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Microsoft Online Services

When you choose Microsoft Online Services, you are able to combine the power of rich desktop-based applications with the flexibility of fully-hosted Internet services. This gives your users an all-in-one integrated experience on the same rich clients your users already know, as well as having a consistent look and feel from any device, in almost any location.

Microsoft Online Services are made so they are very easy to use, services synchronize with your Microsoft Active Directory so you maintain control and can continue to manage user policies centrally. This can happen because simple and centralized provisioning and management of new and existing users is made possible by having a single administrative panel. Also, without the need for a VPN connection, end users can securely access the service virtually anywhere and through a wide selection of mobile devices.

A greater level of flexibility is also offered by Microsoft Online Services by being able to build your own solution with individual services or purchase as an integrated suite. You are able to choose to run some applications on-premises, or choose Online Services hosted and managed by Microsoft or Microsoft Partners. Also, you have the ability to leverage tools such as Active Directory Synchronization so you can make online, on-premises, or hybrid deployment choices by service, user roles, and geography to meet your organizational needs best.

Microsoft Online Services run on a global network of data centers protected by multiple layers of security and operational best practices. The data centers and services are managed by rigorously screened and highly trained staff. On top of that Microsoft Online Services guarantees a service level agreement of 99.9% uptime.

For an all-in-one integrated experience that your users are already familiar with, Microsoft Online Services are for you.

Microsoft SPLA (Services Provider License Agreement)

The Microsoft SPLA program offers two ways to license the Microsoft products you need for hosting software services and applications to your customers: SPLA and SPLA Essentials.
SPLA Essentials is the easiest way to get started hosting the latest Microsoft software for customers. It offers a streamlined, online sign-up experience so you can get to market faster and a simplified agreement that provides the basic rights for your hosting business. SPLA Essentials targets the most basic scenarios, such as hosting web sites with Windows Server or hosting Microsoft SQL Server.

SPLA is the premium offering for service providers and independent software vendors and supports additional hosting scenarios. SPLA provides different additional capabilities such as customer facility installations, outsourcing data center services and academic offerings to help you get highly-customized and dependable solutions to a wider set of customers.

The SPLA offerings are the only Microsoft licensing program that gives you the rights to license specific Microsoft software for hosting to your customers. Learn more at the Microsoft Partner Network.


Michael Haworth President Binatech System Solutions West Seneca, NY and Hamilton, ON

15 Customer Service No-Nos

by Monte Enbysk
used with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Sometimes it seems like rude customer service is the rule rather than the exception. But there's rude -- and then MC9003267341

there's rude.

When it comes to getting customer service, what's your definition of rude? What unprofessional behavior irritates you the most when, as a consumer, you are interacting by phone with another company?

Sometimes, customer service that is perceived as rude is not intentional and often is the result of absent-mindedness or carelessness on behalf of an employee. Either way, bad customer service can translate into lower sales and lost business, says Nancy Friedman, president and founder of the Telephone Doctor, a St. Louis-based customer service training company.

Based on its own surveys, the Telephone Doctor has compiled the 15 biggest sins of customer service employees today. They are listed below, along with Telephone Doctor's guidelines (in parentheses) on how to do it right.

Hiring? 6 Interview Questions You Need to Ask

by Jeff Wuorio
used with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

When it comes to interviewing potential employees , you need to ask the MC9004315481 loaded questions.

That's because hiring the right people is central to the continuing growth and success of your business. So you need to use your interview wisely -- to identify job skills, target personal strengths and weaknesses and get a feel for someone's sense of teamwork and cooperation.

But that doesn't mean you have to wallow in a snooze-inducing "Do you work well with others?" spiel. You can interview like an expert -- and get the information asked for in a query and "undercover" feedback that plays a key role in hiring decisions. Give some thought to the following six interview questions, all of which reveal more about the interviewee than you might think -- or, for that matter, more than they might want you to know:

1. "If you stayed with your current company, what would be your next move?" A great opener that elicits information on several levels. Not only can you get a sense of what the applicant expects -- and, in turn, how that jibes with the position you're looking to fill -- but you might also tap into an underlying reason why the applicant wants to move on. Notes Paul Falcone, author of "The Hiring and Firing Question and Answer Book":

Does Everyone in Your Organization 'Get' the Security Agenda?

reprinted with permission from Symantec

Summary
End users often understand the need for security only in a general sense, without grasping the MP9102163591 vital role they play in maintaining security. This article looks at the steps IT can take to convey the message that all employees must be proactive about adhering to security procedures.

If there's one issue that keeps IT managers up at night it's security. According to Symantec's 2010 State of Enterprise Security Report, cyber security now outranks traditional crime, natural disasters, and terrorism as the top risk at large organizations.

Moreover, the report found that nearly all the organizations surveyed (94%) expect to implement changes to their cyber security efforts in 2010, with almost half (48%) predicting major changes.

That being the case, it may come as a surprise that a lack of security awareness is still a fact of life at many organizations.

6 Ways To Ensure Your Email Gets Read

6 Ways To Ensure
Your Email Gets Read
by Sally McGhee
used with permission from the
Microsoft At Work Site MC9003182181

If you’re like a lot of us, you get so much email every day that you might spend as little as 15 seconds scanning a message to determine how it applies to you. Now, imagine that other people are reading your email the same way. If they can't quickly identify the purpose of your message, they’ll probably delete it or leave it in the Inbox for "later"— if later ever comes.

In this article, I give 6 tips to ensure that your email messages are read and get the attention they deserve.

1. Make the purpose of the message clear
When recipients receive your email message, they should be able to see at a quick glance how the message relates to them and why it’s important. They may be looking at a preview of your message in Microsoft Outlook or on a Windows phone or Windows Mobile device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA). Or they may see only Subject lines in their Inbox. If your Subject line is confusing and irrelevant, your email will surely get deleted in a hurry. Here are some examples of what can be included in Subject lines to make sure the reader opens your mail:

•A standard subject heading such as "Action Requested," "Response Requested," "FYI," or "Read Only," depending on the action indicated in the body of the message.

•The meaningful objective or supporting project that the message relates to, for example, "FY '05 budget forecasting."

•The required action if applicable, for example, "Consolidate departmental budget spreadsheets."

•The due date if applicable, for example, "Due by July 7."

An example of an effective Subject line is "Action Requested—Consolidate all department spreadsheets for FY '06 budget and return to me by June 15th."

2. Tell recipients what action you want them to take
Be completely clear about the actions you want the recipients to take. Be specific and put all the material that is related to an action in one place. To get even faster responses, talk about how the action relates to the recipient's objectives, and always give due dates. It's also important to clarify what type of action you want the recipient to take. There are basically four types of actions you could request. If you make this level of detail clear, the recipient will be most likely to read the email and take the action right away. The four actions include:

•Action: The recipient needs to perform an action. For example, "Provide a proposal for a 5% reduction in Travel & Entertainment expense."

•Respond: The recipient needs to respond to your message with specific information. For example, "Let me know if you can attend the staff meeting at 9:00 A.M. on Friday."

•Read only: The recipient needs to read your message to make sure they understand something. No response is necessary. For example, "Please read the attached sales plan before our next staff meeting on August 12th."

•FYI only: The recipient should file your message for future reference.

Quote of the Month

You learn something every
day if you pay attention.

Ray LeBlond

Laugh a Little

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