Printin' All Over The World

Although it may come as a surprise, printing is one of the most cost intensive areas of IT services. Think about it. How many times a day do you print? How many printers does your office own? Do you find yourself throwing out unnecessary pages? Have you ever thought of how much ink you were using by re-printing that colorful presentation?

Technological innovators such as Google and HP are coming up with ways to ease the troubled responses to these questions. Once again, the answer lies in the cloud. Cloud printing allows users to print on any application, on any device, to any printer in the world. This technology will change the game now that more and more businesses are relying on various devices (tablets, desktops, laptops) and working on a global scale with mobile applications. In other words, an executive can now print a document from his iPad to a printer in his office, all while sitting in an Amtrak train en route to a meeting.

Although cloud printing is not yet mainstream, companies should keep a lookout for it because it offers many advantages. Aside from saving on the cost to maintain several printers, cloud printing is the most "on demand" form of printing for increasingly mobile employees. Cloud printing is also secure because users can print documents to a specified printer without having to save it on the device, which is beneficial for maintaining the security of data storage.

Keep an eye out for new software such as ThinPrint and HubCast to transform the game of printing, and remember to check back here at The TNS Group blog or our website for the latest information on how to keep your company up to date in the fast-pace world of IT.

Beware of the Malware

After Black Friday, small business Saturday, and now cyber Monday, holiday shopping is in full swing. While going to the mall might lend a ding on your car door, going online from the workplace can have a much worse impact on you and your company.

Cyber Monday not only traditionally draws workers away from spread sheets and emails and into online shopping sprees, but also brings them slower to Malicious attacks. According to a recent CNET article There will no doubt be malware hiding on retail sites, fake sites created just for distributing viruses and Trojans, and e-mails with malware-laden attachments and links leading to nastiness. Once inside the corporate network, the malware can easily spread to other computers in the company and leave back doors that can be used later for nefarious purposes, putting corporate data at risk.

Unless a company forbids Web surfing on company time and uses software to monitor and enforce the policy, there is little recourse once workers start browsing. IT departments should do what they can to protect the networks before then, by using the most up-to-date spam filters and anti-malware software and adjusting the enterprise Internet settings to alert users when a program attempts to download something.

TNS Group specializes in internet security and privacy not only on Cyber Monday, but all year round. With cutting edge spam filters, malware detectors, and various web monitoring tools, TNS helps IT departments control what does, and doesn’t appear on employees computer screens.

Contact Us today to learn more about these and other services, and keep your company safe from holiday hackers.

Our Heads Are in the Clouds

There is much discussion in the technology world about the topic of virtualization and, specifically, cloud computing. But what exactly does this mean?

Cloud computing is Internet based computing which allows the sharing of resources, information, and software among multiple computers. It originally developed due to the ease of accessibility provided by Internet-based resources. It is known as "cloud" computing because the cloud is a metaphor for the Internet, as abstract depictions in diagrams of the Internet are often drawn as clouds.

Some of the key features of cloud computing are:

- Improves the speed of technological infrastructures
- Reduces costs
- Allows users to access systems via the Internet, no matter where they are or what device they are using (compatible with PCs as well as mobile devices)
- Enables sharing of resources across a large range of users
- Extremely reliable, allowing for business continuity and disaster recovery
- Improved security
- Easier maintenance of applications

Hopefully, this explanation has helped to clear up any confusion you may have had about cloud computing. If your business is interested in improving your infrastructure with virtualization, contact The TNS Group and ask us about our Total Care Solution.

Surviving Holiday Hustle & Bustle

With the holidays right around the corner, it's time to come up with your holiday season survival plan. Before you become overwhelmed with trips to the mall, here are some tools to make your life easier. Al Sacco from CIO.com presents 10 Blackberry applications that will help you stay afloat in the coming month. The best part is, you can let your credit card rest.. most of these applications are free! The TNS Group tech blog would like to share with you a few of these great apps:

- Flixster for BlackBerry: Amidst of all of your holiday parties, don't forget that this season is a great time to go to the movies. This free app allows you to watch trailers, read reviews, find theaters, and purchase tickets from your phone.

- BlackBerry Wallet: If you utilize the convenience of online shopping, simplify the process even more by downloading this free app, which stores your gift cards, loyalty cards, credit card and shipping information. This will definitely be a time saver, and don't worry, the app is secure, so you won't have to worry about putting your credit card information on your phone.

- SBUX (Starbucks Card Mobile): With all the tiring shopping you'll be doing, you will definitely need some caffeine. As long as you have a valid Starbucks card, you can avoid lines and submit your order on your phone. At some Starbucks locations, you can scan your bar code to easily pay for your spiced latte.

- BeWeather: Although you have to pay for this app ($9.99), it's definitely worth it to have the most accurate weather information with you at all times during your holiday travels.

- Camera Plus: This app is affordable ($2.99) and allows you to take photos of your favorite holiday memories and then quickly attach multiple photos onto one e-mail. Without this app, you can only send one photo at a time. This way, you can send out your Christmas card to everyone in your e-mail database.


Use these great apps to navigate your way through the crowds this season. Happy shopping!

Apple's "Big" Announcement

Yesterday, the technology world was buzzing with excitement because of a cryptic message on Apple's homepage reading "Tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget". Rumors swirled that the announcement could refer to cloud storage because of the new North Carolina data center.

