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All Covered has introduced a new benefit for clients – the All Covered Client Portal. The Client Portal gives clients unequalled access to all aspects of All Covered's services.
One client who has been utilizing the Client Portal says, "The Client Portal is very easy to use and I find it very intuitive. It is also great for me as administrator of the system to just list my action items and have responses back from the team for advice, remote assistance or action items scheduled for the regular on-site visit." Read more about how to get access to this great tool.
As always, we're eager to hear what you think about this issue and what topics you'd like to see covered in future issues. Please send an email to Newsletter Comments.
Thank You,
All Covered
Leveraging Your All Covered Relationship
Maximizing a New All Covered Benefit
Want to better leverage your All Covered relationship? The All Covered Client Portal can help you do that.
Read more…
Macintosh Corner
Security on Macs – Part 1
We hardly ever hear about viruses and spyware plaguing Macintoshes, so should Mac users worry about these kinds of security threats?
Read more…
Customer Spotlight
Whole Foods Market
The Mid-Atlantic Regional office of Whole Foods Market was like an orphan when it came to IT support for their Macs.
Read more…
Tech Tip
Setting Up Icons for New Windows XP Profiles
Have you ever set up a new profile on Windows XP and then find that the desktop has no icons? Here's a quick way to get those icons on your desktop.
Read more…
Quick Tip
Hints for Taking Better Photos
You don't have to be a professional photographer to take great photos. Just try a few of these easy hints and you'll have better photos in no time.
Read more…
Leveraging Your All Covered Relationship
Maximizing a New All Covered Benefit
Extend Your Partnership with All Covered
The All Covered Client Portal is a one-stop, secure website
that allows clients to access key services information,
communicate more effectively and learn about technology
topics that affect your business. This tool is available
at no additional cost for All Covered clients.
Communicate Collaboratively
In addition to contacting All Covered via phone, the Client
Portal has a unique method for multi-person conversations –
think of them as a flexible, interactive discussion center.
Clients can start a conversation regarding a support request,
scheduling question or any other topic and it will
automatically be routed to your account team. The appropriate
person will reply to the conversation where everyone can view
the response. This method can be more effective than emailing.
Access Key Information
The Client Portal provides access to key information about
your services with All Covered and your IT environment. You
can securely access this information 24x7, from any computer,
as long as you have a browser.
Access information such as: upcoming schedules, technical Guidebook, Client Service Reports, past charges, invoices and statements, All Covered Care checklist, task lists, network diagrams, proposals, and much more.
Secure and Flexible
All users of the Client Portal have a user name and password,
so they can securely access their company's information. There
are multiple levels of access, so you can have certain
individuals access portions of the Client Portal. For example,
accounts payable may only have access to invoices and statements,
while your office manager has access to schedules and task lists.
Learn from Experts
Get exclusive access to All Covered white papers, articles and
technology discussions that may affect your business. If you
missed a web seminar, you can listen to them on demand – they
cover a variety of topics where you can learn the difference
between techno hype and practical application.
Not Using the Client Portal?
If you are an All Covered client and not taking advantage of
the Client Portal, simply contact your Client Operations
Representative (COR) or your consultant to get your user
name and password. Easy tutorials are accessible in the
Client Portal so you can get started today.
Macintosh Corner
Security on Macs – Part 1
Viruses
Let's clarify something first - there are no viruses for Mac OS X.
So if that's the case, why do Mac users need to worry? Can't we
simply be carefree, experiencing our wonderful operating systems
while listening to our iPods? It's not quite that simple.
Mac users can be carriers for viruses that might infect our PC-using colleagues, where viruses are much more prevalent. The best way to prevent passing on viruses is to use protection – the sort only your IT administrator can provide.
Here are several antivirus solutions suitable for cost-conscious small office Mac users, as well as enterprise administrators focused on centralized administration of multiple workstations.
| Virus Software | Cost | Additional Comments |
|---|---|---|
| ClamXav | Free | It's tried, tested and very popular. It also uses ClamAV open source antivirus engine at the back end. The developers accept donations if you feel so inclined. |
| Symantec Norton AntiVirus (Desktop edition) | $69.95 MSRP | Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 10.0 for Macintosh is a frequently trusted antivirus solution. It can automatically remove viruses from attachments, Internet downloads, and other files. |
| Symantec Norton AntiVirus (Corporate Edition) | Licenses vary from $30-$50 per license (minimum 10) depending on the number of seats | The Corporate Edition enables IT administrators to centrally manage virus definitions on multiple Macs via a management console on Mac OS X Server. |
| Network Associates McAfee Virex | 5-10 Licenses are $40.21 per seat | McAfee Virex can be used on its own or integrated into an existing E-Policy Orchestrator environment. The software is only available in packs of 5 or more as a business license. Note that it can be difficult to find on McAfee's site. |
If you're a home office user or a lone Mac in a sea of PCs, then ClamXav is your choice. If you are a business, then either Norton AntiVirus or McAfee Virex will work for you. Regardless of the solution you choose, it is critical to update the virus definitions regularly.
