Home IT Services IP Phones Web Design Hosting Company
Sharing Little Bytes of Information

IT Support For Doctors in Riverside

Oct
22,
2011

IT support in Riverside California has been a service that has been highly sought after in the last few years. With companies looking to be more productive and efficient during hard economic times, effective and trustworthy IT support has become one of the most important factors influencing the future success and longevity of a company.

Doctors especially, are turning more than ever to companies that they can trust. Their industry that is now experiencing some trying times because of political health care debates and regulations. While the medical industry remains solid, the doctors ability to be efficient is compromised when either the wrong EHR (Electronic Medical Record) system is implemented or their network is not equipped to meet the progressing demands of the EHR world.

Simpletech Solutions is very experienced with medical groups and independent physicians. They know what technologies are need to keep that doctor on the cutting edge, and keep that doctor out of legal trouble stemming from electronic HIPPA violations.

Physicians should perform the following self evaluation on their technology in order to evaluate their current situation and determine if they have a need for improvement.

1. Do I have a firewall equipped with an IDS (Intrusion Detection System) and is it properly configured.

2. Do I have an effective internet policy?

3. Am I running up to date antivirus applications?

4. Am I patching my servers and workstations in order to prevent vulnerabilities in my network?

5. Have I properly trained my staff to defend against social engineering?

6. Do I have a reliable backup system running in case of a disaster?

7. Do I train my employees regarding the disclosure of patient information?

The above items are just a few of the things that should be considered when running a doctors office in this day and age. The information super highway known as the Internet is a fast moving place. You should take all precautions in order to perpetuate the existence of your practice.

Posted in it support | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Should I get an iPhone 4s or wait for an iPhone 5?

Oct
18,
2011

While the iPhone 4s is setting sales records with over 4 million sold in the first 3 days, those who have yet to get the newest Apple release are dividing into two major categories. Either you are happy with your current Android, Blackberry, or some other mobile device or you are an Apple customer who is itching like crazy to find some way to get their hands on the newest iPhone.

Reportedly there is a 3rd category of people who don’t own any mobile device, but since we’ve seen 1st graders calling their peeps, we are unable to verify this information. What we can report is that while there were initial sentiments of disappointment that the iPhone 4s release wasn’t a completely revamped iPhone 5, the 4s and, specifically, the new iOS 5.0 that has been released with it have been received well.

And, for those who have yet to upgrade, this change in sentiment has left the 4s itch to only increase. We know you’re going to upgrade eventually, but the question is, “Should I get the iPhone 4s now or wait for the iPhone 5?” We’ve broken down that question into 3 smaller questions to hopefully help you make your decision a little easier:

  • “How old should my iPhone be before I upgrade?” If you have an iPhone 3G or 3Gs, now is probably a good time to upgrade your iPhone. Yes, you may miss out on the next big release, but you’ll be on track for the refined version of iPhone 5. The biggest reason for upgrading now is that Apple’s apps and software updates are now being built for much faster processors and functions that aren’t supported on the older 3G and 3Gs. That isn’t a problem if you have an iPhone 4 unless you can’t live without the new Siri voice recognition feature.

  • “Will the iPhone 5 be coming out soon enough that I can hold out?” Apple notoriously has a slow new release schedule and word is that the iPhone 5 is slated for a mid to late summer release in 2012. While an early spring release probably will cause you a big hurt if you upgrade now, if the iPhone does indeed come out in October as it did this year, you’ll be spending another year wishing you had upgraded–a technological eternity.

  • “How much better will the iPhone 5 be than the 4s?” The single biggest reason for waiting for the 5 is the fact that you know Apple has some tricks up their sleeves that will make the 5 a MUST HAVE. Here are some of the new features that are being rumored: slimmer design, LTE (4G), a large screen, and the fact that it is probably the last device that Steve Jobs had a major impact on. But while this sure to be “cult classic” is bound to turn heads when it is released, the fact is that the rumors out currently with any weight haven’t yet given us any reason to recommend that you wait.

