Would you like to Advertise in our Newsletter?

Our newsletter subscriber base is an ever-growing list of local business professionals and consumers.

If you would like to advertise your product or services to our nearly 500 subscribers, simply give me a call (425) 787-0193 or send us an email so we can discuss the details.

7 Ways a Good Relationship With a Competent Computer Consultant Benefits Your Company

1.  They proactively monitor and maintain your network to prevent problems from happening in the first place.

2.  They are familiar with your network and therefore troubleshoot problems faster.

3.  They understand your business and recommend ways to save money, increase productivity, reduce mistakes, and service customers that you haven’t even considered.

4.  They help lay a good foundation for growing your business.

5.  Any changes to your network in the form of adding software or hardware (which are frequently the source of a problem) are known.

6.  They sort through all of the new technological breakthroughs, threats, and news and only inform you of the things you need to know.

7.  They give you peace of mind knowing that the “gremlins at the gate” are being watched and kept off your network.

As Managed Services Providers continue to prove their value, more companies are realizing the benefits and value of their services.

We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about how a managed services plan can reduce costs and improve uptime and business continuity for your company.

Contact us today!

The 3 Most Expensive & Deadly Computer Disasters That Wipe Out Small Business Owners... And How To Avoid Them

An Urgent Warning To All Small Business Owners:

If you depend on your computer network to run your business, this is one report you don't want to overlook!

Read this report and you’ll discover:

Download Your FREE Copy HERE!

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Ladies, don‟t forget the rummage sale. It is a good chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

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FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.

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For sale, Hope Chest, brand new, half off, long story.

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Christmas sale. Handmade gifts for the hard-to-find person.

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Wanted, man to take care of cows that does not smoke or drink.

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Three-year-old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.

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Tired of working for only $9.75 per hour? We offer profit sharing and flexible hours. Starting pay: $7 -- $9 per hour.

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Nordic Track $300 hardly used, call Chubby.

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Joining nudist colony! Must sell washer and dryer $300.

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Free puppies: ½ cocker spaniel, ½ sneaky neighbor's dog.

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Snow Blower for sale...only used on snowy days.

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Bill's Septic Cleaning: "We Haul American-Made Products."

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Nice Parachute - Never opened. Used once.

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Hummels - Largest selection ever. "If it's in stock, then we have it!"

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Tickle-Me-Elmo, still in box, comes with its own 1988 Ford Mustang, 5L, Auto, Excellent condition $6800.

Need Tech Support?

IntegrIT offers you more than one option when it comes to support. We're certain you will find an option that meets your needs.

1. Phone
Call our Help Desk any time of the day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
888-591-2755

2. Client Portal
Submit, edit, and check the status of support requests.

3. Email
For non-urgent tech support needs.

Network Assessment, Design, and Implementation

Network Management and Computer Maintenance

24 x 7 Help Desk and Network Monitoring

Data Back-up and Recovery Services 

Network Security Solutions, Virus Protection and Removal

Internet, Email, and Spam Filtering Solutions

Computer System and Network Upgrade

Email and Web Hosting Solutions

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning

Bits-N-Bytes

Welcome to the IntegrIT Network Solutions "Bits-N-Bytes" bi-monthly newsletter with tips to help you keep your computers and network running efficiently and securely. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, manage and opt-out links are provided at the bottom of the newsletter. This will not impact your other email alerts. 

We're here, ready to help you fully control and manage your IT systems so that you can focus on growing your business, increasing sales, and meeting your goals. It's easy to reach us!

	Call us at (866) 578-6220
	Send us an email

We will contact you within 24 hours or less. Happy Computing! 

IntegrIT Network Solutions, Inc., Bringing Integrity and IT Together™

IntegrIT Network Solutions Saves the Day!

Situation:  Motherboard went out at a customer site.

IntegrIT to the Rescue: The IntegrIT team had this company back in business within hours, with little interruption to business operations and zero data loss.

This company could have lost critical data and been out of business for several days while the system was brought back up.  IntegrIT saved this customer from lost revenue and the cost and time it would have taken to recreate its data.

