Dymaxion

Getting the best return from your Multi-Function Printer (MFP)

Christine — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:50:52 +0000

Companies have a significant investment in Multi-Function Printers and yet many people don’t use these devices to their full potential. They are much more than a printer, copier and fax! This techtip is to summarize important features MFPs can provide and configurations that will lower operating costs!

Scanning a document to your email for easy forwarding. This allows comments to be added and provides history in your Sent folder.
Scanning a document to a networked disk drive for sharing and archiving.
If supported by your MFP, printing documents on two sides (duplex) cuts paper and storage costs. Sometimes the wrong driver is installed making this feature inaccessible.
Reduce the cost of color printing by making the default for your MFP black&white.
Reduce the default disk space used by all those scanned by 80%. In our tests, changing from scanning at the default of 300dpi “normal” to 150dpi “small” reduce a page size from 1074 to 515 for colour and 1286 to 417 to black & white with no significant impact on quality. Reducing to 75dpi did impact quality.
- We’ve configured our HP MFPs to 150dpi “small” as the default .. no steps to remember

Significant savings and process improvements can be obtained. To fully benefit requires proper MFP and driver configuration plus staff education.

So, if you have MFPs that are just being used to print/copy/fax, we suggest you activate/promote the extra functionality. Of course, if you’d like to have a Dymaxion printer expert visit you to ensure your Multi Function Printer is configured appropriately please email service@dymaxion.ca or call (902) 422 1973 x 173

The chart below provides details of sizes from our internal scan test

Notebook or Tablet: Which technology is best for your business

Christine — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:34:38 +0000

The case for notebooks

The first thing you need to do when deciding between tablets and notebooks is to set aside size as one of the differentiators. Of course size is an important feature, but if it was the only feature you were interested in, you wouldn’t be grappling between tablets and notebooks—you would just choose the smaller option.

That leaves you with the real nuts and bolts of each option. The core benefit of the notebook is the hardware that automatically comes with it, like a large monitor and a physical keyboard. Notebooks are bigger than tablets—there’s no denying that—but notebooks like the HP EliteBook Folio also have larger screens and better resolutions than any tablet can offer. This is a perfect example of why size shouldn’t be the only thing you consider when making a purchase. Showing a presentation on a tablet might be convenient, but to truly wow a customer, you’ll probably be better off showing a presentation on a notebook.

Touchscreen technology has improved dramatically over the last couple of years, but some people will always love their physical QWERTY keyboard. It’s easier to type on and more accurate than a touchscreen keyboard. Last, but not least, notebooks can take a beating. In fact, some notebooks are built specifically to do just that. The tablet’s small size means it’s more delicate and easy to break.

The case for tablets

Surprisingly, the most notable benefit of a tablet is not all of the games you can play on it, but actually how light it is. The HP ElitePad weighs less than 1.5 pounds, which means you can do business from pretty much anywhere. Thanks to touchscreen technology, you can have total control of all your features and applications with just the swipe of a finger; giving you a literal hands-on approach to your work. Where notebooks can wow with the sheer size of resolution of their monitors, tablets can wow with their touch-of-the-screen capabilities that turn boring presentations or demonstrations into interactive experiences.

The touchscreen also helps on-the-go business transactions. Whether it’s having a customer electronically sign a document on your screen, or checking inventory with a couple of taps of the screen, the buying and selling process has never been more dynamic than it is today.

One of the biggest things that set tablets apart from notebooks is the apps. Just like the tablet itself, apps are built with mobility in mind, so their simple interface makes it easy for you to access the information you need. And let’s not forget about the perception that tablets create. When customers see businesses using tablets, they view them as cutting-edge and ahead of the curve in terms of understanding technology.

Why choose?

Who says you have to use either a notebook or a tablet? Why not use both? Notebooks and tablets can actually be great business partners. By syncing the two products, mobile workers can have much of the same access on their tablet as they do on the notebook (and vice versa). Or maybe you want the flexibility of a tablet with the power of a notebook. Products like the HP EliteBook Revolve adapt to any situation, making it easy for you to take advantage of the benefits of both.

