Why Running a Compliance Risk Assessment is Important

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Before exercising, of course, you should consult a doctor. Although moderate physical exertion might be safe for some people, health experts recommend you talk to you doctor before starting a new workout regimen, especially if you aren’t used to regularly working out or have an existing health problem. Just as it is important to keep your health in tip-top shape – it is imperative that your organization operates like a well-oiled machine. Running a compliance risk assessment also known as an integrity risk is part of the collective governance, risk management, and compliance discipline.

Why Compliance Risk Assessment is Important

The inability of companies to compile a compliance risk assessment can lead to violations that include, but are not limited to: 

  • Payment for damages.
  • Fines.
  • Voided contracts.
  • Loss of reputation.

Through the process of compliance risk assessments, professionals can assist management in making the connection between business core goals and the processes needed to get there. Since there are numerous ways to effectively run a business, it is important to build a foundation on the case for integrated governance, risk, and compliance.

Key Benefits You Will Experience

  • Process optimization – non-value-added activities are eliminated and value-added activities are streamlined to reduce lag time and undesirable variation.
  • Better capital allocation – identification of areas of redundancy and inefficiency allows financial and human capital to be allocated more effectively.
  • Improved effectiveness – the net effect of all the activities above means activities are directed to the right people and departments.
  • Protected reputation –when risks are managed more effectively, company reputation is enhanced.
  • Reduced costs –lower costs contribute to the overall ROI gains represented by effective GRC activities.

GroupOne Does Compliance Risk Assessment

GroupOne are compliance professionals who have developed their expertise in communicating the importance of compliance risk assessments. Your time should be spent running your business and generating revenue, not bothering with your network or hassling with Internet service providers. GroupOne’s OneCare managed IT services takes that stress away, giving you less to worry about. Connect with us today!

Life Hacks to Improve Employee Productivity

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Hacking? No, not the hacking you’re probably thinking about right now. We would never let anyone hack your business. However, we are in a business that serves people, and we want to give you the best opportunities to succeed. Today, the term “hack” has evolved with an association to optimization. Establishing ways to give your business a leg up, comes from these life hacks which will help improve employee productivity.

Life Hacks for Employee Productivity

Get there Early

Life hack number one: start your day off early. This gives you the opportunity to start your day off with no one around you. You will be able to get in-the-zone and proceed with those day’s tasks with the right mentality.

Two Is Better Than One

Life hack number two: If your position requires you to improve your productivity – it’s time to spring for two monitors. You will gain more space in your workstation and generally improve your productivity.

Say Bye to Social Media

Life hack number three: Another way to improve employee productivity is to limit your use on social media. Sounds simple but a few moments commenting or updating will add up to wasted hours during the day.

Prioritize

Life hack number four: If you need to make a checklist, put the hard tasks on top of the list. Make a master list – then actually stick to it. Keep all your responsibilities in one easy place that can be easily accessed and referenced.

GroupOne– Number One Life Hack

GroupOne, is the number one life hack. At GroupOne, we provide the IT data center services your company needs to handle even the most complex projects.We know that it can be extremely difficult to maintain productive momentum at the office. However, we know our solutions can help improve your business operations and generate more revenue without interrupting existing business functions. Connect with us today!  

 

How File Sharing Could Enhance Video Game Play

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Those dedicated to the cause know it doesn’t take a smelly, geeky, or any negative stereotypical association to be considered “a gamer”. A gamer is someone who loves the positive aspect gaming brings to their life. They have a respect for the gaming industry because of the accomplishments made throughout history and the pure enjoyment they get from playing. The life of a gamer might seem that of a lonely one, but alas, through file sharing, it gives them different levels of knowledge and elite their video game play.

Collaborate to Gain Knowledge

Gamers are joining permanent groups in games which far extend parties and raids. Many gamers become part of a guild, which starts at a minimum of 10 people and can max-out in the high hundreds. The basic concept of a guild is to feel comfortable asking for information or help, rather than seeking out strangers. Through a guild, members are able to access a more broad sense of information. They are exposed to larger specialized skills and knowledge on players of the game, and exactly what kind of characteristic, each possess.

Share Videos on “How to Beat a Level”

Gamers can share knowledge, negotiate, construct, and reconstruct within these external collaborative gamer virtual communities. File sharing helps gamers combine or integrate their own experience in order to build tools and different strategies which can help other gamers beat levels.