Spyware & Malware
Apple has made Mac OS X very secure, so most Mac users do not
have to worry about spyware or malware applications wreaking
havoc by hijacking the browser or slowing down the machine to
a crawl. Most spyware downloads happen via ActiveX controls
and are blocked from Mac users. There is one "spyware"
application that is commercially available, called
Spector,
which is designed to record internet activity and computer
activity such as web sites visited, chat conversations,
emails viewed and sent.
Here are some easy ways to protect your Macintosh from most threats:
By taking at least a couple of these steps, you should be able to prevent passing on viruses to a PC environment.
Customer Spotlight
Whole Foods Market
Founded in 1980 as one small store in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market is now the world's leading retailer of natural and organic foods, with 180 stores in North America and the United Kingdom.
The Mid-Atlantic region of Whole Foods Market uses Macintosh computers, approximately 40 workstations, which are located in 30 store locations and the regional office in Rockville, Maryland. The corporate IT department, located in Austin, does not support this platform, so Mac users in the Mid-Atlantic region are somewhat orphaned or responsible for finding their own support. In 2003, because of the steady growth in the region over the past 8 years, it became apparent that the existing support model for their Macintosh systems would no longer work – they needed a solution that was fast, reliable and consistent across their graphically dispersed region.
They turned to All Covered - who had deep Macintosh knowledge, along with proven Windows experience to integrate with the corporate network, and the extensive reach to handle the geographical requirements to support four different states. Since 2003, All Covered has assisted Whole Foods Market in the Mid-Atlantic region with the following projects:
Whole Foods Market, Mid-Atlantic region has been using All Covered Care for several years and according to Phillip Baetcke, Operations Manager, "We realized a level of support and responsiveness that we never experienced before. By collaborating with All Covered, we've been able to give our users the support, tools and technologies that help them accomplish their jobs. All Covered is highly responsive to our needs and accessible."
All Covered handles the day-to-day maintenance and management of the Macs, as well as strategic projects that help increase productivity, so Whole Foods Market can focus on what it does best - selling and marketing the best natural and organic foods.
For more information about Whole Foods Market, go to
www.wholefoods.com.
Tech Tip
Setting Up Icons for New Windows XP Profiles
For those of you using Windows XP you've probably noticed when you first create a new profile you're missing familiar icons such as My Computer, My Network Places, My Documents and Internet Explorer.
Your next thought might be, "How do I put these on the Desktop easily?" The process is very simple, just follow these steps:
Now you should see all the icons on your Desktop.
Quick Tip
Hints for Taking Better Photos
Have you ever wished that you could hire a professional photographer to capture life's little moments? With a little knowledge and experience, anyone can learn to take a better photo.
Take control – Pick the location, add props, and arrange people. Not every shot will need to be put together, but a little direction can go a long way.
See eye to eye – When taking a picture of someone, look him or her in the eye. It will make a big difference especially when you're photographing children. A more appealing and intimate feeling is created even if the person is not looking directly at the camera.
Use a plain background – A plain background is best to highlight your subject. Before taking your photo, check for distractions surrounding your subject such as a tree growing out of someone's head.
Go vertical – Turning your camera sideways can improve the picture if your subject is a tall building or you just want to capture a photo of your kids playing hopscotch.
Move in close – Take a step or two closer to your subject before taking the picture and use the zoom too. Fill the picture area with the subject being photographed. An added bonus is that the photo will have more detail. Try to be at least three feet away because if you're any closer the picture will be blurry.
Lock the focus – When you take photos with any auto-focus camera, the camera wants to focus on what is in the middle of the lens. To create a sharp photo, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button halfway down, then reposition your camera while still holding the shutter button, and lastly finish the process by pressing the shutter button all the way. This might take some practice, but it will improve your photos' composition.
Move away from the center – Taking a photo off-center gives life to the photo. Experiment with this point-of-view by dividing your view into a 3x3 grid. Then place your main subject at one of the intersections of the grid. If you have any auto-focus camera, center your subject, then lock the focus and move the camera away from center since most auto-focus cameras focus on the center of the viewfinder.
Watch the light – It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. Bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles, but the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles. Is the light too harsh? Take pictures early or late in the day when the light has an orange hue that enhances photos. Be careful of the shadows too. If the light is not right, move around until your subject has the right light.
Use the flash (even outside) – If you're taking someone's photo, bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Ban the shadows by using the flash to brighten the face. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-flash mode may be required. On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode, the flash will lighten up people's faces and make them stand out.
For more hints and tips, visit www.kodak.com
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All Covered is a registered trademark of All Covered, Inc.
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