Time for Transparency Transparency in business is something we don’t see often enough, and it’s really about just being open, honest, and accountable. Here are some tips to help your company become more transparent: • Be honest. Honesty is at the heart of transparency, and it really comes down to telling the truth—even when you don’t want to. • Be timely. Because we live in a world that’s connected 24/7, it’s important not to waste too much time when it comes to communicating with your customers or commenting on company issues. • Accept criticism. Use message boards to let customers (and employees) sound off about problems in your company. You will get more valuable feedback—both positive and negative—than you expected, and you’ll be armed with the right information to make good decisions. July 2012 Get the Most Out of Your Inks and Toners Let’s face it – the cost of constantly replacing ink and toner cartridges can have a significant impact on your bottom line. However, there are steps you can take to cut down on the number of print cartridges your office uses. Print in draft mode: Unless you are printing the final version of a document for presentation, print in draft-mode. This will reduce the amount of ink used for a job. Stay away from large and bold fonts: Using smaller fonts, like Arial and New Courier, and reducing the amount of bolded text can prevent you from wasting ink and printing too many pages. Keep on Printing: Ignore “out of ink” warnings from your printer and just keep on printing. You’d be surprised by how much ink is still in there. Find Your MPS Solution: With the right Managed Print Services (MPS) solution, your business will not only optimize its entire print fleet while lowering overall printing cost, but you’ll also save big on inks and toners when all of your output devices are properly managed and maintained. Protecting Your Mobile Devices from Hackers Mobile device security is essential to any business in order to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access to your sensitive information. Here are some practices to help ensure the security of mobile devices within your company: Educate your staff – Address the security risks associated with mobile devices and the potential impact they could have for your company, and instruct your staff how to activate the built-in security features on mobile devices. Train them on how to recognize fraudulent apps, which security experts say present the greatest malware danger to mobile devices. Encrypt your data – Installing an encryption solution on mobile devices will help protect your data in the event a device is lost or stolen. There is no shortage of software on the market these days that will help keep your sensitive data out of unauthorized hands. Watch out with WiFi – Using an unsecure WiFi network enables others to access whatever you transmit or send. Use only secure WiFi networks, and never transmit sensitive information over public WiFi. www.stargel.com Stargel Office Solutions 713-461-5382 July 2012 Choosing the Right MFP for Your Office The multi-function printer, or MFP, has become an extremely valuable piece of equipment in the modern office. This versatile device eliminates the need for standalone printers, copiers, scanners, and fax machines, saving you space and money while benefiting the environment, as well. Once you’ve decided to opt for an MFP (or replace your existing unit), the next step is to find the right machine for your organization. However, with so many choices out there, this decision can appear complicated — of all the machines available, which one is best-suited to handle your specific needs? Selecting the right MFP is important to ensure that you end up with a machine that will meet your business needs, keep up with your workload, and prevent you from overspending on a unit. So how can you be sure to choose the right MFP for your office? Here are some things to consider: Define Your Needs – Take the time to go over your requirements and determine what you’ll need from an MFP. What will you be using it for, and how often? Will you be working with black and white or color documents? Which is more important to you, the speed and quantity, or the quality of your prints and scans? Which features, bells, and whistles will be beneficial or necessary to your operation? Evaluate Initial Investment vs. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) – Consider not only the initial cost of an MFP but the cost of supplies and maintenance over the lifetime of the unit. What may seem like a bargain up front can end up costing you much more over the long run. Also, consider asking your office equipment provider if leasing an MFP might be more cost effective, since sometimes lease agreements include regular service and some supplies. Learn Your Specs – MFP specifications can seem like a foreign language (DPI, RAM, PPM, etc.). Get to know what these industry specs mean, and what they mean to you. An impressive DPI (dotsperinch) won’t be a requirement for you if your office will only be scanning documents and forms. Demand Compatibility – Determine which operating systems are used by your staff and select an MFP that will be compatible. And it is essential you choose a machine that will easily integrate into your existing network. Seek Expert Advice – If you’re still not sure which MFP is right for your office, ask your local office equipment provider to help you make a good choice. They truly know it all when it comes to these machines, and can also support you with local, reliable service after your MFP is in place. Contact us today, and let us help you choose the right MFP for your business.