Watch How Not to Play the Game

Gamers are able to use file sharing to continue gathering and accessing information to reference in order to travel through levels and learn how to beat the entire game. They can easily access their Youtube accounts and watch prerecorded video games from other gamers. Through this specific use of gaming, gamers will be able to learn from interpreted experiences and explanations from others.

File Sharing with GroupOne

File sharing can benefit more than gamers. You can use this collaboration tool to make your company more effective and efficient. If you have a problem we have the right IT solution. Call today and learn more.

Don’t Let the Idea of (Online) File Sharing Scare You!

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Some people hesitate when considering the incorporation of file sharing solutions into their business. Whether it be the risks, the costs, or the fear of office detachment, something may be still holding you back. We’re here to quell your concerns and reassure you that it’s a benefit to modern business. If you’re still worried, here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t be.

Modern File Sharing is Secure.

While a good deal is still done through traditional email, the act of file sharing is quickly shifting to online services specifically designed for that purpose. Nowadays, coworkers can use the services to chat in real-time, send files for review, and even approve work or request immediate changes. All of which is safely guarded by the service’s security protocols. While your email server might be hacked due to not enough security, the chances of the service’s networked being hacked are far smaller – so share with confidence!

 

File Sharing Increases Productivity.

When you can quickly share a file with a collaborator, team, or client, you typically get feedback and approvals much more rapidly. That translates into getting tasks completed quicker and increasing your production rate. Another remarkable aspect is the diversity of modern file sharing software. Let’s say you have a major project due on a certain day. On the day it’s due, you need one last part completed by a key employee – who wakes up that morning with a stomach bug and 102 fever. No problem! The software allows them to sign in from home, finish the work, send it in, and you hit your deadline while they convalesce. It’s a win all around.

 

File Sharing Encourages Collaboration.

There is lots of value in the input of others. Regardless of the talent level of an individual employee, the finished product they create can usually be improved, or “tweaked”, by feedback offered from fellow employees. Besides improving the product itself, one of the greatest benefits of collaboration is that other employees may catch mistakes and inaccuracies which may then be corrected before the product is presented to the client. Few things in business feel worse than when a client points out a mistake in a file that was not caught internally before going out.  File sharing within the company dramatically cuts down on your clients seeing an error in the final product.

 

GroupOne Has Lots of File Sharing Solutions for Your Business.

Hopefully, this article has convinced you that file sharing is the way to go. There are several file sharing options from which you may choose, and we would be happy to review each option with you to determine which would be the best benefit for your specific needs. Let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll start working with you to find the perfect solution.

Let the Best VoIP Services Make Your Life Easier

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If you’re familiar with VoIP, you know it’s a great thing. If you’re not familiar with it, you’re about to be. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is simply using your Internet connection as a phone line through your Internet connection. There are several services available, but we wanted to look at which features were available in the best VoIP services for business use.

Preferred Business VoIP Features

Here at GroupOne, we recommend and install several of the best VoIP services out there. Here are a few of our favorite aspects of the best VoIP services:

  • Call Routing – meaning you can send any call to any other extension
  • Call Recording – record a conversation at the press of a button
  • Voicemail Transcription – see an automatic text dictation of voicemail messages
  • Group Call – add more people to the call; the max can be 1,000 callers!
  • Portability – your phone station is not anchored to your desk
  • Software Phone – it’s easier to talk into an actual phone – a real VoIP phone is provided with service
  • Toll-Free Option – if you’d like an 800 (or toll-free) number, it’s possible
  • Speed Dial – no one likes constantly redialing the same numbers – Speed Dial remembers them
  • SMS Messaging – in other words, texting through your VoIP line
  • E911 Service – basically, 9-1-1 emergency services can be called on this line

If One of These Best VoIP Services is What You Need, GroupOne Can Set You Up.

VoIP is quickly becoming the wave of the spoken communications future. If you’re ready to take the next step and start using one of the best VoIP services for your business phone, give us a call and we’ll take over from there.

Proactive vs. Reactive IT Support

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Ah, your office network. It’s great, isn’t it? Filling orders, keeping track of customers, instantly giving you everything you need for a full day of productivity. And then – zap – your server goes down. Suddenly, your full day of productivity transforms into a nightmare of calling your IT support provider, begging them to fix it and inundating them with questions:

“How long will it be?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Can I get back on today?”