Need mobile device help or computer support in Southern California? Simpletech Solutions provides many small businesses services including IT Support in Orange County to network management in the Inland Empire.

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

IT Support For Physicians and Doctors in Riverside CA

Oct
15,
2011

Simpletech Solutions specializes in providing comprehensive and trustworthy IT support for physicians and doctors in Riverside California, the entire Inland Empire and surrounding cities such as Corona, Irvine, Orange, Moreno Valley, and San Bernardino County. Simpletech Solutions was built off of the foundation of a 30 year reputable CPA firm in Riverside California. That CPA firm was and is largely composed of physicians of all kinds, and their practices. As we worked with many doctors, we came to realize how important uptime was to them, and how incredibly efficient they must be as they operate throughout their day.

Physicians also have a great need for confidentiality, and a need for trustworthy IT support. Because everything in the medical world is now being done on computers, and EMR and EH are software is required to run on a solid network, more and more physicians are required to rely on their IT support.

IT Support Riverside

Helping Doctors Operate Efficiently

The modern physician will now have a computer in almost every exam room, a computer in their office, and computers at the front desk. All of those computers need to be locked down securely and safely in order to ensure proper confidentiality standards and hit the compliance. These networks also normally have a server that is central to their whole network where they keep sensitive and confidential medical records for their patients. Those records need to be kept safe, and the physician needs to have a solid disaster recovery plan in place and tested in order to allow the doctors office to persist in the case of a disaster. In the future physicians are going to set themselves apart by how effectively they utilize current technologies for their industry.

Simpletech Solutions is a one-stop shop for a physicians IT support services as well as custom websites, and medical practice branding and marketing. Because we have worked with so many local physicians, we know exactly what is needed in order to deliver the highest level of service possible.

Posted in it support | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Apple Should Make A Larger Ipad

Oct
15,
2011

According to MG Siegler of Techcrunch, a larger ipad is possibly in the works. I am hoping this is true. Many of the things that I do on my current iPad, could be done much more efficiently and comfortably on a slightly larger screen.

Need a Larger Ipad

Can We Get A Bigger Ipad

For instance, I use the iPad exclusively for business meetings, church meetings, and some personal notes. The screen size, in my opinion should at least match the size of an 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper. Can you imagine if you could write on the iPad, and have the same real estate as you do on an 8 1/2 X 11 piece of paper. It would surely make my job easier and would also allow me to use the iPad to make my point to others by way of drawings, diagrams, and examples. According to the techcrunch article referenced here, Apple has already been working on a series of iPads with more screen real estate.

In addition to that, the article mentions that these future iPads with larger screen sizes will actually run some sort of Mac OS X operating system rather than the IOS operating system. Theoretically you could replace your desktop or laptop computers just by having a small docking station and Apple’s Bluetooth keyboards and mice. When you hit the road you take your iPad with you, and you have a well-organized notebook in which you can write on, type on, and run more robust applications. You can only assume that as technology becomes more and more advanced, they are going to be able to make low-profile iPads with larger screens as powerful as 17 inch MacBook pros. Apple seems like they are on a path to continue to pursue touch screen technology, and it seems as if they are dedicated to making it the most efficient way to operate a computer. It doesn’t get much nicer than handling a brand-new iPhone, iPad, Magic mouse, or Apple trackpad. The responsiveness and ease-of-use makes your use of a computer or device that much more enjoyable. I’m hoping that Apple will pursue what has been written about in this Techcrunch article and produce an iPad that is at least the size of an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper, with the power to run full-blown applications such as Final Cut, Photoshop, and Microsoft office for Mac.

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Verizon 4G Network Available to Riverside & North San Diego Counties in October

Sep
30,
2011

Verizon announced this week that it will be expanding its 4G Long Term Evoluton (LTE) cellular network to Northern San Diego County and into Riverside County. The wireless giant currently provides 4G access to much of the San Diego and Los Angeles metropolitan areas, but this expansion will extend its reach outside of the major downtown centers into the Inland Empire and northern San Diego area.

