Category: Productivity

Charm City Networks | Baltimore IT Services > Productivity
white laptop computer on white table
15 Jan, 2023

Align Your Team to Company Targets with Microsoft Viva Goals

You often hear the words “digital transformation” and “collaboration.” But what do they actually mean? What do they mean for the day-to-day of running your business? Collaboration can’t happen without shared goals. When departments are siloed and unconnected, priorities can conflict. People are doing their best but may not be moving in the same direction. Digital transformation is simply the use of technology to better reach business goals. This encompasses moving from analog ways of doing things. Transitioning to tools that are more automated and connected. Microsoft has been at the forefront of digital transformation and collaboration. Its Viva platform drives an improved employee experience. It does this by use […]

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Free photos of Voicemail
10 Jan, 2023

7 VoIP Setup Tips for a More Productive Office

The global pandemic put a big emphasis on the need to run a business from anywhere. Enabling employees to work remotely requires cloud solutions. This includes collaborative platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems have also become critical. VoIP allows companies to stay in contact with customers and potential customers. Employees can work from anywhere and still answer the business phone line. Callers get a similar experience no matter where employees may be working, office, or home. When you have people working from home, those old landline systems are inefficient. This has led to a large movement by businesses to VoIP. Both for […]

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Free photos of Cyber security
05 Jan, 2023

5 Ways to Balance User Productivity with Solid Authentication Protocols

One constant struggle in offices is the balance between productivity and security. If you give users too much freedom in your network, risk increases. But add too many security gates, and productivity can dwindle. It’s a fine balance between the two, but one you can achieve. Organizations need to recognize the importance of both. And not sacrifice one for another. A recent report from Microsoft notes a dangerous lack of authentication security. Just 22% of Azure Active Directory users had multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled. This means that over three-quarters were at a much higher risk of an account breach. Why do organizations fail to adopt important security protocols, like MFA? […]

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Free illustrations of Checklist
15 Dec, 2022

Simple Setup Checklist for Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a lot of things. It’s a video conferencing tool, a team messaging channel, and a tool for in-app co-authoring, just to name a few. During the pandemic, the popularity of Teams skyrocketed. User numbers for MS Teams jumped from 20 million in November 2019 to 75 million in April 2020. As of this year, Microsoft reports a user count of 270 million for the platform. This makes it the most popular business tool for team communications. But one of the things that makes the app popular is also one that can make the setup complex. Microsoft Teams has many moving parts, but to use them effectively they […]

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MacBook Pro on table beside white iMac and Magic Mouse
05 Oct, 2022

5 Mistakes Companies Are Making in the Digital Workplace

The pandemic has been a reality that companies around the world have shared. It required major changes in how they operate. No longer, did the status quo of having everyone work in the office make sense for everyone. Many organizations had to quickly evolve to working through remote means. During the worst of the pandemic, it’s estimated that 70% of full-time workers were working from home. Even now that the pandemic has hit a new waning phase, remote work is still very much a reality. 92% of surveyed employees expect to still work from home at least 1 or more days per week. This transformation has forced companies to rethink […]

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turn-on laptop displaying 97 percent battery
10 Aug, 2022

Get More Unplugged Laptop Time with These Battery-Saving Hacks

One of the big draws of a laptop computer is that you can use it anywhere. You don’t need to have it plugged in all the time because it has an internal battery. Your laptop may start out with several hours of battery life when you first buy it. But the lifespan can get shorter as time goes by and battery health takes a hit. Sometimes this can be due to a lack of PC maintenance. Other times, it’s due to the environments the laptop is subject to (such as a hot car). Seeing your laptop’s battery capacity shrink can be frustrating. But there are several things you can do […]

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gray microsoft surface laptop computer on white table
05 Aug, 2022

5 Exciting Ways Microsoft 365 Can Enable the Hybrid Office

“Hybrid office” is the new buzzword you’ll hear used in business discussions. It’s the mix of having employees both working at the office and working from home. This has become more than a buzzword and is now the reality for many companies. There was a survey of employees with remote-capable jobs. The survey found that as of February of 2022, 42% of them were working a hybrid schedule. And 39% were working from home full time. The global pandemic brought on this hybrid office transition. It forced companies to operate with teams that could no longer safely come to the office. During this time, employers and employees experienced the benefits […]

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Silver Imac on Top of Brown Wooden Table
05 Jul, 2022

Are Two Monitors Really More Productive Than One?

When you see those people with two monitors, you may assume they do some specialized work that requires all that screen space, or they just really like technology. But having the additional display real estate that a second screen provides can benefit anyone, even if you’re doing accounting or document work all day. We get used to being boxed in by the screen size we have. This can lead to us struggling when trying to fit two windows next to each other or continuously clicking between layers of windows on the desktop. Most of us have experienced clicking around to find the window we actually need in a layer of […]

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Laptop, Mouse, Stethoscope, Notebook, Keyboard
25 Jun, 2022

What Are the Best Ways to Give an Older PC New Life?

Purchasing a new computer is a big investment. Many small businesses and home PC owners end up struggling with older systems because they want to get as many years out of them as possible. Have you found yourself banging on your keyboard in frustration? Have you tried every tip and trick you found online, only to still struggle with a slow PC?  There are some promising upgrades you can do that will cost much less than the price of a new computer, while making your PC feel like new again.  Here are some of the options you can try to improve the performance of an older computer. Upgrade to a […]

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person using black laptop computer
15 May, 2022

These Google Search Tips Will Save You Tons of Time!

Over 2.4 million searches happen every minute on Google. It’s often the first stop people make when they go online. We search daily for both personal and work needs, and often searching out the right information can take a lot of time if you have to sift through several irrelevant results. One study by consulting firm, McKinsey, found that employees spend an average of 1.8 hours daily, or 9.3 hours each week, searching and gathering information. This can be a productivity sinkhole as more web results keep getting added to the internet every day. One way you can save time on your personal and work-related searches is to learn some […]

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