Tag: business

3 Tips to help you avoid collaboration app overload

Collaboration apps are crucial to modern teams, especially since many businesses have switched to flexible working arrangements. With these apps, team members can keep track of deadlines, share files, and communicate and collaborate with one another seamlessly from anywhere.

Most collaboration apps have become Swiss Army knives of productivity for organizations in virtually any industry, and their capabilities keep expanding over the years. However, it’s not uncommon for companies to utilize more than one of these at the same time to manage different branches, departments, or projects. Unfortunately, such a strategy — if not managed properly — can lead to a problem known as collaboration app overload.

What is collaboration app overload?

Collaboration app overload happens when employees become too busy juggling multiple collaboration platforms that they can no longer focus on their tasks, causing their productivity to dip. When this becomes a daily problem, employees may start to feel burnt out.

Moreover, collaboration app overload can lead to the creation of information silos. When different departments or teams are using different collaboration apps, the data shared within each app becomes siloed off from the others. This makes it difficult for employees to access the information they need, when they need it, disrupting workflows and productivity.

How can you avoid collaboration app overload?

The following tips can help you prevent collaboration app overload:

Evaluate what your business needs

Just because a collaboration app has impressive features doesn’t mean it’s the best one for your team. If the app doesn’t match your business’s requirements, you may end up turning to other software to compensate for its misgivings, resulting in collaboration app overload. Alternatively, your employees might use unvetted collaboration tools, leading to shadow IT and creating even more inefficiencies and security vulnerabilities for your company.

Before investing in a collaboration app, make sure you understand your business’s needs and your employees’ preferences. Ask for input from your IT department and the rest of your staff. Doing this will help you choose one or two tools that actually help your team get things done.

Audit the apps you’re currently using

Create a list of all the collaboration apps your company is currently using to identify any poignant trends and issues. For instance, each department in your organization may be using a different collaboration solution, even though these tools have similar and overlapping features. It could also be that some of the tools on the list are being underutilized or are no longer being used by your team.

Auditing your company’s collaboration apps gives you a better idea of which ones to let go of and which to keep. This will declutter your software ecosystem, making it easier for your employees to focus on their work instead of trying to figure out which collaboration app to use for a specific task.

Consolidate your company’s tools

Some of the top collaboration solutions on the market can do the work of several separate applications. Consider taking stock of your company’s tools and replacing those with the same capabilities as these feature-rich collaboration applications. Not only will doing so create a more focused software ecosystem and enable your employees to find the information they need more easily, but it can also help you save a lot of money.

Take Microsoft Teams, for instance. It has everything you need for both collaboration and communication, including chat, voice and video calls, file sharing, and even project management capabilities. Teams also supports external sharing, which is extremely handy for collaborating with Microsoft 365 subscribers outside your organization, such as clients and vendors. Additionally, it integrates seamlessly with other applications, both those created by Microsoft and by other developers.

To effectively prevent collaboration app overload, you need to really understand what your business needs. Seek your IT team’s help or turn to a managed IT services provider like [company_short]. Our IT experts will help you audit your organization’s requirements and the apps in your portfolio. We will also recommend the best collaboration apps that truly contribute to your business’s goals. Reach out to our IT specialists today to get started.

IT trends businesses must watch out for in 2022

Another year has come and gone, and it seems like only yesterday that we wrote a post about IT’s direction in 2021. Well, here we are again with a brand-new list of significant IT trends to look forward to in 2022. Here are the top ones you need to consider for your business.

1. Businesses are consolidating their IT stacks

Before the pandemic hit, many organizations in Salt Lake City and all across Utah were fine with using disparate but top-of-the-line IT solutions. However, as companies shifted to remote and hybrid work setups when lockdowns were implemented, they had to increase their dependence on the cloud. And with staff members far apart from one another, their coordination suffered when the apps they used didn’t talk to each other.

The ensuing chaos taught business owners and managers the value of integrating apps — and that platforms such as Microsoft 365 already had synergy built into its massive suite of productivity software. To illustrate, Microsoft Teams users can share Word files in their chat threads and collaborate on those files within Teams — i.e., without having to open Word separately. This shows how everyday work processes can be streamlined so that staff can focus on their work instead of having to make their apps work first.

Platforms such as Microsoft and Google are presenting themselves as one-stop shops, which companies find appealing because:

  • They don’t have to learn different systems.
  • They don’t have to spend time and money on integrating apps.
  • Data that’s consolidated in one platform is easier for authorized users to access and secure.
  • There’s less risk of subscribing to redundant software services.
  • Installing app updates and patches on one platform is much easier than doing so for many separate standalone apps.

2. On-prem networks are being replaced by distributed clouds

With companies granting employees the option to work remotely part time or full time, there are fewer people to accommodate on premises. Such companies can rent smaller spaces, consume less power, and even tap laborers beyond their immediate vicinity. Since workers and teams are distributed, business apps and data are better accessed via distributed clouds.

Using a single data center would mean that data would have to travel long distances (and incur tremendous costs) to reach far-off contingents. With distributed clouds, however, there would be different hubs serving their respective cloud users, but with the entire operation monitored from one dashboard.

3. Not-so-new but advanced technologies will see greater business adoption

It takes time for cutting-edge technologies to prove their utility and become affordable. Some technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and Internet of Things (IoT), were introduced a couple of years ago. Early adopters found nifty business use cases for these, fueled further innovation, and brought costs down, which is why we’ll see a sharp increase in the number of businesses that will adopt these in 2022.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Expect to see evolutions in AI such as machine learning and natural language processing being increasingly used by businesses to automate tasks, make better decisions, and provide a better customer experience.