The areas within the Inland Empire that will be receiving 4G coverage include East of Norco to Riverside and portions of Moreno Valley; South of Moreno Valley to Woodcrest, Perris and Temecula; North of Temecula to Murrieta, Lake Elsinore; and, just south of El Cerrito.

The areas within San Diego that will be receiving 4G coverage include: From Carlsbad to Encinitas and just north of Solana Beach; From just north of Solana Beach and east to Rancho Santa Fe and Highway 56; Northward along Highway 56 to Del Dios; and, just south of San Marcos.

According to Verizon, the provider’s 4G wireless data network already is available in the greater Los Angeles area from San Fernando and east to Glendora and Fontana; south to Norco and El Cerrito; west to Yorba Linda and south to San Clemente; and, northwest to Long Beach, Santa Monica and Woodland Hills.

In the San Diego area, the 4G LTE coverage reaches from Solana Beach and south to La Jolla and Imperial Beach; east to Chula Vista; and north to El Cajon, Santee, Poway and Escondido.

Expecting to roll out the new additions to the Southern California coverage area on October 20th, the 4G network now is available to over 160 million Americans. The service is also available on 12 devices and is expected to be available in the new iPhone 5 release.

Southern California’s leading IT support company, Simpletech Solutions serves small businesses with tech support, managed IT, network management, and telecommunications. The computer support specialist’s coverage area reaches throughout the Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego areas.

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Help! My Computer Won’t Turn On After Power Outage

Aug
9,
2011

Ride the Lightning

Twice in the past week I’ve replaced hard drives due to power issues. Of all the components to replace on a computer, the hard drive is the most time consuming and risky to your data. First, out of responsibility to my industry, back up your data! If you are unsure how to do this, use a reliable managed IT service. There, I’ve said it, we can move along now. What I want to discuss today are some inexpensive things you can do to prevent trouble. Both of the incidents I just worked on were completely preventable, had a few precautions been taken. Let’s take a look at these and find out what could have happened instead.

Case 1: Electronis Incompetous

The workstation next to his was acting up, so, the helpful user unplugged the workstation. It still didn’t turn off, he heard the fan stop, but the computer was still on. so he plugged it back in, waited 15 seconds, and did it again. Still it stayed on. He did this 3 more times. Finally he noticed that it was his station, not the malfunctioning one he was unplugging. By this time the boot sector of his hard drive was like a 6 year old boys plate of asparagus, all mushed around so it looks like nothing’s really there.

Ok, in 29 years of computer repair this was the first time I saw this. But I have seen many a hard drive crash by having the power turned off and on repeatedly. Here’s what’s happening – the drive plates themselves, called platens, are spinning at up to 10,000 rpm. The heads are small metal blocks that are suspended above and below the platens with less than the thickness of a human hair in between. There are magnetic as well as centrifugal forces at work with each other. When the power is cycled off and on the forces start to work against each other. This significantly increases the chances that the heads will collide with the platen causing what’s called a “head crash”. This nearly always damages data, and often requires the drive to be replaced.

If your computer is locked and won’t shut down, here’s the first tip. Try holding the power button down for 7 seconds. That will usually force a shut down. It’s not friendly, but better than pulling the plug. Second, when you power it on, let it stay on for at least 2 minutes before shutting it down again forcibly. That should give the drive time to spin up to speed, and usually get the heads out of the boot sector (the most vulnerable area). Third, if it locks a second time, it’s time to call in the cavalry. There are rarely problems of that nature that will heal themselves. You need some expert advice.

