Microsoft Office 2016 Preview: What you should know

Software, Uncategorized,
17
Jun 2015

office-2016

Microsoft Office 2016 has features that will benefit any office and business environment. Read our Office 2016 Preview to get an overview of what’s to come.

Microsoft Office has made a big impact in handling the nuances of small and big business document processing and management. With Microsoft Office 2016 being released, everybody is curious to know what features and enhancements it will bring to the work environment.

This version’s focus is definitely on simplifying things. Many features which had been missing in previous versions and were in great demand have now been added to MS Office 2016.

Preview of the Microsoft Office 2016 features

Here are some of the striking features and enhancements that have been included in Microsoft Office 2016:

office365-suite-img

 

  • Word, Power Point and Excel finally get the data loss protection feature. Centralized sharing mechanisms have been built into these tools to help keep the office documents safe. Authoring policies can also be applied which gives a way to restrict and authenticate the use of documents. This feature was previously only available in Outlook, Share Point and One Drive. Due to popular demand it has now been brought over to Word, Power Point and Excel too.
  • Outlook has also been revamped to suit popular business requirements. Support of multi-factor authentication has been added, which scales up the security and integrity of official emails. The search functionality has been improved to a large extent which will make it easier for professionals to search for emails from huge folders or inboxes. Outlook’s performance has also been enhanced so that users don’t have to wait for their messages to download. In addition to the above, extra options related to mail storage has also been included.
  • Excel has added improvements related to accessibility using the keyboards. Vital diagrams like Pivot Tables can now be constructed with keyboard shortcuts which save a lot of time and adds precision.
  • Office will still continue to offer macros and add-ins, which have proven to be a great success in other versions. Since Microsoft feels that these features are designed to the best of their ability, there hasn’t been any updates or changes made to them.
  • Visio has also gone through an enhancement in this version. It can now accommodate Information Rights Management protection. So all Visio images and diagrams can be protected, irrespective of whether they are online or offline.

Along with the enhancements that this version will bring about, IT professionals can reap great advantage by using bandwidth management features. Not forgetting, much more flexibility and support in accessing and applying updates. Administrators will be able to manage users and give them designated rules to activate devices.

For more ways to update and improve your systems, contact your local IT professionals.

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Windows 10 will be a free upgrade
Windows 10 will be a free upgrade

Windows 10 Will Be a Free Upgrade

Office IT, Software, ,
05
Mar 2015

Windows 10 will be a free upgrade

Microsoft will soon offer free upgrades to Windows 10. We’ll explain everything you need to know and how to properly prepare for the upgrade.

An overview

We would have never thought we’d see the day that Microsoft announces a “free” upgrade to their operating systems!

So what is the catch? It appears to be that the upgrade will be free for one year and will only be offered to Windows 7, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 systems.

That’ll leave enough time for Microsoft users to test out the new OS features and functionalities for glitches, even past the technical preview version. Or could it be that they’re keeping up with Apple’s trend of free upgrades to fit in more with the flourishing mobile market?

Whatever the reason may be, we know that the announcement officially came through Terry Myerson from Microsoft. Myerson had conveyed the notion of moving towards a close-knit product, with the aim of leaving behind the problem of having to worry about multiple OS versions.

Either way, it’s a safe decision for Microsoft to make as they’ll gain a better foothold on various pies in market whilst maintaining consumer loyalty.

Windows_10_Free_Upgrade

Since Microsoft’s operating systems are still predominantly used in many companies and businesses across the globe, the possibility for a free upgrade will also ensure compatibility with their existing systems, making it simpler for IT to implement upgrades.

What you need to know

  • Windows 10 is designed be even more robust than the previous versions, and it’ll include an exclusive voice control technology known as Cortana.
  • It’ll be an all-in-one platform supporting PCs, phones, tablets, laptops, and games consoles.
  • After the initial year is up,  Windows 10 may possibly be priced as a premium OS, so be prudent with your budget and allocate a little more than you would on your existing Microsoft licenses.
  • It’s yet to be disclosed if any discount will be given after using the free one year upgrade. At present, an upgrade to Windows 10 from version 8.1 is priced at $199.99.
  • The system requirements for Windows 10 will be good on most desktops and laptops built within the past 5-7years.
  • According to the Windows Insider website the minimum requirements are a 1 GHz processor, 16 GB of disk space and 1 GB of RAM.
  • Microsoft reassures users that computer systems running Windows 8.1 will be good enough to run Windows 10.
  • Another consideration is Microsoft not raising their system requirements since 2006; You could even run Windows 10 from a Windows 7, Vista, and even possibly XP system!