According to the National Archives & Records Administration in Washington, 60% of companies that lose their data will shut down within 6 months of a disaster, 93% of companies that lost their data center for 10 days or more filed for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster. 50% of businesses that found themselves without data management for this same time period filed for bankruptcy immediately.

Are you sure you will never lose more than 15 minutes of data after a server crash? Have you calculated what it would cost for you to recover your data or replace a server? CAN YOU AFFORD TO HAVE YOUR BUSINESS DOWN FOR HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, OR MONTHS?  Get the answers HERE.

Thinking of Heading into the Cloud? Key Questions to Ask a Potential Cloud Services Provider

By now you’ve heard ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT CLOUD COMPUTING and undoubtedly have been approached by various cloud service providers to take the plunge. Cloud solutions have many benefits and can be a very valuable solution for the small and mid-size (SMB) market.  Still, business owners may find themselves wondering, “Is this something I should consider?”

Cloud-based software solutions vs. on-premise is an attractive proposition for SMBs seeking to make the most of the technology available today at lower costs and lower risk. The upfront investment is low, they do not need to invest in software / hardware, licensing and renewal costs are kept to a minimum, total cost of ownership is reduced, and they only pay for what they use.

Furthermore, it guards against obsolescence and transfers typical ownership risks and responsibilities — such as maintenance, management, and upgrades — from the buyer to the seller. While many companies remain concerned about security, systems’ redundancy, functionality, and who has access to their data in the Cloud, the cost benefits very often outweigh these considerations.

Cost savings in moving to the cloud are great—sometimes. But a lot depends on the details. To ensure you don’t regret your company’s ascent into the clouds, here are some key questions to bear in mind.

Nine questions to ask before trusting your company’s data or computing tasks to an outside provider.

1.  What if your bill doesn't get paid? Will all your data be deleted abruptly if the check gets lost in the mail?

2.  What if you choose to discontinue the service? Does your vendor allow you to retain ownership of your data? If you aren’t satisfied with the cloud, are you able to migrate your data from that service and how?  What will be the cost involved with the migration?

3. Who will have access to my data?  Find out exactly who will have access to your data. Certain industries fall under data privacy regulations that may make the cloud inappropriate.

4. Will the Regulators Approve?  You are responsible for the security and integrity of your data - even when it's in someone else's hands. Ask the service provider what their process is for ensuring your data is safe and meets your compliance needs.

5.  Where Will My Data Be? Find out exactly where your data will be stored. If you're not diligent, it could wind up in a data center in a country where laws may affect your operations in unexpected ways.

6.  How Will It Be Brought Back? If the data center goes out, where is the backup or backups? What redundant sources of storage and networking are being employed?

7.  What percentage of downtime can be expected for scheduled maintenance and upgrades? This is a must-ask question for every organization considering cloud software and hosting, along with data availability/access.

8.  How does the provider communicate maintenance notices, outage issues, or fixes? Know upfront how your cloud provider will locate you should the system be down, and what forms of communication will be used: email, phone, web, mobile, or all.

9.  What If Your Service Provider Goes Out of Business? How will you get your data from the service provider? Will they cover any migration costs.  Find out if there is a plan in place and get it in writing.

Whether you are ready to trust your data to the cloud or not is something only you and your I.T. team or advisor can decide. Regardless if your data is stored locally or online, it is always critical to maintain regular backups. A combination of on-site, off-site, and online data backup services should be considered as part of a comprehensive data backup and recovery plan. If your business relies on data, the life of your business may depend on it!

If you want to know if cloud computing is right for your business, send us a request  or give us a call at 425-787-0193 for a free, no-pressure, no-obligation cloud readiness assessment. We’ll evaluate your current situation and provide insights and options for moving to the cloud. We’ll also answer any questions you have and tell you the unvarnished pros and cons of choosing this option.

Plus, if you call us during the month of August to schedule this assessment, we’ll give you 6 Months of FREE E-Mail or Web Hosting, compliments of IntegrIT Network Solutions, Inc.

ABOUT INTEGRIT NETWORK SOLUTIONS, INC.