Case 2: Power Double-fail

The power failed at a customer’s site. Occasionally it happens. When the power came back on, one of the computers wouldn’t boot. And never did again. Now it is possible that this was an example of the previous case. But when there is an outage, new factors can come in to play. Electronic devices have what’s called inrush current. This is the extra energy it takes to spin up motors, heat stuff up, light up bulbs, etc. The power company has plenty of energy to keep everything rolling, but with inrush current taking up to double the normal operating amount of power for a device, imagine what happens when every device in the neighborhood does it all at once. It creates a sag on the voltage throughout the system. That’s what happens when the power comes back on after an outage. Low voltage operation is bad for drives, and this is the suspected cause of the drive’s failure.
The solution for this one is simple, when an outage occurs, simply shut off the computers or their surge protectors. After the power comes back on, switch them on again. The neighborhood inrush will only last a couple of seconds, by the time you reach down and flick it on, all should be safe.

A couple more tips while we’re on the subject. Always have a good surge protector on your computer and all of it’s attached devices (monitor, router, printer etc.). Never use your computer during an electrical storm. And buy a battery backup (UPS) if your data is critical and changes often. Should you have any questions about power related problems and how to solve them, call us. We are an IT support company that loves to find solutions to your IT needs.

Posted in Troubleshooting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Be your own radio station at home!

Jul
22,
2011

New devices bring your .mp3 collections to you home stereo system

I have a stereo surround sound system, not theater quality, but nice. I have a great collection of .mp3 files. Getting the two to work nicely together has been tough. AppleTV did a pretty good job getting me there a few years ago, but it’s an expensive solution that has limits. I’ve found my next solution. Apple’s AirPort Express is just the toy for me. It’s the same size as the charger for my macbook, but it really delivers on features. From anywhere in my house I can easily browse my iTunes library and fill my home with music of my choosing. Here’s how it works:

First I plug the AirPort into my network switch, just as I would a computer, and power it up. I go to my PC and insert the disk to configure it. I choose the AirPort Express, name it and give it my wireless network SSID (name) and password. Now I unplug it from the hard wired network. Then the AirPort Express plugs into a surge protector behind my stereo, I plug a headphone to RCA cable into the jack on the AirPort and pick an input on my stereo for the RCA’s. Now I’m ready to use iTunes. I install AirPlay from the Apple disc, associate it with the AirPort, and download the free iTunes remote software for my iPad from the App Store. This app lets me take over iTunes from anywhere my iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch can see my WiFi network. That’s it. I’m controlling my iTunes selections from anywhere in the house, and sending them wirelessly to the stereo via the AirPort.

Even with a Windows Media Center equipped PC, I still have to turn on the TV and sit in front of the system to select music and playlists. With this solution I have much more freedom of movement. It doesn’t take up any shelf space, and I can always add drives to my iTunes library for more space.

For under $100.00 I’ve connected my iTunes library to the best sound system in the house. On top of that I also have a wireless repeater and a WiFi print server if I choose to use it that way. Apple has packed a boatload of features into this little toy. Now if they could build one for my car stereo.

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where did all your bandwidth go?

Jul
22,
2011

New media is hijacking business connections.

Ever since the first dancing baby rolled across your desktop singing “oooga chucka, ooga chucka” streaming Internet media has been chewing bandwidth away from your business connection and slowing down your applications.  In today’s world of cloud based services, VOIP phone systems, webcasts and online backups, your Internet connection has never been more crucial to your day to day operations.  At the same time a new generation of entertainment based services are appearing online and becoming everyday appliances on office computers everywhere.  Spotify, Pandora, Hulu, Netflix, and a slew of followers are streaming content to your employees at an alarming rate.

Your web pages load fast in an office full of people because very few of them are requesting data at exactly the same time.  Streaming media throws all of those multitasking calculations out the window.  Consider this, 20 Pandora users can chew up as much as a T1 worth of bandwidth.  Also take into consideration that this is constant usage, unlike web browsing where someone will download a page wait a few seconds (eons in computer CPU time), and click the next page.  This makes streaming media very taxing on office Internet resources.

So what can you do about it?  Four things:

– First of all, develop a written policy for business Internet usage.  There are several places online that have sample wordings for them, but get it in writing and have your employees read it, and hand back a signed copy for their personnel file.

– Second, lock the websites and services on your firewall or router.  If your firewall doesn’t support these functions, then you’re using the wrong product anyway.  The feature is called content filtering and is included or is an option on all business class firewall products.  If you’re still using a $100 router from Staples, you have a lot bigger problems than streaming media.