However, at 10:00 am EST today, fans let out a collective groan. Really, Apple?! The huge announcement was simply that music from The Beatles is now available for purchase on iTunes, after seven years of negotiation.

This is not to say that we at The TNS Group are not Beatles fans. Who doesn't love listening to a little "Hey Jude" or "Let it Be"? But the problem is, most Beatles fans who wanted to enjoy this music on their iPod have already found ways to get it on there. Odds are, most fans have taken advantage of the release of digitally-remastered CDs and have long since uploaded them onto their iPods.

If somehow you don't already own copies of your favorite Beatles hits, you can purcase the entire collection on iTunes for $149.

We expected more from Apple, the leading innovator in today's technology. All of the hype surrounding the announcement turned out to be a very anti-climactic moment that left us feeling less than impressed.

Turn Your Office Green

If you constantly find yourself at the printer, it might be time to rethink how you can save paper and save money. Here are some simple solutions on how to protect the environment -- and your wallet -- when you print.

HP has developed Smart Web Printing, which makes printing off of a website, which is usually cluttered with advertisements and images, more sustainable. This device works with any printer (not just HP's) and allows you to reorder parts of a website onto a single document. The best part is, it's free to download.

The FinePrint device attaches to the top of your printer and makes it easy to print multiple pages per sheet, print in grayscale to save on black ink, and remove unnecessary pages and images. This product will only set you back $50.

These two products are inexpensive and will ultimately help your business save money. The cost of paper adds up, and ink is costly. When you need to print a less important document or web page, cut corners by using these methods to be more sustainable.

Another way to get your green on in the office is by using cloud computing. According to a recent study sponsored by Microsoft, cloud computing drastically cuts down on energy. Your business can use anywhere between 30-90% less energy by switching to cloud providers, depending on the size of the company.

For more tips on how to improve the efficiency of your business, remember to check back at The TNS Group tech blog.

Good Food and Conversation with TNS

The TNS Group and Compellent joined forces last Thursday for the much-anticipated Executive Technology Exchange. The event, held at Stamford's Capital Grille was enjoyed by all.

The TNS Group kicked things off with a preliminary company overview and presentation by TNS's Joe Carretta, explaining our business model and the competitive advantage a company receives by choosing The TNS Group. To demonstrate this point, Brian Boschert, the IT Director of Star Gas gave a client case study. Boshert explained how The TNS Group helped his company become a national leader in home energy.

Next, Compellent's Northeast Sales Representative Andrew Johnson informed the attendees about their latest Fluid Data Technology (For more information, read our previous blog entry here).

After an extensive question and answer period, the attendees enjoyed a delicious steak lunch and informative conversation. Thank you to all those who attended and helped make our event successful. If you were unable to join us, be on the look out for another Executive Technology Exchange hosted by The TNS Group in the future.

Google Buzz Settlement Reached

Yesterday, Google announced that a federal district court judge approved a settlement for a lawsuit filed against them by Gmail users.

Google launched Google Buzz, a tool used for social networking and messaging in association with Gmail. However, Gmail users were upset because they were automatically signed up for Buzz. Without any consent, Gmail users had their data and frequent contacts displayed. Subsequently, users took Google to court, citing privacy violations.

District courts have approved a settlement, which requires that Google pay $8.5 million to organizations that provide education on Internet privacy and policies. Additionally, Google has made changes to its Buzz service and is educating its users on its privacy settings.

Yesterday, all Gmail users in the United States received an e-mail that clarified the nature of the settlement. Gmail users will not receive any monetary compensation for the lawsuit. In the email, Google stated, "Just to be clear, this is not a settlement in which people who use Gmail can file to receive compensation".

In a statement released today, Google announced, "We are satisfied with the agreement and are glad to move forward, We have always been committed to offering users transparency and choice in Buzz and all our products, and will continue to work together with users to provide the best experience possible."

Although the payout for the settlement is a large figure deal, it is clear that Google will not have a problem paying the $8.5 million. As previously mentioned on The TNS Group tech blog, Google will make an estimated $15 billion this year in advertising, and is continuing to grow and improve annually.

Is Your Vote Safe?

Happy Election Day! If you were thinking of voting via the Internet, read on before you cast your vote.

With technology becoming so advanced and the Internet becoming increasingly widespread, more than thirty states will count votes from e-mail, fax, and voting websites this year. On one hand, the idea seems to have many advantages. In terms of "going green", online voting is extremely environmentally-friendly because it eliminates the use of paper. Additionally, in theory, online voting would increase voter turnout because people can vote from anywhere. Many people are unable to vote because they cannot leave work, they are elderly or disabled, or they are overseas. A great feature of online voting is that anyone can simply access a computer to cast their vote without having to leave work or the home.

However, virtual votes could threaten national security because it could expose network infrastructure and leave us vulnerable to cyber hacking. Unfortunately, this fear is very real. In tests by University of Michigan technology students, the voting systems for overseas and military voters was fairly easy to hack. Even worse, the University of Michigan students found that the system had already been hacked by individuals in Iran and China.

Your vote matters. Don't let it get manipulated or altered by foreign threats. Utilize traditional mechanical voting machines to cast your vote this election day.

Stay updated on all security and privacy news by keeping up with The TNS Group tech blog.