Creative BlackBerry Calendar Synchronization

Occasionally, we are asked to perform the impossible. Most recently, we were tasked with synchronizing a Public Calendar on Exchange with the calendar on a BlackBerry.

To the uninitiated, this may seem like it should be a simple process. So, what’s the problem?

Well, there are actually many problems with this. The first of which is the fact that none of the current batch of “smartphones” (including Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and iPhone) will inherently synchronize with Public Calendars hosted on an Exchange server. So, we immediately have a need to either change how the organization handles its scheduling, or find a way to synchronize a Public Calendar with a Private Calendar automatically.

Rather than spend the time changing a business process the client has used for over six years, which would carry with it many hidden costs involved with training, we opted to find a way to synchronize a Public Calendar with a Private Calendar. To accomplish this, we used a product called Add2Exchange from http://www.diditbetter.com. This software runs on the server and we have it set up to automatically synchronize individual Public Calendars with individual Private Calendars.

Okay, so now we have our data from our Public Calendar visible in our Private Calendar through Outlook. If we were using a Windows Mobile device, we’d be all set!

D’oh! It’s a BlackBerry we need to set up, not a WinMobile device. Here’s where we get a nice little surprise from the world of the BlackBerry: you can’t wirelessly synchronize a Private Calendar in Outlook without a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. E-mail works just fine, and we can sync the calendar when connecting via a cable to the user’s computer. But this user needs changes synchronized when they’re out of the office! What to do?!?

Here we have three options: purchase and setup a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, accept that this “just can’t be done,” or find another way. Since this is for only one person, the costs involved with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server solution cannot be justified. We always want to make our clients happy, and to tell them at this point that we couldn’t accomplish the objective was not a pleasant thought. We had to find another way.

Enter Google Calendar (http://calendar.google.com). Google Calendar will synchronize with a BlackBerry Calendar. Google Calendar will also synchronize with an Outlook Private Calendar. We set up a Google Calendar account for the end-user, configured it to synchronize with their Outlook and their BlackBerry and - Viola! - we’ve got it! We now have all appointments added to the Public Calendar at their office visible on the user’s BlackBerry.

To recap, there are many hoops to jump through to synchronize a Public Calendar in Exchange with a BlackBerry calendar. In order to accomplish this, we now synchronize the Public Calendar to a Private Calendar. We then synchronize the Private Calendar to a Google Calendar. Finally, the Google Calendar synchronizes to the BlackBerry. The end-user sees all changes within 30 minutes of the time an item is changed in the Public Calendar.

If you’re currently using an external company to handle your company’s IT needs, are they willing to perform this kind of legwork to get you to your goal? Do they take the time to find a way to get the job done without offering up excuses? Do they react positively when facing adverse situations? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you need to give us a call at Delios Computer Solutions and experience the difference we can make in your organization.

http://www.delios.com (616) 301-1791

Exciting Phone Option for Small Businesses

Despite what the Microsoft haters of the world may think, every now and then Microsoft comes out with something amazing. This time it's an awesome new phone system called Response Point. Words alone will not do this system any justice - it's something you must experience to really appreciate. To boil it down, it's the most user-friendly phone system for the small business sector we've ever seen.

Afraid of replacing your current phone system because you don't want to spend a ton of time re-learning which buttons perform each function? Worry not! Microsoft Response Point relies on ONE main button. This one button gives you access to your voicemail and contacts and allows you to transfer or park calls. The core of this system relies on voice-recognition prompting, so nearly anything you'd want to do can be handled by verbally telling the system what you'd like it to do.

Afraid of being frustrated by less-than-stellar performance of voice-recognition software? Don't be. The technology has come a long way, and as long as you're not in an extremely noisy environment, the system won't miss a beat.

But what if you forget what to say? That's an easy one - just ask the system, "What can I say?"

Afraid such a modern phone system will cost you an arm and a leg? Not this time! The entry point for this system is under $2,000.00. If you've dealt with business phone systems in the past, you know how quickly you can triple or quadruple this amount.

Want to take advantage of full VoIP service options? VoIP support is built into the system. Say goodbye to per-minute fees for long distance!

Afraid of poor VoIP quality? The quality has improved tremendously over the past couple of years. If you are basing your opinion on an experience with Vonage in 2003, it's time to give it another shot.

Want to experience this system for yourself before committing to a purchase? Call Adam @ (616) 301-1791 to arrange a demonstration.

This is just another example of how Delios Computer Solutions continues to find the right solutions for the small businesses of West Michigan.

http://www.delios.com

Trusted Advisor or Mechanic?

