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Author Archives: Website Admin

Set Up Microsoft Exchange E-Mail on iPhone

Set Up Microsoft Exchange E-Mail on an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch3

You can set up Exchange e-mail on an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. When you set up an Exchange account on your device, you’ll be able to access and synchronize your e-mail, calendar, and contacts. If you have a different device, or if you want to connect using POP or IMAP.

How do I set up Microsoft Exchange e-mail on an Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch?

  1. Tap Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account.
  2. Tap Microsoft Exchange.
  3. You don’t need to enter anything in the Domain box. Enter the information requested in the Email,Username, and Password boxes. You need to enter your full e-mail address in the Email and Usernameboxes (for example, tony@contoso.com).
  4. Tap Next on the upper-right corner of the screen. Your iPhone will try to find the settings it needs to set up your account. Go to step 7 if your iPhone finds your settings.
  5. If your iPhone can’t find your settings, you’ll need to manually look up your Exchange ActiveSync server name. For instructions for how to determine your Exchange ActiveSync server name, see the Finding My Server Name section below.
  6. In the Server box, enter your server name, and then tap Next.
  7. Choose the type of information you want to synchronize between your account and your device, and then touch Save. By default, Mail, Contacts, and Calendar information are synchronized.
    Caution:
    If you’re prompted to create a passcode, tap Continue and enter a numeric passcode. If you don’t set up a passcode, you can’t view your e-mail account on your iPhone. You can set up a passcode later in iPhone Settings.

Finding My Server Name

If your email program isn’t able to automatically find your Exchange ActiveSync server name, you may need to look it up.

  1. Sign in to your e-mail account using Outlook Web App. For help signing in, see How to Sign In to Outlook Web App.
  2. If you’re connecting to an Exchange mailbox, your Exchange ActiveSync server name is contained in the address bar in your browser when you are signed in to Outlook Web App, but without the leadinghttps:// and without the trailing /owa. For example, if the address you use to access Outlook Web App is https://mail.contoso.com/owa, your Exchange ActiveSync server name is mail.contoso.com.
  3. If you’re unable to connect to your mailbox using the information earlier in this section, you can try using the server name value that you can view in Outlook Web App options. Do the following:
    1. In Outlook Web App, click Options > See All Options > Account > My Account > Settings for POP, IMAP, and SMTP access.
      Note:
      Although you’re not setting up a POP3 account, you will use this value to determine your Exchange ActiveSync server name.
    2. Under POP setting, view the value for Server name.
    3. Try setting up your email using the server name listed on your options page. For example if the value for Server name under POP setting is mail.contoso.com, try using mail.contoso.com as your Exchange server name.

What else do I need to know?

  • If you’re prompted to create a passcode and don’t create one, you won’t be able to send and receive e-mail.

Cloud Based Telecommunications

The Genie in the Phone Cloud: Top 5 Small Biz Features

Entrepreneurship is at an all-time high and innovative small businesses are sprouting and flourishing. Personal service, attention to detail, and feeling good about supporting local and sustainable companies are some of the most popular reasons people choose the little guy over big, aggressive brands.
Maybe you sell delectable gluten-free scones out of a food truck, or are a general housing contractor with a small team of employees. Being great at your trade is one thing, but there’s also the matter of managing communications and connecting smoothly with your customers. With a cloud-based phone system from RingCentral, small businesses are able to walk (and talk) in big business shoes. You can become the wizard behind the curtain, orchestrating spectacular feats with ingenuity and some smart technology.

The Auto-Receptionist is always in and on

Your Auto-Receptionist is the personal assistant that never calls in sick! You or your administrator set the parameters so you can be reached anytime and everyplace. Define the routing criteria, and you’re connected to customers, vendors, and your cycling group, with calls forwarded to multiple numbers and devices, text-to-speech translation of messages, and department-specific messaging. Want someone with a crisp English accent orating your menus for callers? Greetings are customizable, and you can even source professional talent for your recordings. Your three-person organization can perform with the finesse and functionality of a traditionally larger and more established operation.

