Last year’s trivia question about the Ozzy Osbourne/Justin Bieber 2011 Super Bowl ad reminds us of something oh so true—technology changes fast…don’t get left behind! Technology advancements once considered a pipe dream are now becoming reality.

Words of wisdom from Marybeth Smith, COO.

In today’s IT environment, most business managers understand just how critical their business data is and are smart enough to put a computer backup in place in their organization. However, as we connect with small and medium businesses, the most common “fumble” we see is the decision to set up a backup and forget it.

A high performing football team typically has a lot of talent, but they also have the best equipment to facilitate their achievements. In the same way, talented folks in organizations perform at their highest when provided with the right equipment and tools.

This month’s SPAM Blocker Tip is:
Disguise your email address on public pages

If you have to list your email account on public pages, try to cheat SPAM spiders. Instead of writing your address as "[email protected]", write it as "john_at_domain_dot_com". People will understand how to read it, but robots will not.

Got a computer problem?  Before reaching out to Tech Support, try these simple self-help tips:

Is the problem resolved by rebooting your computer? Rebooting computers restarts a lot of hidden services which your computer relies on.

This month’s SPAM Blocker Tip is:
Get yourself at least 2 email accounts

Use one email account for public communications (i.e., forums, communities, business cards, etc.) and keep the other one only for trusted contacts.

How do Spammers grab addresses? Basically, spammers will start sending you junk email as soon as:

You list your email address on a public web page (your website, forums, etc.)
You subscribe to various newsletters and you confirm to their agreement without closely reading it (e.g., you do not uncheck the box to receive promotional emails)
You receive an email from someone who you don't know and you open the message.

Grandma always told us to be polite, but Grandma didn't grow up with computers or email.  Here are some email etiquette tips to keep today's tech-savvy Grandma happy:

 Reply on all occasions
   - Answer the question or say answer is pending
   - Create a task to provide a more complex answer
Use a subject line that hints about your topic.