Hello business owners! Let’s face facts – most of you are not technologically gifted. Most of you don’t particularly like technology, but recognize it as a necessity of doing business. Many of you make the mistake of looking only for the cheapest solution through technology, rather than the right solution for your business. As we all know, sometimes being cheap can be VERY expensive. We often run into situations where business owners have purchased a cheap solution and discovered it did not accomplish the goals desired. This is a perfect example of why business owners need a trusted advisor to assist with their technology needs.

Unfortunately, many business owners interact with their technology consultant the same way as they do their car mechanic – only when something breaks. Too rarely do they discuss their needs in advance with their consultant. Too often, they purchase inadequate solutions, then expect their consultant to make it work the way they want it to. Too often, we are asked to make a Kia Rio beat a Ferrari in a race. And too often are we delivering explanations on why the five-hundred-dollar solution can’t meet the performance of the five-thousand-dollar solution.

These business owners are not taking full advantage of having a technology consultant they can rely on to be a trusted advisor. One of the best parts of having a trusted advisor for technology is the minimization of wasted dollars on technology. A simple conversation with your consultant can save hundreds or thousands of dollars in misplaced spending, not to mention the large amounts of wasted time as a result of purchasing the wrong solution. In the case of Delios Computer Solutions, most of these conversations (depending on the depth and duration) would be absolutely free. It doesn’t make sense to go into territories we don’t understand without a guide. You wouldn’t perform your first skydiving jump without an instructor, would you? So what would it hurt to run your ideas past your technology consultant? They will often have the right solution available. When they don’t have an immediate solution, they’re much more apt to find the right solution for you. It just doesn’t make sense to go it alone.

You understand your business. We understand how technology interacts with it. Let’s work together toward your success!

Delios Computer Solutions, Inc.
(616) 301-1791
http://www.delios.com

Dealing with the new technology learning curve

Let’s face it: most business-people don’t care about the ins and outs of technology. They just want something that works as advertised and relieves a pain-point or improves productivity in some fashion. Therefore they, unlike the geekiest among us, loathe the aspect of having to change their habits as technology changes. In most instances, there is the thought of “why fix what isn’t broken?”

Office 2007 is a good example of this. For years, business-people on the frontlines have been honing their skills with Office, learning how to use the advanced features it presents to increase productivity and the professional image of their organizations. Then, Microsoft came out with Office 2007, with a completely redesigned interface and a perplexingly large number of new, and sometimes complex, features to learn.

This has sent some business owners and managers into fits of rage over not understanding why software continuously changes, not to mention the increased costs of training and reduced productivity during the learning process. Unfortunately, just sticking with the old software you already know is usually not a viable option because you need to keep up with the technology of your vendors and customers.

There are tricks, however, to overcoming some of the anguish over dealing with new technology:

1. View it with an open mind
   People who approach new technology with an open mind are more likely to see the benefits of new software more quickly than those stuck in their ways. This inevitably leads to realizing an increase in productivity much sooner.
2. Commit to learning the new technology
   Whenever a new piece of software is released, books on how to use the new software are released along with it, often before the actual software is available. It’s much less frustrating to approach new software from an educated stance than to go headlong into it without a clue as to what you’ll be facing.
3. Have a technology consultant available
   Consultants generally have a passion for technology that few non-geeks can understand. We truly enjoy digging into new software to discover the new gems available in the new versions of the software you’re using and we’re more than happy to assist you with learning to put these new features to good use.

We at Delios Computer Solutions have been helping translate geek into English for the SMB sector of Grand Rapids and West Michigan for over a decade. We love this stuff, and can help you find a way to love it too! OK, we know that may be stretching too far, but we can at least help you get past the desire to toss your workstation out the window. Give us a call at (616) 301-1791 or visit www.delios.com to see our full service offerings.

Finding Real Value

At Delios Computer Solutions, we understand the high financial price of technology. You want to know when you're paying somebody for assistance that they are delivering value to you. This value can be found not only in the resolution of a problem you're experiencing, but also in the speed a resolution is delivered and ongoing consultation on the future plans for your network.

Too often, we run into situations with new clients in which they've been working with another company who feel it's appropriate to deliver a resolution to an outage two to three days after reporting the outage. To us, this is completely unacceptable. We guarantee our contracted clients on-site service within two hours for outages. We've been able to deliver on this guarantee for over a decade and we plan to only get better as time moves forward.