– Third, pipe in music.  Install a CD changer,  stereo, Muzak, satellite music, whatever gets the job done.  It gives them something to listen to, and they won’t be as likely to listen to their own online.

– Fourth, get the personal electronics off of your wireless network.  They should have access to their email and address book from their desktops, they don’t need your wireless Internet for phones or tablets.  The increased capacity of these devices enables them to cripple a business network just by updating a few iTunes libraries before lunch.  Change your wireless password and have your IT department setup an “allow list” of wireless devices based on MAC address. They’ll know what that is, or fire them and call Simpletech, your leading IT support provider .

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FreeCustomWebsite.com Announces An Innovative New Concept That Will Revolutionize The Web Design World And Stimulate Small Businesses Across America

May
2,
2011

Free websites have been announced to the public and delivered to struggling and start-up businesses from a 100% U.S. based web design firm. No longer does a poverty stricken business owner, family, or organization need to settle for a website that looks generic and unappealing.

Two words rarely go together in the business world: free, and custom. That statement is especially true of the web design world. How can a company spend hours customizing and building a website…for free? That is exactly what FreeCustomWebsite.com is doing. The announcement of this service is expected to be met with some skepticism, but will yet be embraced by those that investigate this incredible service. It seems to fall into the “too good to be true” arena but is projected by many to gain credibility through the testimonies of those that have implemented this service.

FreeCustomWebsite.com has announced a strictly U.S. based web design operation, a fact that many of its existing customers have declared to be one the company’s most appealing attributes. Free Websites are exciting enough, but when a start-up business owner can call a toll free number in the United States and receive friendly, kind, courteous, and competent customer service as well as a robust web design consultation and design, one would think it’s to good to be true. There is good reason to meet this concept with skepticism, mainly because there are very few if any other companies in the world that are offering this kind of service. FreeCustomWebsite has seen a steady increase in customer confidence over the past few months and is confident that they will experience exponential growth in the coming months. FreeCustomWebsite.com is actively seeking investors that share the company’s vision of stimulating small businesses across America through providing a high quality, no cost web presence. As FreeCustomWebsite.com grows, so will other small businesses grow with it. Each small business that receives and implements a free custom website, will immediately see its impact. Websites have become the backbone of many companies marketing and advertising campaigns and in some cases have become the life blood of a company’s image in the market place.

A company that implements a free custom website will have much more money to spend on Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. This will enable a relatively young company or existing struggling company to allocate more of their resources to improving their website page rank and online presence. By combining a clean and classy website with proactive online marketing tactics, businesses can tap into an almost endless stream of potential customers. FreeCustomWebsite.com offers free custom websites and a robust online marketing plan for those that are dedicated to driving traffic to their website and enhancing their web presence and search engine rankings.

Posted in Web Sites | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Disaster Recovery and Backup Solutions in Riverside CA

Apr
5,
2011

Simpletech Solutions Attends and Supports Zenith’s Mirror Cloud and Smart Style

When disaster strikes, you had better be ready! It can happen any time and any place. There is no predicting it. You have just got be prepared. Those of you that are boy scouts probably like that motto. However, being prepared doesn’t just benefit boy scouts. It can literally save a business. It has been said that nearly 60% of businesses, small, medium, and large will of necessity need to close their doors as a result of a major data loss. Imagine if your business lost years of client and customer data. What would you do? How would you continue? Servers, desktops, switches, and firewalls you can replace, but data is another story. Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself as a business owner.

1. How important is my data to our company?

2. What sort of backup system do I have in place and how reliable is it?

3. How fast do I need to be up and running after a natural or man-made disaster or data loss?

Zenith’s Mirror Cloud and Smart Style offer business owners a very reasonably priced solution that will give the business the stability they need and the peace of mind they seek as they lay on their beds at night.

Disaster Recovery Riverside CA

 

Posted in Managed Services | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment