Demystifying small business IT

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Stop feeling silly - this guide will help you to demystify small business IT and the

support you need.

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With technology moving forward so fast, it is hard to keep up. And the reality is that no single person can keep up with everything. The good news is that there is no such things as a ‘silly’ question when it comes to computing and small business IT support. Here are some questions which are anything but silly.

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What is hardware?

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Inevitably, you will hear some small business IT support techie talking about hardware

at some point in time.

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Hardware is any physical computer equipment you currently have in your offices, or that needs to be purchased to help

you grow. Items of hardware include:

Computers (PCs) and servers.

Laptops, Notebooks and

Netbooks.

Smartphones and tablets.

Printers. Networks switches.

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TIP: If you can touch it with your hand, it’s probably hardware.

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What is software?

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Software is a term usually used to describe the computer assets that you cannot physically touch.

Software includes the operating system that makes the PC on your desk work:

Microsoft Windows 7 or 8.

Apple Mac OS X.

Linux.

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Software also includes the programs you use to keep your business running like:

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook,

Powerpoint etc).

Your accounts system.

Your stock inventory system.

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Any programs you use on your company computers are items of software.

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TIP: If you can’t touch it, it’s probably software.

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What is the cloud?

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Everywhere you look, someone is talking about the

cloud as the answer to every IT problem ever imagined. That may be a slight

exaggeration, but the cloud does offer small businesses some massive benefits.

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The cloud:

Uses software and services installed somewhere on the internet (rather than on your desktop PC).

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The cloud:

Provides tools allowing your business to operate more efficiently.

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The cloud:

Is billed on a subscription basis.

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The cloud:

Never goes out of date as it is regularly upgraded as part of the subscription.

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I still don’t get it. Give me an example.

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Office 365 is the cloud-based version of traditional Microsoft Office software.

In the past they would have been restricted to just the PC on which the software

is installed.

Businesses taking out a subscription can access

the software any place, any time, using virtually

any device

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The cloud may sound complicated, but the truth is that it makes running your business easier than ever before. Ask your small business IT support provider for more details.

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Can the cloud do anything else?

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The cloud can also replace certain items of hardware:

Your company file store could be moved to a cloud equivalent.

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Files stored in the cloud can be accessed any place, any time, making your staff more productive inside

and outside the office.

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Cloud storage can be added at any time without having to buy new hardware for your office.

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Remember:

There’s no such things as a stupid IT question.

If you don’t ask the questions, your business could be missing out.

Embrace hosted technology; it’s proven to liberate business and employees.

If your small business IT support provider won’t (or can’t) answer questions, you may have a problem.

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Do you still have questions? Download your free copy of the:

“There’s no such thing as a silly IT question, stupid” eGuide

for more advice.

There’s No Such Thing as a Silly IT Question, Stupid!

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