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Posts Tagged WingSwept

WingSwept President Wins Triangle Top Entrepreneur Award & Citizen Choice Award

Mar 17

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Press Releases | No Comments

Jay Strickland, WingSwept CEO and a valued asset to the local business community, was newly awarded Triangle Top 50 Entrepreneur Award by Business Leader Media and Citizen Choice Award for Business by The Garner Citizen.  He was chosen for both based on his leadership skills and his overall impact as a citizen and professional.

 

Business Leader Media hosted the event on Friday, February 26, 2010 and gave recognition to 50 Triangle business owners who are successful risk-takers that transform businesses.  Jay is viewed by his staff and peers as a strategic and innovative business leader.  As the founder of the local IT company, many perceive WingSwept’s success as a tribute to Jay, but he does just the opposite.

 

“The people that make up WingSwept deserve praise for their ability to keep the company running smoothly.  It is through the team’s expertise and interactions with the community and customers that promotes what WingSwept truly is about,” says Jay Strickland, award recipient.  “These honors are only possible through their hard work.”  

 

Along with the other Citizen Choice honorees, WingSwept president Jay Strickland was honored at the Garner Citizen breakfast on the morning of March 10.  Citizen Choice Awards recognizes people and entities who exemplify what it means to be a Garner citizen by encouraging community growth and demonstrating a commitment to Garner by fostering community activism and pride through leadership, innovation, vision and citizenship. 

 

Jay possesses leadership positions in multiple professional organizations, including the Garner Rotary Club and Garner Chamber of Commerce.  Interacting with other professionals, whether in community organizations or peer groups, is one way Jay utilizes his time.

 

Without the WingSwept staff, Jay wouldn’t have the capacity to participate in the organizations that fuel his ingenuity.  WingSwept continually delivers top of the line IT services to businesses that are in need minimal downtime and secure data, while also staying active in the community and local events.

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WingSwept Partner News – SonicWall, Inc. Wins Award

Mar 16

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News | No Comments

“SonicWALL, Inc. , a leading secure network infrastructure company, has been recognized with SC Magazine’s 2010 Reader Trust Award as the company with the Best Policy Management Solution. … SonicWALL was also a finalist in five other categories including: Best Enterprise Firewall, Best Integrated Security Solution, Best Intrusion Detection/Prevention Solution, Best IPsec/SSL VPN, and the Best Enterprise Security Solution.  The annual SC Awards highlight and showcase the best solutions, services and professionals while recognizing achievement and technical excellence in the information security industry.”

SonicWall is just one example of the cutting-edge technology that WingSwept leverages.   View some more of our leading industry partners, here.

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Microsoft Outlook Email Tip – 2 Minute Delay

Mar 15

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Technology Tips | No Comments

WingSwept is a local IT consulting company helping small to medium sized businesses leverage technology, minimize downtime, and secure business.  WingSwept has been delivering peace of mind since 1995, and focuses on businesses in Garner, surrounding areas in North Carolina, and provides certain services nationwide.

If you want to be able to hit “send” but have the email stay in your outbox for a time, use the following rule. When it is in your outbox, you are able to re-open it and make changes without using the Recall feature!

 

  1. In Outlook, go to the Tools menu Rules and Alerts
  2. Click on New Rule
  3. Click Start From a Blank Rule
  4. Highlight Check Messages After Sending, then click Next
  5. Do not select any checkboxes showing, then click Next
  6. Answer Yes to dialog box asking if this applies to all messages
  7. Select the last checkbox – Defer delivery by X minutes
  8. Under Step 2 that now shows, click on minutes
  9. Edit number of minutes you would like the delay to last (suggested delay 2 minutes), Click OK and Next
  10. Decide if you want an exception – Some use “Importance” to have emails go immediately  
  11. Name your rule and click Finish! You can now go grab and delete from out Outbox for 2 minutes if you realize you didn’t mean to send a certain email

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Electricity Could Put Your Network and Data in Danger

Feb 25

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Technology Tips | No Comments

It seems pretty ironic, but electricity, the very thing that powers your computer, can actually hurt it more than help it.  WingSwept wanted to let you know that electricity can cause your computer network to go haywire in a couple different ways:

 

First there are transients, also known as surges or spikes in service usually caused by weather, animals, or even damage to a power pole caused by a vehicle accident.  Transients can occur pretty regularly, up to several times per week.  Having a surge protector does not guarantee your computer and data safe, however.  According to experts, surge protectors become burned out after just a few months of fighting off transients.

 

At the opposite end of the transient scale is what’s called a sag.  This is what happens when power drops below normal.  Everyone has witnessed a sag as they may come in the form of flickering lights caused by when some piece of equipment turns on or comes out of power saver mode.  Experts say offices can experience up to 30 sags a day. 

 

Another issue is a blackout.  The definition is just what it sounds like—sudden power loss.  No matter how long a blackout lasts, it can cause major problems for your computer to include not even starting back up again.