Unlimited Toll-Free, Local, and Vanity Numbers

Your phone number says a lot about you. Literally it could spell out a memorable word or two. A standard toll-free number, including the classic 1-800 number, tells your customers you’re well established and ensures that your customers can reach you at no cost to themselves. Choose a few local numbers for areas you want to service and instantly become a hot, new, neighborhood business.

Yes, that’s my Department

Getting dumped into a general voicemail box or simply not being able to reach someone in a timely manner is alienating for callers and can send potential customers searching for a more responsive and better-prepared business. Instead, create virtual departments with a group of extensions as a fantastic way to add real structure to your business and make it easy for your contacts to connect with you. For example, create the ‘Sales’ department and when the designated reps aren’t available, the system puts callers on hold until someone can take the call. Hold times can be customized as well, so your callers never feel lost or unimportant.

Get ahead with Call Forwarding

So what happened to the caller on hold for sales? Realizing every second counts and all’s fair in love and brand loyalty, you set Call Forwarding to reach you or another contact after, say, a 30-second hold time. The call instantly goes to your business partner’s mobile phone. If they’re also not available, the call finds the next contact and, as a last resort, it routes to the extension at your poolside cabana in Orlando. You can set specific parameters for After Hours as well and avoid the cost (and antiquated style) of an outside answering service.

The thrill of the (easy) chase

You want your business to be pursued and easily caught. FindMe-FollowMe is the cyber stalker you’re glad to have on your side. You control connectivity by directing incoming calls to any and all your phones, whenever you want. You can even set it to call multiple phones simultaneously, in a specific order and even by date, time, the caller’s Caller ID, or the number dialed.

You had the vision and grit to launch your business, and the progressive thinking to ditch the room full of obsolete and costly phone system hardware. Your contacts will be amazed at how you always seem to magically appear when they need you. Building a successful business starts with the basic steps like establishing a phone system, and being easily reachable by customers whenever they need to reach you.

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Ten Top Microsoft Office Tips

The ten most popular Microsoft Office tips

Takeaway:  Susan Harkins lists ten most popular Office tips published in the Windows and Office Blog, and the now inactive Office Blog.MS_Office_2007_Logo.svg

When considering tips to share, think about ease-of-use and efficiency. A few naturally rise to the top as your favorites. For your commemoration, here are 10 of 2012’s most popular posts from both the Office Blog, which was deactivated in mid-2012, and the current Windows and Office Blog. Thank you for reading, and thank you for sharing your thoughts and enhancements with one another throughout the year.

1: A quick Word trick for typing text into a scanned document

The response to this limited technique surprised me. It’s something only a few will use, but if you’re one of those few, it can be a big help! I was pleasantly surprised at the positive response it received and the way readers enhanced the technique.

2: Use Word macros to save your place in a document

These two short macros make quick work of bookmarking work areas in a Word document. When the built-in navigation techniques just don’t get the job done for you, consider these macros or one of the alternative methods that readers shared.

3: A quick and dirty way to compare columns of Excel data

This quick Go To comparison solution is great for a one-time task. Comparing Excel data is a common task, and I receive frequent questions for solutions. This solution is a great one to add to your bag of tricks.

4: Demystify Excel’s PivotTable feature with this simple method

Sometimes a great tip doesn’t offer a specific solution, but rather guides you to using a feature more efficiently and effectively. Users tend to ignore Excel’s pivot table feature because they don’t really understand it – hence this blog post offers some quick insight into how to use this feature without mind-bending tricks.

5: Create a dynamic Excel chart and make your own dashboard

This blog post is one of my favorites. I enjoyed sharing the technique, but more than that, I loved the way the readers jumped in to help one another with a step I accidentally omitted in the instructions. TechRepublic readers rock!

6: A quick Excel keyboard trick for selecting large ranges

This technique uses Go To ([F5]) in an unusual way – to anchor two cells, creating a range. The ensuing conversation shared a number of great selection tips!

7: Three tips for rounding Excel time values

Using the right function can help you round up your rounding woes. Excel offers three rounding functions and knowing them all will round out your skills nicely. (Okay, I promise to stop that.)

8: Three things you must do when you inherit an Excel workbook

I review a lot of workbooks, so this blog was one of my favorites to write. In my experience, performing these three quick tasks when inheriting a workbook can speed up your troubleshooting time. Fortunately, it sparked some insightful conversation into what others do.

9: Launch Word with the most recently used document

Reader response sometimes surprises me, as it did for this easy technique. I hadn’t expected so many great alternatives from the readers.

10: Run a list of rolling credits at the end of your PowerPoint presentation

I’m glad a PowerPoint technique made the top list, but it wasn’t because the readers loved my technique. Mostly, the conversation centered on the typo I missed, and then my lack of proper contrition for said typo. It was fun while it lasted.

Run MSCONFIG from Command Prompt

Go to your Primary Windows Partition Drive (ex. C:) and type the following:
CD Windows
CD PCHEALTH
CD HELPCTR
CD Binaries
Msconfig.exe

Nokia Lumia 1020 vs. iPhone 5s

Takeaway:  Before rushing out to buy the new iPhone 5s, take a look at the Nokia Lumia Specifications compared to the iPhone 5s.
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Nokia Lumia 1020 is equipt with dynamic live tiles, Office Mobile, a 4.5 Puremotion HD+ AMOLED display and is the winner of the Best Smartphone Camera Award by Gizmodo for the 41-megapixel camera.

Apple’s iPhone 5s will be released on Today, September 20, 2013. The iPhone 5s is available in three colors and will run the recently released, iOS 7.

Compare the iPhone 5s to Nokia Lumia 1020:

iPhone 5s

Nokia Lumia 1020
Price (2-YR Contract) $199.99 – $399 $199.99
Carrier Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile AT&T
Operating System iOS 7 Windows Phone 8
Dimensions 4.87 x 2.31 x .30 5.13 x 2.81 x .41
Weight 3.95 ounces 5.57 ounces
Display 4 inch, 326 ppi, 1136×640 4.5 inch, 334 ppi, 1280×768
Battery Life 10 hours Browsing, 10 hours Talking and 10.4 days Standby 6.7 hours Browsing, 12.5 hours Talking and 16 days Standby
Camera (Back) 8 MP, f/2.2 aperture, LED Flash, 5-Element Lens, 3X Zoom, Digital Image Stabilization, Backside Illumination Sensor 41 MP, f/2.2 aperture, Xenon Flash, 6-Element Lens, 3X Zoom, Optical Image Stabilization, Backside Illumination Sensor
Camera (Front) 1.2 MP, 1280×960, Backside Illumination Sensor 1.2 MP, f/2.4 aperture, 1280×960, Backside Illumination Sensor
Colors  Gold, Gray, Silver Yellow, White, Black
Audio iTune Store for music, Support AAC, Protected AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, AIFF, WAV, Apple Losssless and Audible (2, 3, 4, Enhanched Audio, AAX and AAX+) Xbox music or Nokia music; Supports MP3, AMR-NB, ASF, MP4, AAC, AMR, MP3, M4A, WMA, 3GP, 3G2, WMA 10 Pro, GSM FR, WMA 9, AAC LC, AAC+/HEAAC and eAAC+/HEAACv2 codecs
Video 1080p, Full HD, 1920×1080 at 60 frames per second, 3X Zoom, Slow-Motion video, Video Stabilization, Face Detection, Geotagging, Still Photos while Recording 1080p, Full HD, 1920×1080 at 30 frames per second, 6X Zoom, Video Streaming, Five White Balance Modes, Video Stabilization, Autofocus
Memory  N/A  2 GB
Storage 16, 32 or 64 GB local (5 GB Free – Cloud) 32 GB local (7 GB Free – Cloud)
Processor Apple A7, dual-core, 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, dual-core, 1.5 GHz
Connectivity Lightning (Charge), Nano SIM (Storage), 3.5 mm audio, USB, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi Micro USB (Charge), Micro SIM (Storage), 3.5 mm audio, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi

Top IT skills wanted for 2012

 

Takeaway: A new Computerworld survey indicates the nine IT skills that will be in demand in 2012.

Nearly 29 percent of the 353 IT executives who were polled in Computerworld’s annual Forecast survey said they plan to increase IT staffing through next summer. (That’s up from 23% in the 2010 survey and 20% in the 2009 survey.)

