RCD Service

Remote access office for small businesses.

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:16:18 +0000

Remote access to your business system and data can be accomplished at a reasonable cost effective way. Example of remote access to an office would be an accountant in a dental office. It gives them access to work from home. We know how important the account manager becomes on payday. The dentist can also access a patient’s data during off hours in a secure way to help patients. I have customers doing this and have come to be very dependent on it. In small businesses you do not have the luxury of having more than one person to do each job. Another example would be a business with more than one office and would like to have both offices using the same data files from the business system. This can be accomplished in many ways dependant on the budget. The most cost effective way is the use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network through the internet) between each office using one server. As you can see, both examples can be accomplished for small businesses with the cost and usability benefits to improve access to data and better streamline your business. If you would like more information on this subject, go to or leave a question on this blog.

Should you create a website for your business yourself or hire a professional?

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 03:01:25 +0000

First off, creating it yourself will save you money for sure, but like the old saying goes “You get what you pay for”. There are some advantages to creating a website yourself besides money. You will be creating your vision not someone else’s. Also, if changes need to be made you can make them quickly. Keep in mind that a website is more than a picture. It takes special, expensive software to create really cool Flash and Photo pages. Your website will stand out and look more professional with more expensive software. When you create your own site do you stop to think how it will appear on different browsers? Professionals do!!! A professional will have the knowledge to make your website Google friendly and work to get your website on the first couple of pages of Google which is very important to your business. Professionals can also create forms and
e-mail contact pages that will make your website user friendly. What are your thoughts on the matter? Have you created your own website? If so, tell us your experience.

To upgrade or not to Windows 7

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 02:46:15 +0000

I have used Windows 7 starting with the beta. It is
definitely better than Vista. Windows XP still works fine in most cases. The
one big improvement is the speed. It operates faster both loading programs and
internet surfing. There are two concerns with upgrading. 1- Hardware compatibility is still a problem
but not as much as with Vista. 2-
Specialized software use can cause a problem if you are using older versions.
First let’s look at hardware. As with Vista, you will need at least 2MB RAM to
run properly. Printer drivers I have found to be available more so than with
Vista. One glitch I have found is with some drivers having to re-install before
printing. It only happens once in a while. Video cards can be a problem if you
want the glitzy interface of window 7. Software, of the specialized kind, used
at many offices can cause problems so make sure of the software specifications
(especially with databases) includes Windows 7. You may have to upgrade it to
work properly. Overall, I suggest not upgrading unless there is a real need.
(If you have Vista, I recommend upgrading) Wait until you need to replace the
PC before jumping in with Windows 7. You should use a test machine to test you
software first before upgrading or purchasing Windows 7. I also recommend the
Pro version. It gives you the flexibility in the office environment use of the
PC.

Acer vs Lenovo

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 02:35:31 +0000

The Acer laptop is getting good reviews. It has been used by
RCD Service for years and has been a reliable laptop. We have sold both the
Acer and Lenovo laptops to our customers. They are both relatively low cost
laptops. Lenovo is made in China. The Acer is made in Taiwan. I have found in
most cases that products made in Taiwan are of better quality. The Lenovo
laptop comes with a lot of advertising software and also has Lenovo specific
software both for the wireless and security. These are a problem when used in
the environment of a small business trying to operate with business specific
software. Whereas, Acer laptops have worked very well. It all depends on the
use. Recommend to all my Nashville
customers today only the Acer laptop. That could change as time passes and with
new developments in laptops. (This evaluation is not model specific but as an
overall product review.)