Another sad experience for us is when we walk into a business and find their previous service provider taking shortcuts and using temporary solutions ("band-aids") consistently instead of finding real resolutions. Most of the time these are put into place to save money. But without the proper hardware and software in place, these businesses end up losing money in the long run as the shortcuts and band-aids begin to accumulate. We always push for our clients' best interests and aim for the highest value solution.

If your current solution provider is just a "computer fixer" and they're not working with you to find the right technology for your business needs, they are not providing you with the best value for your money. If you'd like to experience the difference between a computer fixer and a technology consultant, give Delios a call at (616) 301-1791 or visit our website at http://www.delios.com.

Smarter personal organization with smartphones

Anyone interested in becoming successful has had to deal with the issue of personal organization. How can we possibly keep track of all our business and personal appointments or tasks without some sort of system to help us? Traditionally, this has led people to use paper desk calendars or portable personal organizers (paper and electronic). Over the last few years, we've seen a massive migration to the use of smartphones.

Whether it's the affectionately termed Crackberry (Blackberry), a Windows Mobile-enabled phone, or a standard cellphone with calendar application, people are keeping their lives organized more and more through the use of their cellphone. We at Delios have been in the business of configuring electronic personal organizers since the days of the original Palm Pilot.

Give us a call at (616) 301-1791 to discuss how we can help you optimize your time through the proper configuration of your smartphone.

What about when stuff breaks?

As we all know, all mechanical objects eventually break. In all mechanical systems, the more moving parts you have, the more likely it is something will break. Computers appear to sit still, but there are really many moving parts inside of them, which means eventually all computers will have something break. So who do you call when you want a computer fixed?

Surprise! Delios Computer Solutions can repair computer problems on all makes and models of computers. (We bet you didn't see that blatant sales pitch coming.)

We've been repairing computers throughout West Michigan since 1996. We can bring the parts to your location and perform the repair on-site, or you can drop a broken PC off at our office at 2111 44th Street SE to be worked on at our bench for a 25% reduction in cost.

The next time your computer breaks, give Delios a call at (616) 301-1791 and we'll take care of you.

Handling the unforeseen

It’s a fair assumption to say you want your consultant to have the necessary skills to get the job done. Regardless of what the job is, you want it done right the first time. Of course, this is what all reputable consultants strive for and often achieve. But what happens when things don’t go as planned? What happens when unforeseen events or environments interrupt a project? How does your consultant handle the unknown?

With complex projects, your consultant will undoubtedly attempt to take into consideration all the factors they foresee. But working with changes in technology is often akin to home remodeling – you don’t have the full picture until you start digging into the project. Often, this brings up issues which can negatively impact the progress of the project. How your consultant handles the unknown is vitally important to your interests.

We at Delios Computer Solutions make every attempt to dig deep into the situation before beginning work. We go over the details of the project in depth with our technology contact person and other members of management the client assigns to the project. This effort to make sure we don’t miss the details is designed to minimize the likelihood of running into surprises during the project. In the event we do run into surprises, we notify the client’s technology contact immediately and work to resolve the issue. As we do this, we strive to find a solution which fits into the pre-existing budget for the project. We approach every situation with a mindset of looking for the best solution for your business.

Are you satisfied with how your consultant handles the unforeseen? If yes, we think that’s great and wish you continued success with your partnership. However, if you feel this is an area needing improvement, please call Delios Computer Solutions at (616) 301-1791 to discuss how we can build a successful partnership to handle all your small to medium sized business computer and technology needs.

Protect yourself from power outages

We see it at least a few times per year - people losing data due to power outages while they're working. By now, most people have surge supressors to protect their PCs from sudden electrical surges, but relatively few have uninterruptable power supplies (UPS). These devices can save you from the heartache and lost productivity of having to redo your work.

You can find a UPS to cover just about any need. From simple ones that will keep a PC and monitor running for a few minutes, to monsters that will power 200 PCs and monitors for hours. Supporting the small to medium sized businesses of Grand Rapids and West Michigan, we usually recommend individual UPS units to cover a PC and monitor, or server and monitor.

Ideally, we would like to see the UPS units chosen to be “smart” UPS units, meaning they also condition the power being sent to the devices in addition to providing battery backup and surge suppression. However, many of our clients opt away from this option and choose a standard UPS, which still offers surge suppression and battery backup at about half the cost of the units that offer conditioning. We’re always available to discuss the benefits and risks of each option, then to install and configure whichever option the client chooses.

Call Delios Computer Solutions at (616) 301-1791 to discuss the right UPS option for your company.