If you’re trying to decide between tablets and notebooks, you need to look at them in terms of how you’ll be using them. Do you need something that performs critical tasks or quick tasks? Notebooks are good for the former, while tablets (and in some cases, notebooks) are good for the latter.

As long as you’re prepared to do some careful research and planning, and your business is committed to the implementation of whatever technology you choose to purchase, there really is no wrong answer.

Source: HP Technology at work

If you would like to see a demo unit of the HP ElitePad or HP Elitebook Revolve please contact us today at info@dymaxion.ca

Dymaxion is a certified member of the Apple Consultants Network

Christine — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:56:38 +0000

Dymaxion is proud to be a certified member of the Apple Consultants Network

We would like to congratulate our Systems Consultant, Lacy White for obtaining his Apple Certified Support Professional 10.8 certification.

As an Apple Certified Support Professional Lacy has the expertise to install, integrate, manage and support OS X-based (Mac) systems.

If you are new to Mac, iPhone or iPad he can help you onsite to:

Choose the right solution for your business
Migrate data (email, contacts, pictures and documents)
Synchronize contacts, calendars and email
Back up your data and learn more about your new device or computer

If you need help with mobile solutions he can help you onsite to:

Integrate iPad/iPhone with your existing networks
Deploy devices across your organization
Setup cross-platform integration
Configure popular productivity applications and desktop virtualization

If you would like a consultation, need onsite help to troubleshoot problems or if you want to increase your Mac’s efficiency please email info@dymaxion.ca or call (902) 422-1973 x173.

Don’t leave your office let our Apple Certified Support Professional come to you.

Dymaxion is proud to announce that it has been awarded Gold Partner status by Motion Computing.

Christine — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:28:17 +0000

Motion is a worldwide leader in rugged tablet personal computers and mobility solutions. This new partnership will allow Dymaxion and Motion Computing to work closely together to deliver comprehensive, industry leading mobile computing solutions at an affordable price point.

Full Press Release

Check out the latest in Motion’s line of tablet PCs:

BYOD. Both the good and the bad news

Christine — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:37:39 +0000

February 2013

After serious consideration, you’ve allowed workers to BYOD (bring-your-own-device). They can now use their own laptops, notebooks, smartphones and tablets in the office and to conduct business after hours. Now it’s time to quickly swing into action and choose the right supporting technology and IT strategy for maximising your productivity and network security.

The BYOD express is running at full speed
In a December 2012 survey, Gartner noted that 33 percent of businesses have BYOD policies relating to the use of personal mobile devices to access enterprise applications. That number is expected to balloon to 70 percent by the end of 2013 [1].

Good news and bad news—smartphones and tablets enhance productivity and responsiveness by enabling workers to use their own favorite technology, effectively extending gadget-addicted employee workdays into personal time. Adopting a BYOD strategy can also lower your initial capital expenditures.

The flip side is where smart choices come into play. To manage and secure a wide array of personally owned and hard-to-track devices, your IT team needs to implement clear policies, procedures and safeguards to protect applications and sensitive business data against malware, device loss and failure. Failure to do so can not only dramatically increase your operating expenses; it can damage the reputation and integrity of your business.

Expect the unexpected

Don’t bank on fixing potential technology issues when they happen. Instead, create and apply specific policies up front.
Establish clear instructions about which company information resides on personal devices and how to keep it safe.
Employees should be schooled on steps to take in case they lose their device. Most smartphones have the capability to erase—or wipe—data remotely.

To maintain worker productivity, you can provide replacement devices following loss or downtime for repair. Requiring the use of standard, company-approved document and information formats such as PDFs will also help to keep BYOD environments running smoothly.

IT can use network-accessible application programming interfaces (APIs) and mobile device management (MDM) software to leverage investments in existing logic and data. APIs enhance security by enabling access control and data protection, with the added benefit of providing auditing capabilities. BYOD users should have access to enterprise information only after accepting an MDM program on their personal devices, and using URL filtering tools such as a cloud-based secure Web gateway service.

Playing it safe
Password controls, locking enforcement after multiple password retry attempts and remote wiping of personal devices in the event of data compromise are among other BYOD-related security options. Caution: the latter can present legal and cultural issues that you might need to carefully weigh. User permission to access the device may be required. To be on the safe side, employers should require workers to sign agreements regarding remote wiping, as the process may also result in the complete loss of all personal data, photos and information on a smartphone or other mobile device. Documentation should also include details about the extent to which a business can remotely monitor what employees are doing with their own devices.

Your business can also achieve greater BYOD environment security by issuing company-owned devices such as HP’s ElitePad or the HP EliteBook Revolve. The ElitePad works seamlessly with existing IT environments, delivering an enterprise-class set-up experience. Additionally, HP Global Services and HP Custom Integration Services facilitate the ElitePad’s deployment across a scaled-back version of a worldwide enterprise. Small and midsize businesses have the same security needs as their enterprise counterparts, but with far less bandwidth to take care of these needs. HP’s offerings address these differences.

With respect to storage requirements, the HP Converged Storage solutions portfolio transcends traditional IT boundaries to address virtualization, cloud and big data challenges by leveraging polymorphic designs to conform to any storage need or scale.

BYOD isn’t the wave of the future; it’s here—and it’s here to stay. Proactive, well-prepared businesses and their satisfied employees stand to reap the benefits.

[1] Gartner, Gartner Identifies Three Security Hurdles to Overcome When Shifting From Enterprise-Owned Devices to BYOD, December 2012

HP Technology at Work/2013/February/BYOD. Both the good and the bad news

Dymaxion partners with Motion to increase adoption of industry-leading mobile computing solutions in the Maritimes

Christine — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:06:58 +0000

Dymaxion, one of Nova Scotia’s leading information technology companies providing computing products and technical services, is proud to announce it was awarded Gold Partner status through the Motion^® Valued Partner (MVP) Program from Motion Computing^®.

Motion® is a worldwide leader in rugged tablet personal computers and mobility solutions. This new partnership will allow Dymaxion and Motion Computing^® to work closely together to deliver comprehensive, industry leading mobile computing solutions to business customers in Nova Scotia.

“Having been a long term IT partner to Halifax businesses for 40 years, we understood there was a need for a rugged mobility solution specifically for the small to medium business market in Nova Scotia” explains Scott Skidmore, Sales Manager at Dymaxion. “We want to provide our customers with the best products out there at a reasonable cost.”

“Motion is committed to aligning with industry-leading value added resellers to develop and deliver solutions that continue to define mobile computing,” said Grant Frederiksen, senior director, strategic corporate alliances, Motion Computing. “We are excited to work with Dymaxion to provide innovative, end-to-end mobile computing solutions to their customers.”

The Motion^® Valued Partner (MVP) Program reflects the importance Motion Computing^® places on their value added resellers and ensures only quality organizations represent their innovative products. Both organizations are focused on ensuring the delivery and deployment of best-in-class mobility solutions throughout the province.

About Dymaxion Research Limited
Dymaxion is one of Nova Scotia’s leading information technology companies. Incorporated in 1973, Dymaxion has been providing premier computing products and technical services to businesses for 40 years. For more information on Dymaxion please visit www.dymaxion.ca.

About Motion Computing
Motion Computing^®is the worldwide leader in rugged tablet PCs and mobility solutions, combining world-class products with services customized for the unique needs of mobile professionals across vertical markets, such as field service, retail and healthcare. The company’s enhanced line of rugged tablet PCs as well as mobile point of service solutions and accessories are designed to increase mobile productivity while providing portability, security, power and versatility. For more information, visit www.motioncomputing.com.

###

A Quick Look at the HP ElitePad 900

Christine — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:33:02 +0000

[video]

Windows Server 2003 Customized Migration Roadmap

Christine — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:03:35 +0000

Planning ahead can be painful.
That is why we are offering a complementary Windows Server 2003 Migration Roadmap

Choosing an upgrade path from Windows Server 2003 is not always easy. There are many issues such as Microsoft licensing choices, applications software challenges, server virtualization decisions, “cloud” possibilities, hardware choices and change management in general. Careful thought and consideration is required and our Customized Migration Roadmap will put you in the ideal position to move ahead.

