this action by going to the Deleted Items folder and clicking Ignore > Stop Ignoring Conversation.

Send links to files

This function is especially useful when you need to send large files to your coworkers or clients. You can send a link to the file instead of the file itself as well as set permissions to allow recipients to edit and collaborate on linked files in real time.

To do this, upload the file you wish to send to OneDrive. Then from the message box, click Attach File > Browse web locations > OneDrive.

Tag contacts

To get the attention of a specific person in a group email or meeting invite, use the @Mention function. This works particularly well for emails sent to multiple recipients or if you want to convey the urgency of your message.

In the body of your email or invite message, type the @ symbol followed by the name of the person you want to tag (e.g., @johndoe). Doing so will highlight the name in the message and automatically add it to the To line of your message.

You can also search for messages you’re tagged in by selecting Filter Email from the Home tab, and then clicking Mentioned.

Add notes to emails

With Outlook, you can add sticky notes to specific parts of an email. To add a sticky note, simply drag your cursor to highlight your chosen text in the email, and then release the mouse button to trigger a pop-up object menu. On that object menu, select Add Note. This will open a OneNote feed within Outlook, where you can add text or images to your sticky note.

Schedule a Teams meeting

Teams is Microsoft’s unified communication and collaboration platform, and it includes the Outlook add-in. This feature allows you to set up Teams meetings directly from Outlook. It also lets you view, accept, or join meetings while in either app.

To schedule a Teams meeting on Outlook, follow these steps:

1. Switch to the calendar view on Outlook. Click the New Teams Meeting tab.
2. Add individual participants or entire contact groups to the Required or Optional fields.
3. Type in the topic, start time, and end time of the meeting. There’s no need to add the dial-in phone numbers and conferencing IDs to the invite, as Outlook does this automatically for you.
4. Create a message inviting the recipients to the meeting, then click Send.

Share emails to Teams

With Outlook, you can easily share an email from your inbox directly to a specific Teams channel. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Select the email you want to share.
2. Click the Share to Teams button.
3. On the Share to Microsoft Teams pop-up menu, type the name of the person or channel you want to share to. Check the “Include attachments” tickbox if you want to include the email’s attachments.

These are just some of the things you can do to improve your Outlook experience. For more on how to get the most out of Outlook and other Microsoft products, drop us a line today.

As a business owner, you understand the importance of upgrading your company’s technology infrastructure. You’re also aware that technology isn’t cheap, which is perhaps why you’re hesitant to invest in new hardware and software. But putting off or ignoring these upgrades altogether could mean missing out on benefits that add value to your business, including the following.

Better efficiency

Implementing new technologies introduces more efficient, flexible ways to carry out tasks, thus streamlining business processes. For instance, Voice over Internet Protocol phone systems and instant messaging apps enable your team to get in touch with one another, as well as with clients and business partners, whenever, wherever, on any internet-connected device. This makes relaying critical information much quicker and easier.

Similarly, business process management solutions automate repetitive tasks, like those involved in accounts payable processes. With automation, your staff saves time and effort and can focus on other, more important tasks.

Ability to address remote and hybrid work challenges

Many businesses are still struggling to cope with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, including how to manage remote and hybrid workforces. These issues can be addressed by implementing modern communications and collaboration solutions. Such tools allow entire organizations to stay connected and on the same page. Managers can check in on employees, and coworkers can call or message one another regarding projects they’re working on together. Teams can also share documents and edit these at the same time, if needed. Additionally, they can use collaboration tools to set and track task progress so everyone’s always kept in the loop.

Increased employee engagement and retention

Issues with technology, especially if these happen frequently, hamper employee productivity. They also lead to poor employee engagement and experience. Over time, minor inconveniences like computers that constantly freeze or web browsers that take ages to load can add up and create discontent among your staff.

Equipping your team with the latest hardware and software enables them to perform tasks smoothly and efficiently, without having to worry about the headaches associated with outdated technology. This also shows that you are invested in their comfort and employee experience, which increases their morale as well as their loyalty to your company.

Reduced costs

New technology pays off in the long run. The savings you will make from not having to constantly have your tech fixed or suffer productivity-draining downtime will far outweigh the costs associated with implementing new equipment and solutions.

If you invest in the cloud, you can enjoy even more savings, as doing so eliminates costs related to managing your own hardware such as maintenance and utilities. Such expenses will all be shouldered by your cloud service provider, so you no longer have to worry about budgeting for them.

Regardless of your business’s size and industry, there’s no doubt that new technology is critical for its growth. However, you need to ensure that any new hardware or software you decide to adopt is aligned with your company’s needs and goals. You must also make sure that it’s properly implemented so that you can make the most out of it. Our experts can help you do just that — drop us a line today to find out how.