Augmented reality (AR)

AR allows users to see the world in front of them with an overlay of graphics or data. Use cases vary, such as:

  • Helping interior designers show clients what design proposals will actually look like without ever physically installing a single piece
  • Visualizing and demonstrating products to customers

Virtual reality (VR)

One area where you can expect to see plenty of VR usage in 2022 is business training. For example, business users will be able to use VR headsets to train in the use of new equipment or procedures before ever taking on the risk of doing things for real.

Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT devices are networked machines that are capable of sensing and interacting with their environment and one another without having to be prompted by a human being. Businesses are using these more and more, such as for automating supply chains and integrating smart systems into existing business infrastructure like elevators and heating/cooling units.

No matter how much IT changes and affects businesses, you can trust [company_short] to help you adapt and leverage it to your advantage. With us as your IT partner, 2022 may become one of your best years yet! Send us a message today to learn more.

What you need to know about Windows 11

Windows 10 is arguably one of the most successful iterations of the Windows operating system (OS). However, Microsoft has never been one to rest on its laurels, which is why it will release Windows 11 this holiday season.

What can we expect from this version of the world’s leading OS? Read on to find out.

1. Windows 11 is a free upgrade for Windows 10

Software licenses aren’t cheap, so the cycle of old software losing support and new software being released has always been a concern for many users who feel that they’re being milked for their money. However, if you’re a Windows 10 user, there’s no need to fret because you can upgrade to 11 for free — provided your computer meets Windows 11’s minimum system requirements.

2. The new OS will feature new visuals

First of all, app icons on the taskbar will, by default, be centered instead of left-aligned, with icons for open and pinned apps appearing to the right of the Start button. This makes reaching that button with the mouse easier, since the user doesn’t have to go all the way down to the bottom left corner every time to do so. However, if you prefer to switch back to the classic left-aligned icon layout, you can do so.

Open windows will feature tightly rounded corners — visual cues that will help users differentiate one window from another. The windows will also feature semi-transparent backgrounds that allow the wallpaper beneath to be partially seen. This refreshing take on an old design is a boon for users who see their wallpapers as digital art.

3. Snap layouts will make setting windows on the screen easy

Windows users have long enjoyed the ability to manually change window dimensions. For added convenience, Windows 11 will let users choose between preset layouts so that apps will easily snap into the right size and onto the right place on the screen.

4. Each user will be able to use multiple virtual desktops

A single Windows 11 license can grant a user different workspaces in the form of virtual desktops (VDs). That is, one particular user may have two VDs — one for work and another for personal use.

To help differentiate between VDs, users can give each one a name. Users can also use different wallpapers and snap layouts so that they’ll have immediate visual cues as to which VD it is they’re using.

5. Widgets will make it easy to get snippets of info

Microsoft is bringing back desktop widgets, which are small apps that feature snippets of information like the weather or news. Widgets can also be tiny apps that let users perform quick functions like adding up numbers on the widget itself — i.e., without having to launch a new window. Users can pick their own widgets, or artificial intelligence can automatically populate widget panels by discerning users’ interests based on their browsing history in Microsoft Edge.

6. Microsoft Teams will be included

The free version of Teams — Microsoft’s popular video conferencing and chat app — will be integrated into Windows 11. By doing this, Microsoft hopes to break Teams’ image as purely a business product and crack the much larger consumer market.

The free version of Teams — Microsoft’s popular video conferencing and chat app — will be integrated into Windows 11.

7. Android apps will be downloadable

Android apps are normally for mobile devices, but now, users want to be able to use these apps on their desktops, too. This is because desktops have much larger screens and can let users avoid cumbersome touchscreen controls. Google did try to make their apps serviceable on Chrome OS, but the apps didn’t look as good or were glitchy. Windows users, on the other hand, had to rely on third-party Android emulators like BlueStacks and Andy.

Microsoft hopes to change this dynamic by teaming up with Amazon and Intel for their Windows 11 release. Users will be able to get apps from Amazon’s Android App Store, which will be added to the Microsoft Store. Downloaded apps will be usable on Windows 11, thanks to Intel’s “Bridge Technology,” which is presumed to be Microsoft’s authorized Android emulator for its new OS.

8. Gamers will gain a better playing experience

Via the Xbox app, video game players will be able play their Xbox games on their Windows 11-powered computer. Two features will vastly improve their experience: DirectStorage and Auto HDR (high dynamic range). DirectStorage prevents lag for games whose data packets are delivered to the graphics cards from storage. Auto HDR, on the other hand, significantly improves graphics quality over SDR (standard dynamic range) with enhanced brightness and a wider range of colors to make contrasting hues more pronounced.

9. OS performance will be better

Microsoft promises performance improvements, such as:

  • Faster wake-ups from sleep, sign-ins via Windows Hello, and web browsing
  • Enhanced security
  • Smaller and more efficient OS updates that will occur in the background
  • Greater energy efficiency that prolongs battery life
  • Higher-quality audio and haptic feedback for stylus
  • Improved voice typing functionality
  • Touch-optimized experience

Worried about shifting to Windows 11? Don’t fret — let our Microsoft experts at [company_short] help you out. Leave us a message or call us at 801-747-3200 today.

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