Faithful readers, what we’re dealing with here is a scenario involving a business who hires a reactive IT support provider. Meaning, when something breaks, they endeavor to fix it, leaving you at their mercy. Here’s why you should dump the break/fix company in favor of a proactive IT support provider.

The Waiting. The Waiting. For the Love of God, THE WAITING.

You’re down. You’re floating on the busy “Sea of Commerce”. All your competitors are happily sailing by, waving to you as they take care of business. And there you are – adrift, waiting for your rescue boat to arrive, which is never in as big a hurry as you are. This is par for the course with a reactive IT support partner. However, with a proactive IT support partner, it’s extraordinarily likely the problem that caused the server crash in the first place would have been caught by their network monitoring well before the crash occurred. Waiting avoided. You just steered Titanic clear of that iceberg.

Even the Smallest Problems Become a Big Problem.

Let’s say your network didn’t go down. Say one of your applications just won’t work properly. An irritation, but usually not catastrophic. Would you rather call your break/fix slowpokes and try to have them talk you through support over the phone – or worse yet – hear them say, “Okay, we’ll head that way,” or would you prefer your IT support provider to instantly remote into your workstation, fix the problem, and have you back to work in minutes? Or better yet, a week beforehand, they see a licensing issue with your application and handle it themselves without even involving you, your business, or your productivity. Which do you prefer? That’s what we thought.

It Shouldn’t Have Happened in the First Place.

The main point is that a good proactive IT support partner should have the ability to catch almost all network issues before they actually become issues for their clients. Without having to travel to the client’s business. Without even having the client know there was ever an issue. Proactive IT support is designed to prevent issues before they happen. Reactive IT support is designed to remedy issues after they happen.

Find Plenty of Proactive IT Support at GroupOne.

Tired of your ship floating adrift? Shoot us a signal flare, and GroupOne will sail to your rescue. Plus, we’ll batten down your hatches with our proactive IT support, so you’ll enjoy smooth sailing for the rest of your days.

Get to Know Your IT Support Company – GroupOne!

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We believe in IT Support for everyone. We don’t believe IT should be expensive or hard to obtain. You work hard for your business, and you deserve the technology that works hard for you. At GroupOne, we love serving our clients, giving them the best enterprise level IT for a fraction of the enterprise level cost.

Hi, We’re GroupOne.

At GroupOne, we are all about being ahead of evolving technology. We take pride in being ahead of the curve and using our knowledge of technology to better service our clients. When we started in 2010, we made it our goal to become your IT needs one stop shop – an ideal that we still hold to this day. Your IT shouldn’t be difficult, and at GroupOne, we aim to make it as simple as possible by providing comprehensive IT packages to best meet the needs of your business.

On-site or remotely, we’re ahead of the curve, providing networking, hosting, email, and support from connection to backup in one package. We consult to determine solutions for all your business needs. We choose a pro-active support posture that identifies weaknesses and addresses issues before they become messes that have to be cleaned-up.

We Provide Different IT Support

We believe that technology should be accessible to everyone. Companies should not have to miss out on innovative solutions due to the misconceptions that it may be “too pricey” or “too complex.”  Our philosophy is to provide quality IT support to everyone – regardless of industry or business size. Our team here at GroupOne is committed to providing IT services over and above our already high standards.

Although we are an energetic company, we are never pushy or high-pressured when it comes to our services. We take pride in having excellent client support to continuously build strong relationships with you. We strive to maintain constant communication so you’re always updated on your network in a way that you understand.

We are passionate about providing quick, efficient solutions to our clients, improving their lives through the use of technology. We want you to love us just as much as you love the technology we provide.

Join Our Family

We’d love to have the opportunity to show you the GroupOne difference. Whether you need:
cloud solutions
IT infrastructure
professional services
managed services
IT support

We have you covered. Give us a call and see what we can do for you and your business.

What We’ve Added to Our IT Support Website

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We’ve expanded our IT support website to bring you more information on what we have to offer. With better pages and more resources for you to check out, we’re excited to show you what is new and improved!

What’s New for IT Support

 

OneCare – Managed IT Services

Ever dreamed of stressing less about your technology? Get round the clock management, support and remediation, and custom Internet and phone systems for your business. Spend more time on your business and less on your technology, check out our brand new OneCare Page here.