Although Microsoft released their Technical Preview of Windows 10 last October, the wait still continues for the official “bug-free” version of Windows 10. We can only speculate that it’ll be out sometime in 2015.

For more ways to update business networks and systems, contact your local IT professionals.

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Flash Player 0-Day Vulnerability Yet to be Patched
Flash Player 0-Day Vulnerability Yet to be Patched

0-Day Flash Player Vulnerability Yet to be Patched

Security, Software, ,
04
Mar 2015

Flash Player 0-Day Vulnerability Yet to be Patched

Learn all about the latest 0-Day Flash Player Vulnerability. By following this practical advice, you can improve your chances of staying protected.

An overview

Adobe has recently released a security update for Flash Player that fixes the exploited vulnerability in the attacks. Adobe investigated the threat and reported that an exploit has been developed, which gets around the latest update.

Kafeine, a security researcher, posted on a blog to convey the Flash vulnerability discovered by exploit kits. These kits are software tools that work on automation. The actual exploit packs help hacked sites to send out the malicious code. Kaffiene’s blog disclosed the Angular Exploit Kit, a popular crime-ware package that targets Flash player vulnerabilities. It’ll cleverly adapt to work in a certain way according to the version of Internet Explorer it detects in a Windows system.

The Flash Vulnerability

The vulnerability also exists in the Linux and Mac versions of Flash Player; however, the attackers targeted Windows and Internet Explorer users as well. Flash users must update the player as soon as possible. It is possible that the update might not fix all the holes in Flash.

An Adobe patch was developed to address the exploited Flash vulnerability; however it doesn’t address another active vulnerability that’s available for it.

Although the exploit, known as CVE-2015-0310 was downgraded, it was still used in the attacks related to the previous versions of Flash. The earlier versions of Chrome are also safe to use. Internet Explorer 10, IE11 and Firefox were supposed to update automatically to the latest versions of Flash. As for Google Chrome, its latest version is 40.0.2214.91, and currently runs Flash version 16.0.0.257.

Internet Explorer users would need to apply the patch twice. For instance, one on IE and the other on any alternative browser such as Opera or Firefox.

A word about dynamic website content

Since many websites rely on Flash player to display dynamic content, it would be easier if such sites opt to only use HTML5 to load multimedia. The click to play is one option to limit Flash content on the browser whilst it automatically renders.

An example of Flash click to play.

An example of Flash click to play.

At the same time, it’s impractical for most web users to remove Flash player completely, except for Internet Explorer which usually blocks Flash from rendering its content. The click to play feature is often preferred by many users.   It allows users to see the blocked content with only a click over the boxes. However, this will enable Flash content but bear in mind that the click to play feature will also block JavaScript from loading.

Stay updated

It is important to keep Flash Player updated to avoid being a potential target of attack. The latest versions of Flash are available, but be cautious of the unwanted add-ons that come with the Flash player versions. Once you un-check the pre-checked box, before downloading the Flash Player, the potential ad-on will not be included in the download.

For more ways to secure your data and systems, contact your local IT professionals.

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Windows 10 Logo
Windows 10 Logo

Best Windows 10 Features for Businesses and Professionals

Office IT, Software, Uncategorized,
15
Oct 2014

Windows 10 Logo

Microsoft has recently announced the preview version of Windows 10 for the general public. Here are our favorite Windows 10 features for businesses.

At a glance, it looks very much like a hybrid of Windows 7 and Windows 8, with some colorful Apple elements thrown in. We’ve decided to discuss here some of our favourite features of Windows 10 which may be of interest to businesses and professionals:

The return of the Start Menu

Windows 10 Start Menu Feature

That’s right, the start menu, which was absent on Windows 8, has been reintroduced into the OS. It’s similar to the former start menu in Windows 7, yet it includes live titles like in Windows 8 and attractive “Apple-esque” looking tiles. You can also resize it!