Headquartered in Lynnwood, Washington, IntegrIT Network Solutions, Inc. is a full-service technology solutions provider and consulting firm that caters to the needs of small and mid-sized businesses in the greater Seattle area. Since 2003, IntegrIT Network Solutions has been offering technology solutions to assist businesses in improving the overall efficiency and profitability of their operations. From Needs Assessment and Disaster Recovery plans to Hardware Implementation and Hosted Solutions, IntegrIT Network Solutions provides small businesses with an IT resource for every aspect of their business. Other key offerings include server installation, virus protection, network security, backup services, and complete IT outsourcing. More information on IntegrIT Network solutions is available from the company’s website, www.integrit-network.com, or by emailing info@integrit-network.com, or calling 425.787.0193.

Cyber Attacks in America - Why Are These on the Rise?

In the past months, especially attack attempts on corporations and home users alike, have been on the rise. With large corporations such as Sony, Google, Amazon, and even RSA, a company whose business is network security, how are you supposed to defend your company and its intellectual data? Well according to many articles out that talk about these attacks, it’s not them.

The question is... are the number of cyber attacks increasing, or is the media covering them more frequently?  It's difficult to say but either way, one thing is for sure, making sure proper security measures are in place is a must. It's unmistakable though that the frequency of these fraudulent activities is increasing.  Some security specialists have stated that attacks on companies such as Sony are easily avoidable and that they are practicing "sloppy security."

If you or your company has important data that is not properly secured, you're just asking to be compromised. Even though China is among one of the largest perpetrators right now as far as where the Cybercrime is coming from, there are many other countries where hackers are making the same attempts. If you feel safe and you do not have good security measures in place for both your network and the way that you store data, you may not feel the same way once you get hacked…yes it does happen and we would hate to have to say “we told you so.”

If you’re not sure if your network and data are secure, schedule a time with us and we can come out and take a look at your network systems setup and let you know some of its weak points and how you can better protect your data.

If you’re interested and would like to read more about the attacks that have happened in the recent past, click here. 

Best Practices & Resources:

 >  Consider what the password is protecting when choosing a password based on the program you are using.  The passwords protecting your most sensitive information should always be different than other passwords. Use a mix of numbers, letters, and non-dictionary words to create strong, hard-to-crack passwords, and never give your password to anyone for any reason. Some services may not require as secure a password if they do not contain any private information.

 >  Frequently Change Your Passwords.  Even if someone cracks the system password file, the password they obtain is not likely to last long. Most computer experts and online security professionals recommend changing your Internet passwords and account login information at least once every three months. It may be safe for you to wait longer; it just depends on your computer habits, and how and where you surf the web.

 >  Don't fall victim to a phishing scam.  You receive an e-mail or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you might deal with – for example, an Internet service provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or even a government agency. The message asks you to “update,” “validate” or “confirm” your account information. Some phishing e-mails threaten a dire consequence if you don’t respond. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization’s site. But it isn’t. It’s a bogus site whose sole purpose it to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

 >  ShouldIChangeMyPassword.com has been created to help the average person check if their password(s) may have been compromised and need to be changed. This site uses a number of databases that have been released by hackers to the public. No passwords are stored in the ShouldIChangeMyPassword.com database. This website is made available as a public service.

 >  RoboForm is a password management and web form filling program that automates password entering and form filling, developed by Siber Systems, Inc. It is available for many web browsers, including Internet Explorer (and other Trident based browsers), Firefox, Google Chrome, as well as support for mobile devices such as Palm, Pocket PC and Symbian. However, RoboForm does not currently support Mac OS X, Opera or any Linux/Unix systems. RoboForm was named PC Magazine Editor's Choice, and CNET Download.com's Software of the Year.

Client Spotlight: All About Care - Affordable Senior Care & Consulting

You might be our next Featured Client . . . Watch for your name and picture here!

Keeping Your iPad Secure - Here Are 7 Simple Ways

1.  Don't leave it lying around.  Although this is common sense, you've probably violated this rule more than once. iPads are easy targets for thieves, so don't let it out of your sight when in a public place - and don't leave it in plain view in your car or you might end up with a broken window in addition to a stolen iPad.

2.  Use a passcode.  Although it's not 100% hacker-proof, it will block unauthorized users from accessing your information.

3.  Consider enabling automatic data erasing. You can configure your iPad to erase your data after 10 failed passcode attempts. Clearly this is not a good solution for anyone who constantly forgets a password or those who have kids who might try to endlessly log in to use your iPad.

