Move Spreadsheets to Web Based Applications

by John Richards
Programmer

Did you know, moving your spreadsheets to a web based application can save you time and enhance your information. Much like the advantage gained when everyone started moving their information from ledger books and other paper tracking methods to spreadsheets, now you can increase those benefits by moving it to a web application.

By converting your spreadsheets into a web application you add portability and flexibility to your data. You are no longer encumbered by needing the data present; instead it can be accessed from anywhere there is an internet connection. Add a user friendly front end to the data and now even people who don’t have a lot of technical knowledge or spreadsheet experience can view and interact with the information in a meaningful way. Your data can now start doing double or even triple duty. Have a list of customer information? Now use that to track newsletter subscriptions. It can be nice to have a physical copy sometimes, just add an export to Excel or CSV option and now you can have the benefits of both methods.

It can also save you time by preventing you from doing repetitive action and lets the computer take care of it for you. If you are manually copying data, or recreating reports or spreadsheets it should be automated. By moving to a web based application some of our customers have saved days and some even weeks of work a month.

The next time you find yourself opening a spreadsheet, take a moment and think of what you could gain by converting it to a web application. You might be surprised at the time you can save and the flexibility it gives.

Check out just one app we moved from a spreadsheet in our TrackStar program. Let us know what we can do for you.

What is a VPN?

by Brad Ray
Support Specialist – Kirksville Office
A virtual private network (VPN) is a network that uses the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organization’s network. It aims to avoid an expensive system of owned or leased lines that can only be used by one organization. The goal of a VPN is to provide the organization with the same, secure capabilities, but at a much lower cost.

Confused yet? A couple of keywords are inexpensive and secure. A VPN gives you a secure option to access your files at your office(s) over the internet from your home or where ever you have an internet connection. Connecting “directly” between your home or office can be very expensive and depends on distance between the locations. With a VPN, usually software based on your PC, handheld device or Mac, you can travel anywhere you like and connect back to your office with just a few clicks. Once the connection is established, it’s just like you’re in the office. You can control your desktop, check your email, access files on your server and more.

ETC ComputerLand has setup connectivity for hundreds of clients ranging from schools to legal offices to health facilities. Let us help with your connectivity needs, near and far, call one of our friendly sales staff today for more information.

Why Social Media?

Alright, so you’ve heard of Facebook, heck you probably use it. But what about its uses for business? Think there aren’t any, not true, think you don’t have enough time for it, also not entirely true.

So, why social media? Because it’s here to stay! Facebook just reached the 500 million user level. Use it to keep in front of your customers. It’s free and very easy to use and gain fans. Used in conjunction with your blog (build one if you don’t have one) along with your website is a great way to gain visitors and sales!

Twitter reports they have 190 million visitors per month generating 65 million Tweets a day. Businesses already use Twitter as a great way to connect people with special promotions. People already use Twitter to find and share deals on their favorite products & services. Twitter recently unveiled @earlybird, a new account that brings those worlds together by giving people an easy one-stop destination to find out about some of the best deals on Twitter.

Use of LinkedIn is also encouraged. Joining and creating groups around your expertise is key. Find opportunities around your connections, engage your connections in events at your business and search for prospects to invite into your network.

Other services such as FourSquare’s geo-locator application can let your business hold special contests for customers visiting your location.

Using Tweetdeck or HootSuite can enable your business to see instantly your favorite social media avenues and allow you to post one item and reach various social media outlets – thus saving you time. As you can spend substantial time in online promotion, we recommend outsourcing your social media needs as you see fit. ETC ComputerLand can absolutely help with your online needs, setting up accounts, offering advice, and coordination with your website. Give us a call today for more information.

Is Your Monitor Out of Date?

from Lisa Curran
Inside Sales Support Specialist

We still see many clients with single CRT monitors on their desks. Not only is there a more productive way for you to compute, but there is also a less expensive, more green way to do so.

Microsoft’s Research Center’s findings indicate that users can improve productivity by 9 to 50% by adding another monitor to their computing environment (depending on the type of task). Other studies cited in the New York Times suggest 20% to 30% productivity boosts.

* Switch between applications more quickly — instead of using keyboard shortcuts like ALT + TAB to multitask, just point your mouse to the other screen and save a lot of time.
* Segment your working tasks, use one screen to collect incoming information (social media, email, etc.) and another focused on what you have to do at the moment, and possibly another monitor for additional task needs.
* View documents side-by-side for comparison, research, or cutting-and-pasting.

And on costs savings, although savings may be small per LCD, if you have an office of 20 machines or more, converting your CRTs to LCD monitors can yield savings of up to $200 per year based on usage. While small, coupled with productivity gains, return on investment can be realized in short time.

Many new systems and graphics cards will support more than one monitor for your viewing pleasure. Call us today for information regarding support for your system and multiple monitors and for pricing on HP LCD displays!

commodore64

Great little slideshow about the com64, this is what I started on. I wrote a couple programs, but mostly played games. What is missed in this article is writing data to a tape player! I got the upgrade to 5.25 floppy a bit later. I somehow lost my com64, but have my grandfather’s system in my office. I’m going to hook it up sometime and play Olympics, some baseball game, and some race car game, can’t remember any game names, but good stuff!

Dirty Words

Which words are you guilty of?

Workplace Stress

Very interesting article related to self-evaluation and your environment. Most apply to me personally, time to take a step back and review what’s going on around you and how you react to it.

Difficult Conversations:
The 9 Rules of Engagement

1. Each to his own without judgment
2. What you want for yourself, give to another
3. Change your perspective and you’ll change your perception
4. It’s not what you say, but how you say it
5. Perception is reality until proven otherwise
6. The path of least resistance is avoidance
7. Feelings aren’t right or wrong – they just are
8. Put others’ needs ahead of your own by treating them with dignity and respect, and expect them to respond in kind (“selfless leadership”)
9. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone …

Vendor Client Relationships

Interesting video. Guilty myself many times!

Great Communicator

A very good article regarding communication, follow the KISS method, common sense rules.