 

How do you protect your computers and data?  Get yourself an uninterruptible power supply, or UPS.  These devices can sense electrical problems and adjusts accordingly to maintain normal power.  Make sure to get a UPS that will support your computer.  Contact WingSwept with any questions you have regarding UPS compatibility.

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The Garner Citizen and Community Recognize WingSwept CEO

Feb 17

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Press Releases | 1 Comment

The Garner Citizen recognized Jay Strickland, WingSwept CEO, with a Citizen Choice award.  The article speaks highly of his service and dedication to the community.  When asked how he manages to find any spare time, he gives full credit to the WingSwept staff.

“I believe in the abilities of our staff,” Strickland said. “They are experts in their field and highly trained to do their jobs well. We have open communication in the office and work together to accomplish tasks.”

(and)

“The WingSwept staff is made up of reliable and hardworking people that are well-equipped to keep WingSwept functioning,” he said. “I have found that everything I do myself denies someone else the opportunity to learn, so I spend a lot of time making sure that our folks have the resources to be successful. I am confident in their abilities to take care of our customers without me being directly involved in every project or task, which allows me more time for my family and community involvement.”

Read the article in its entirety: http://www.garnercitizen.com/2010/02/citizen-choice-awards-jay-strickland/

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IT Precautions for This Weekend’s Severe Storm

Jan 29

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Technology Tips | No Comments

With the pending storm, this is a good opportunity to remind everyone of some standard IT procedures.  Before leaving the office for the weekend, we advise you power off desktops.  All WingSwept client servers have been given peace of mind with preconfigured with battery backup and automated software to gracefully shut down in the event of a power outage.  This is a good opportunity to review your server setup with your IT service provider.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions/concerns.

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Receive an e-mail from the IRS? If so, delete it!

Jan 27

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Technology Tips | No Comments

WingSwept would like to warn you about the a identity theft scheme that is being accompanied by tax season.  The newest scheme developed by identity thieves is to send an e-mail posing as the IRS.  According to the Trend Micro Consumer Newsletter, there are different versions of scamming e-mails being sent.

One version of the scam IRS messages has victims receiving an e-mail advising they did not report all of their income to the IRS.  The recipient is then asked to download an attachment which the scammer claims is a portion of their most recent tax return.  When the attachment is downloaded, the victim’s computer has acquired a virus.

Another similar scam plays on a victim’s fear of being audited by the IRS.  A bogus information form is sent to the victim by e-mail who is told they must complete and return it.  If the victim does not complete the form, the scammer will then threaten them with levy penalties and interest.

In order to avoid the newest scam this tax season, it is important to remember one thing:  The IRS uses the US Postal Service to contact taxpayers—they never use e-mail.

Read more about the article this blog entry is based on.

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Are you satisfied with the answers to these questions about your tech support?

Jan 25

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Managed Services, Technology Tips | No Comments

In this article by Ray Barber of Kaseya, seven questions are outlined to help you choose a technology partner that will allow you to focus on your business.  The article states that ”you need your IT to work – all the time – and using an outsourced IT service can give small to medium-sized businesses like yours the enterprise-level IT capabilities needed to help achieve business growth, reduce costs and maximize profitability.”

Are you satisfied with the answers to these questions about your tech support?

What level of customer service do they provide you? Can their staff offer expertise? Do they offer fixed monthly pricing? Do they take a proactive approach?

If you aren’t satisfied with the service you are getting, consider WingSwept, an IT consulting firm and managed services provider in Garner.  Customer service and IT expertise are founding principles of the company.

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Looking Back on the Scams of 2009

Jan 22

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Industry News, Technology Tips | No Comments

In 2009, millions of innocent consumers were harassed, defrauded, and robbed of valuable personal information that may have done serious damage to their credit and privacy for years to come. Some of the most memorable scams of 2009 and possible threats for 2010 are:

1. Spoofing Attacks – Scammers ask you to visit a website by pretending to be an official source, and rob you of your personal information.

2. Economy Related Scams – Scammers use the economy and enticing terms like loans, debt relief, etc. to get you to fall for their scam.

3. Work at Home Scams – Do you want to earn fast money while working at home? These are the type of things scammers will say to get you to participate in their scam.  They most always ask for an upfront fee.

4. Social Networking Scams – The continued popularity of social networking sites is a target to scammers and malware makers looking to spread viruses, hack into people’s personal accounts, or con people out of money.

5. Classified Ad and Auction Scams – Although Craigslist can ebay can be a good way to find things you are looking for, it is also a good place for scammers to plot.

This WingSwept article was inspired by one by Trend Micro.  Read their article here. 

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What are the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of your Technology?

Jan 14

Posted by molly.moore@wingswept.com in Managed Services, Technology Tips | No Comments

WingSwept’s IT experts offer businesses the chance to better understand their technology.  How efficient is your network? Is your server and technology equipment holding you back? Are you on the brink of a computer crash? These are all easy questions to answer after getting a Technology SWOT analysis by WingSwept.  It is our goal to help you leverage your technology, but first you need to know where you stand.  To find out more, contact our consultants.  This affordable offer could save your business!

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