4.  Sign up for MobileMe. This software will allow you to locate a lost iPad and, if it's not recoverable, you can remotely wipe the device of your private information.

5.  Limit its capabilities. You can set your iPad to restrict certain functions such as access to Safari, YouTube, installing applications, and explicit media content using a passcode. In the corporate world, an IT administrator could set these restrictions for company owned devices. At home, you can use this to restrict what your children can do with your iPad.

6.  Install software updates.  As with all software, make sure you have the latest security updates and patches installed to protect against hackers and viruses.

7.  Only connect to trusted WiFi networks.  Public WiFis are open territory for hackers and identity thieves. Whenever you connect, make sure it's a legitimate, secure connection.

Check Out What’s Happening at IntegrIT Network Solutions, Inc.

Please Join INTEGRIT at the Quick-Start Shoreline FREE Small Biz Workshop on August 16!

We are honored to be a featured speaker at an upcoming Quick-Start Shoreline business workshop on Tuesday, August 16, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm, at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Avenue North.  These workshops are designed as a helpful resource to start-up, existing, or potential business owners. Sessions are free and open to the public.

Business Continuity and Disaster Survival Strategies for the Small and Mid-Size Business
Larry will share survival precautions and strategies for keeping your business going in the event of a disaster of any type – minor, major, environmental, or technological: Please join us...or ask him to present to a small group of your choice. Contact Julie (425) 787-0193 or email julie@integrit-network.com. 

Support Requests - Getting the Help You Need When You Need IT!

Help is just a click away right from your desktop. If you are an IntegrIT Managed Services Customer, take a look at your computer system tray, in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen... you'll notice the IntegrIT star icon.  Click on the and then choose "Help" from the list. It will redirect you to our support page, which provides you with three options to reach the helpdesk based on urgency.

Reminder:  Our 24-Hour Help Desk Support Phone Number Has Changed - 1-888-591-2755.
This is the best and most efficient way to request support, especially if you need immediate or after-hours assistance. When sending requests through the Client Portal or to support@integrit-network.com, please note that the acceptable response time is 24 hours. Contacting individual IntegrIT employees or technicians directly by telephone or email is outside our standard Service Level Agreement (SLA) and may greatly delay the processing of your support request.

We Are Excited to Welcome Our Newest Clients!

The staff at IntegrIT Network Solutions is thrilled to welcome our newest customers. We would like to extend a sincere "thanks" for the trust and confidence these clients have shown in us. Thank you!

Are You Making These Summertime Mistakes With Your Company’s Server?

How To Ensure The Heat Doesn’t Fry Your Server (And Your Data!)

With the “dog days” of summer upon us, many business owners are looking for ways to keep their company’s sales and profits HOT, while keeping their IT expenses COOL. But if proper attention is not given to your server and network equipment during the summer, all that heat outside can actually cause serious damage to your server, causing your system to crash and burn – literally!

Excess heat IS a big problem for all computer equipment including laptops and PCs. But since your server is carrying the load, overheating will cost you more in electric bills and problems. And once a server gets too hot and blows out, it weakens components so that they are more susceptible to failure forever afterward, not just during the particular moment they overheated.

9 Steps Every Business Owner Must Know To Prevent A Server Crash

Here are a few simple things you can do to prevent your server and network equipment from overheating and crashing this summer:

1.  Tidy up the server room; a neater room will increase air flow.

2.  If you have more than one server, arrange them in a row so that the cold air comes from the front and is expelled out the back.

3.  Keep the doors to the server room closed and seal off the space to prevent dust buildup which can contribute to electronic equipment overheating.

4.  Make sure cold air reaches all the equipment.

5.  Have a redundant A/C that is specifically designed for computers.

6.  Buy a rack enclosure where the cooling is built in to the bottom of the rack.

7.  Keep the temperature at no more than 77 degrees.

8.  Use blanking panels over any empty spaces on your server rack.

9.  Consider virtualization so you are generating a lower amount of heat in the first place.

If you have any questions about or would like assistance with implementing any of these cool server solutions at your business, contact us for a free consultation. These benefits – plus many more – are the type of services we offer to our clients!