Managed IaaS

When you sign up for Managed Infrastructure as a Service, you’ll receive the best proactive updates, protection against threats, and immediate remediation for your infrastructure from a centrally managed location. Using a BYOD method? We’ll update your devices to increase employee satisfaction and give you great IT support. Check it out here.

OneProtect – Managed Security

We’ll figure out how secure your network is and what gaps are costing your business. We’ll install an on-premises firewall to keep threats out and make sure you are in regulatory compliance. You’ll even get automatic protection against advanced attacks and infections so you won’t need to stress about what you don’t know. Read more here.

More Detailed Cloud IT Support

We now have a pretty comprehensive list of all the cloud services we offer with our IT support. From OneSync file sharing and OnePass password protector to Managed Cloud Hosting, CloudConnect, and Private Cloud options, everything you need for your cloud is right here in one, easy to find place.

 

Of course, we’re always a phone call away. We’d love to hear from you and learn about your business needs. We love helping our clients improve their infrastructure, and we’d enjoy the chance to improve yours! Call GroupOne to get started!

Why Go to the Cloud? Reasons You May Not Have Known About

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By now, you’ve heard from a hundred different sources that moving your operations to the cloud will save you money. But have you heard that it will help you develop products and provide services faster? And help you go green? Or that it produces measurable benefits that pay for themselves?

Speed

Today’s chameleon economy and advancing technology make speed in business a competitive advantage that can be a deal breaker in many industries. Gaming is just one of those industries, and Kuma Games knows that speed is the defining quality of online games to attract and keep users.They use a cloud solution to deliver immersive 3-D gaming experiences to users all over the globe. If they couldn’t scale the way the cloud enables them to, they’d lose their customer base and drop back a few levels in their own game.

Environmentally-Friendly

If aging servers require replacement in your company’s near future but part of your vision and mission is going green, cloud operations will get you there and help you avoid a large capital investment. Cloud computing lets your business reduce its carbon footprint by only using the server space you need when you need it. With no server equipment, companies can cut their energy use and reduce emissions by 90 percent according to the Carbon Disclosure Project. You are not using energy to power, cool, and maintain equipment when you use cloud resources.

Measurable

Cloud computing produces value, benefit, costs, and return on investment that is measurable and pays for themselves according to IT Business Edge. An example of this is comparing the cost of buying new servers that depreciate quickly over their total useful life to the monthly maintenance costs of cloud services with no depreciation. Another way cloud services are measurable, as Glassdoor, MapMyFitness, and Bitlancer know first hand from their moves to the cloud producing almost immediate measurable increases in network utilization and performance.

If you want to know about all the benefits of moving operations to the cloud, talk to us. Call today and we’ll explain the benefits of using the cloud beyond cost savings.

Are You Ready for Cloud Services?

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Do you know all the passwords to your business systems and services? Do you know if they’re secure? Are you able to check on any transaction on your business systems at any time, or perform a thorough audit at will? Who is responsible for backup in your organization, and how are they doing it? If you don’t have the answers to these questions without scrambling, you are probably ready for cloud services.

CloudOne

Big Benefits

Kiplinger reporter John Miley says big savings in energy and software costs are just two of the benefits of moving systems to the cloud. Access from anywhere with any device means direct improvements in productivity and mobility. You may already be transacting business in the cloud if your accounting department sends payments online or your employees use Google Docs for project work. And at some point, you may need to move to the cloud to stay competitive.

Do More from Anywhere

Sharon Gaudin, reporting for ComputerWorld, says cloud computing lets small business owners get their work done from almost anywhere, while they’re doing things like waiting for theirs kids at tennis practice. Especially email and social media access. Financial data and access may not seem like such a great thing to work on while waiting in line at the grocery store or stopping for coffee on the way in to the office in the morning. If you have any questions about cloud computing, GoupOne can help you look at your existing systems and computing compared to cloud services.

GroupOne Cloud Services

GroupOne’s cloud services, CloudOne, help you manage your email, file sync and share, secure transactions, passwords and security, phone service, operational efficiency, website hosting, and more. We put the power back into your hands and let you control passwords, access, email, and anything else you need to, and we keep everything up to date with automatic back ups and security management. GroupOne’s cloud solutions like OneMail, OnePass, and OneFilter make it happen for you.

If you’re not sure about moving to the cloud, talk to us. We’ll help you understand it compared to your current systems and operations.