Here are the skills that the IT executives say they will be hiring for:

  1. Programming and Application Development–61% plan to hire for this skill in the next 12 months, up from 44% in the 2010 survey. This covers the gamut from website development to upgrading internal systems and meeting the needs of mobile users.
  2. Project Management (but with a twist)– The twist is that they’re not going to just be looking for people who can oversee and monitor projects. They also want people who can identify users’ needs and translate them for the IT staffers-the increasingly popular business analysts.
  3. Help Desk/Technical Support–Mobile operating systems have added a new dimension to help desk and tech support.
  4. Networking–This demand is being fueled partially by virtualization and cloud computing projects. The survey also revealed that execs will be looking for people with VMware and Citrix experience.
  5. Business Intelligence–Computerworld interprets this uptick to a focus shift in many companies, from cost savings to investing in technology. That will be nice if it pans out that way.
  6. Data Center–Virtualization and the Cloud could also be behind the increased need for IT professionals with backgrounds in data center operations and systems integration.
  7. Web 2.0–Tech skills centered around social media will be in demand, with .Net, AJAX and PHP as key back-end skills, with HTML, XML, CSS, Flash and Javascript, among others, on the front end.
  8. Security–Although down from 32 percent in the 2010 survey, security stays a top concern of IT executives.
  9. Telecommunications–The survey indicates a demand for people with IP telephony skills, and for those familiar with Cisco IPCC call center systems.

Five Must-Have Apps For Your USB Stick

Takeaway: Don’t get caught out in the field without the tools you need. A USB stick equipped with a few essential apps might just save the day.

Ah, the USB stick — one of the IT admin’s best friends. It travels with you and helps you rescue machines, work magic, and make end users sigh with relief. Some of these USB apps you copy to the hard drive and install; others can be run from the USB stick itself. A few of them are full-blown operating systems that can help you completely recover a corrupted or infected platform.

Whatever the style and purpose, there are plenty of portable apps for the USB stick that can be hard to live without. Here are five tools I deem must-haves.

1: SystemRescueCD

SystemRescueCD  is the Linux distribution to have if you’re going to carry one around on a USB stick. With this distribution, you can recover partitions, recover data, image a disk, test a hard disk, edit configuration files, burn a disk, check for rootkits, run an antivirus scan, securely wipe a hard drive, and much more.

2: Portable Firefox

Portable Firefox is there when you need it. Sometimes, a Web browser is a necessity for solving a problem. But when the browser on the desktop won’t run, what do you do? You break out your portable edition of Firefox. This version of Firefox has all the great features you’re used to. In fact, some will be hard-pressed to figure out that Firefox is running from a USB stick.

3: ComboFix

ComboFix makes almost every recovery tool list for me. No admin kit is complete without this powerhouse. It is my go-to tool when I encounter some of the nastier viruses and rootkits. Almost without fail, if an antivirus can’t catch it, ComboFix can. Unlike common antivirus and anti-malware applications, ComboFix will display (upon completion of running) a detailed report of exactly what it took action on. Note: To run ComboFix, you’ll need to copy the .exe over to the computer and install it.

4: FileZilla Portable

FileZilla Portable is the one and only FTP client to carry around with you. Why would you need an FTP client? There will be times when you must load a file from a troubled computer to another machine. The easiest way to do this (when all other methods fail) is by using a portable FTP client. This is especially crucial when the file is too large to fit on a USB drive or if the file must be loaded to a remote machine you do not have physical access to. This application is run directly from the USB drive and isn’t installed on the PC.

5: Explorer++ Portable

Explorer++ Portable is a file manager with all the usual features you’ve grown to expect from a file manager. But why should you carry a file manager with you? Have you ever had to repair a machine where Explorer won’t run? Makes for a major challenge. Having a portable file manager gets around that issue with ease. And why not have a file manager with features like tabs, keyboard shortcuts, a customizable UI, drag-and-drop support, and merging and splitting? In the end, the file manager is one of the most important tools on a PC. Without it, a machine can easily become crippled.

6: PortableApps

You might have noticed some of these apps link directly to the PortableApps site. That is a tool designed to make your life much easier. You can install PortableApps on your USB drive and then have a user-friendly system to add and remove apps to and from that USB drive with ease. I highly recommend this application for any and all IT admins.

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