Extended search functionality

Windows 10 Extended Search

Within the start menu, you will be able to search anything from your current PC or device, such as files or Apps, as well as any search results from the internet.

Windows 10 Universal Apps

Windows 10 Universal Apps

Microsoft is following the Apple App Store trend by unveiling their own Windows Universal Apps, which we guess will be compatible across various devices, including phones. Older Windows Apps should still work on Windows 10.

New multiple Task View and Split Screen features

Windows 10 Multi-Task View

Microsoft have done away with Windows 8 Task switcher and have introduced a brand new Task View, which will allow users to switch between virtual desktops. This makes it a whole lot more user friendly and allows you, for instance, to separate your work desktop from your home desktop. It also splits the screen up into four quadrants to make it easier to segment your work.

Snap Assist feature

Windows_10_Snap_Assist

This is another new feature which allows you to arrange (“snap”) your Apps and windows into tiles or new screens.

Package Manager “OneGet”

Following in the footsteps of the very popular Linux based package managers, Windows 10 will allow you to install programs directly from the command line.  It may not sound exciting but imagine avoiding the 10+ windows of Next-Next-Next to get common software up and running.  Deploying programs on many systems also becomes much more manageable.

Business functionality features

Windows 10 Best Business and Professional Features

On Window’s 10 Technical Preview for Enterprise, there is said to be features that are currently under development which have not all yet been included. Some features will include specific business functionalities such as DirectAccess, AppLocker, BranchCache and Windows To Go. We can only imagine that data security and asset management will be at the top of their list.

Final Thoughts…

Now you have a run-down on some of the popular features for the Windows 10 preview. It’s available for download, but be sure to do this on a test computer or VM.

Since the negative backlash on Windows 8, Microsoft is looking for feedback to improve on their new OS before selling it to the market. In our opinion, this is a great thing as they are listening more to the consumers’ needs and practical solutions. Since most businesses and professionals depend on some Windows operating system, this is an opportunity to provide constructive criticism for an improved OS to be born.

For more information about whether Windows 10 is right for your business or practice, contact your local IT professionals.

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Manage Software Licenses
Manage Software Licenses

Solutions to Manage Software Licenses

Office IT, Software, ,
03
Oct 2014

Manage Software Licenses

Every business needs to be prepared for audits or system failures. Here are five solutions to help you manage software licenses.

In our previous article, we covered the importance of tracking software licenses.  There’s no straightforward solution. Ultimately, it’s more about being organized and finding a method to manage licenses effectively. There are both free and paid tools available to help manage and track software licensing more efficiently.

Options

X-Formation- A software tracking solution https://www.x-formation.com/

XFormation

You can track, audit and plan your software budgeting. There are three different options to choose from depending on your business needs. You can also test out a trial version before deciding.

License Tracker– Open source Tracking Software http://ltrack.sourceforge.net/

License_Tracker

It is a web based tacker designed to monitor software package usage which is open source.

Kace (Dell) – Hardware Appliance solution http://www.kace.com

KACE

They offer different appliances to fit in with the size of your business. Covers both physical assets and license tracking. It can tell you the number of endpoints out of compliance that may have not updated to a given software baseline.

SysAid- Manages Software Inventory http://www.sysaid.com/asset-management.htm

SysAid

It can assist with keeping track and complying with user agreements. An agent is deployed to help automatically update the software inventory.

White Source- Web browser based solution http://www.whitesourcesoftware.com/

WhiteSource

You can manage your OS libraries thanks to its tracking utilities. The open source version is free.

Final Thoughts

You will need to consider the size of your business in terms of the amount of equipment used that needs software licensing. In some cases, more licenses are used for individual user accounts that may access the same desktop.

Auditing licenses centrally and frequently, especially for any growing businesses, is the way to go to stay organized!

For more ways your business can stay compliant with licenses and software management, contact your local IT professionals.

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