There are several reasons why now is the time to begin planning and here are just a few examples:

Microsoft has stopped regular support for Windows Server 2003. This means design improvements, free support and warranty claims have ceased. Security updates will continue until the product goes completely end of life, expected in 2015.
As a ten year old product 2003 is more vulnerable to security breaches because of its older internal design and malicious programmers well understand its weaknesses. More modern Microsoft operating systems (2008 and 2012) are far more secure.
The world is running out of 32 bit IP addresses for computing devices and a new standard is on the way in to solve the problem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPV6). While Windows Server 2003 can be patched to accommodate the new numbering system, it’s really best for your IT systems to be equipped with current operating systems.
The advantages of running virtual servers on one piece of hardware are now far better understood and supportable. With newer operating systems these advantages can be implemented and the economies, robustness and improved security advantages realized.

Our Customized Migration Roadmap will provide you with:

A customized roadmap that will clearly lay out your migration path

We will determine your server(s) current operating system and revision level.
We will inventory your business critical, important software applications.
We will discuss with you and document any perceived application software or IT systems shortcomings.
We will provide a forward looking Roadmap that shows you how to move from Windows Server 2003 to a newer version.

A suggested migration budget

We will determine an estimated budget designed to reach the target described in the Roadmap. This will be a lump sum estimate that will require refinement if you chose to move forward and implement your Roadmap.

Hardware and software requirements

Microsoft licensing is complex with multiple options are available. We will give you a specific opinion detailing the Microsoft licensing option(s) that fit your organization.
It’s possible that older servers and backup hardware should be replaced to obtain the Roadmap objectives. We will identify for you any hardware that should be scheduled for replacement and any opportunities for vitalizing servers or cloud computing.

Just contact us to schedule your complementary, customized Windows Server 2003 migration Roadmap today. Call (902) 422 1973 or email service@dymaxion.ca

Introducing the HP Folio. The Ultrabook for business

Christine — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:00:54 +0000

Incredibly thin. Super light. With zero sacrifice on battery life.

The HP Folio gives you up to 9.5 hours of battery life so you can power through your workday without recharging and get everything done with a 2nd generation Intel^® Core™ i5 processor and Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit. Add the TPM security chip to stay secure.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Upgrade your PCs to Windows 8 Enterprise Edition at a 40% discount

Christine — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 19:31:05 +0000

Until January 31st, Dymaxion and Microsoft are offering an unprecedented discount to upgrade your existing XP, Vista or Windows 7 PCs to Windows 8 Enterprise.

Windows 8 gives businesses the experiences people love and solutions IT departments need. It delivers what today’s workforce wants, bringing new possibilities in mobile productivity, end-to-end security, virtualization and management advancements, and the business tablets you’ve been waiting for. Windows 8 delivers a fast, fluid, no-compromise experience for businesses; along with a user interface that responds equally well to touch as it does to a keyboard and mouse.

Receive a 40% discount on Windows 8 Enterprise upgrade licenses when Software Assurance is included (Open License or Open Value Programs).

This offer is valid to organizations that want to upgrade to Windows 8 Enterprise and include a Software Assurance maintenance plan.
Software Assurance is a optional Microsoft maintenance program that provides upgrade protection options and additional features such as; Windows To Go, Direct Access, BranchCache, AppLocker, VDI enhancements and New Windows 8 App Deployment

Receive a 15% discount on Windows 8 Pro Open upgrade licenses

This offer is valid to organizations that want to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and not include a Software Assurance maintenance plan.
This offer is vaild for Open upgrade licenses that do not include the software assurance option.

If you would like to have a Dymaxion Representative contact you with more information on this offer please click here or call (902) 422-1973 x136 to speak to Sheila Murphy our Windows Licence Specialist.

PDF: Windows 8 Product Guide for Business

Video: Windows 8 Tablet for Business

Video: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Video: Windows to Go

Video: Secure Boot