We are open until 5pm on the 23rd December as normal.

We are open on Wednesday the 28th, Thursday 29th and Friday 30th December – usual business hours.

We open in the New Year on Tuesday 3rd January and resume normal business hours thereafter.

Out of Hours Support:

Normal hours of operation throughout with the exception of Christmas Day and Boxing Day and other Public Holidays.

24 Hour Support:

Open all year round.

Thanks

Support Team (supportteam@ancarb.co.uk)

Social Media has significant benefits

Here at Ancar B I have been tasked with developing our Social Media strategy. Following consultation with one of the experts in this field we have devised a way forward – all I need to do now is get on with!

In the meantime, I came across some research that summarised the business benefits of social networking that I thought would be of interest and that I’d like to share with our blog readers.

Marketing & PR – If Facebook were a country, it would have more inhabitants than the USA. As a result it is an attractive target for company marketing and PR. However, social networking goes beyond  traditional ‘push’ advertising by opening up a two-way channel between customers and companies. It is therefore a great source of ideas, feedback and a viable option for customer service. It can even provide a route to market for some businesses. Gartner (the independent IT research specialists) estimates that 50% of enterprises will be micro-blogging by 2012.

Employee motivation & morale – For many IT literate employees social networking tools have replaced email and the telephone as the primary means of communicating with friends. Those bright young graduates you want to recruit may not work for your company if you destroy their social lives by banning Facebook. They see access to these services as something close to a basic human right.

Recruitment – Their online relationships can have a business benefit too. For example, a vibrant social network around your company can make it attractive to new recruits and help them settle in more quickly. Similarly, it helps HR with recruitment. For many users and companies, LinkedIn is a kind of CV exchange.

Networking & support – Employees use their networks and online connections to get support for their work. It can act like an informal technical support or training system. For example, some IT people turn to online Q&A forums to solve tricky/unusual technical problems. It can also create a strong sense of community and cohesion within a company providing mutual support and exchange of ideas. I can certainly vouch for this when a client recently enquired about the possibility of wireless scanning using an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (you can’t by the way, only wireless print).

Brand enhancement – Companies like Microsoft encourage their staff to create blogs and interact with customers, informally mixing support, market research, PR and brand promotion.

If you would like an introduction to an expert in Social Media and help with devising a strategy, please call 0845 077 8883 and we can make an introduction.

Thanks

Richard

From left: John, Nick, Aiden, Rob, Andrew.M, Lee. Front: Andrew.R

Some highlights:

• Champ of the day:  Andrew.M was made President, then got shot at a lot…!
• Chump of the day:  Aiden was fastest to the flag, then realised he just made himself the target to over 40 shooters!
• Ouch of the day:  Andrew.R took a nasty one to the neck early on which was very funny for all, except him.

Great fun was had by all.  We might do it again soon, so if any of our customers or partners want to get involved then just let us know!

Thanks to all the guys at Elite Paintball!

As well as hosted Sage applications, we are now seeing a number of customers hosting SAP, Maximiser and Microsoft Dynamics systems to benefit from our managed solution and increase the availability of their most important applications.

With our virtual solutions still being offered at a fantastic price, and with bundled management taking care of the system management, backup to our robust Storage Area Network and live replication to ensure constant availability, the customers keep rolling in.

If you are considering moving your key systems to a hosted solution then get in touch using the contact form to the right, and one of our consultants will happily discuss your requirements and offer a solution to match your requirement.

Introducing our new Helpdesk Portal:

• Log Support Tickets – directly into our helpdesk systems ensuring you get the fastest response possible.
• Submit New User Requests – to ensure we get your new member of staff up and running in good time.
• View & update Existing Tickets – to help keep you and us in the loop at all times.
• Manage Your Contact Information – to make sure we can get in touch with you as quickly as possible when you need a call.

The Portal is Live Now and you can access it through our website homepage at www.ancarb.co.uk, just click on the Helpdesk Portal button to the right hand side. Fill in the very brief registration form to gain access.

Don’t want a Helpdesk Portal – Don’t worry. You can still email us directly at supportteam@ancarb.co.uk. You can also still call us on 0845 077 8883 or 01924 511118 and log a support ticket by phone. ]]> http://www.ancarb.co.uk/blog/2011/01/12/new-online-helpdesk-portal/feed/ 2 http://www.ancarb.co.uk/blog/2010/12/07/further-increase-to-our-blackberry-enterprise-support-portfolio/ http://www.ancarb.co.uk/blog/2010/12/07/further-increase-to-our-blackberry-enterprise-support-portfolio/#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:16:38 +0000 Andrew.Barnes http://www.ancarb.co.uk/blog/?p=298 Continue reading →]]> Ancar B Technologies contracted to support Blackberry Enterprise for one of the largest finance companies in the world, serving SMEs through to corporate multi-nationals.

They provide finance for 500,000 consumers, look after 45,000 fleet vehicles and provide specialist asset finance for a further 5,500 companies.

Ancar B will be responsible for upgrade of their current Blackberry Enterprise Server v.4 solution to the new v.5 platform for 200+ users.  This incorporates ongoing support, management and maintenance of their system including 7 day remote support.

Read more about our BlackBerry Support portfolio, along with our Blackberry Installation and Upgrade services.

In June we secured the business of a small local tool and plant hire business of over 30 years standing, who required a centralized server solution to allow them to store documents safely, send email and backup data securely. We deployed a Small Business Server 2008 solution that they feel has enhanced business productivity, data management and customer service.

Conversely, in July we secured the business of a large international door fittings business with an HQ in Germany and UK offices in Gillingham, Birmingham, Swansea and Glasgow. Each of these offices were connected via a Cisco based VPN and connected to Germany using their Citrix thin client solution. In addition, we secured the IT Support for this company (some 80 Users in the UK) to make sure that lines of communication, which are critical to their business, remain in service at all times.

In August, we upgraded an award winning painting and decorating business, who had expanded five fold and outgrown the Small Business Server 2003 solution we had sold them back in 2006. The company now has numerous staff who work remotely, for which a more powerful server running Small Business Server 2008 and incorporating Blackberry Enterprise Server provided the ideal solution.

Finally, we have recently secured the business of two companies requiring a virtual platform to run 1) Sage 50, Sage ACT and Office 2010 and 2) Sage 200 respectively. In both instances, the companies recognised the significant cost savings to be made by essentially ‘renting’ resources from our virtual platform in order to run their line of business software. This negated the need for them to purchase new hardware to run their new accounting software – kept capital expenditure down – and allows them to allocate the monthly cost to run their software into their operational expenditure, which they can easily budget for.

We look forward to reporting more account wins in the very near future…

All the best

Richard

Many firms think they are not at risk because of the size of their business and information assets. Most think that large corporations with more assetts are the only ones at risk. That is not true.

Firstly, sensitivity of information applies to the quality and not the quantity of information. Secondly many firms do not have the expertise to address security, particularly IT Security, in the same manner that large corporations do and are therefore more exposed.

We always seem to read news items of laptops containing personal information which has been stolen from vehicles or left on a train (remember the MOD laptop left on a train with details of counter terrorism measures). Few organisations will willingly admit that confidential data has been lost or stolen. Most data loss in not actually through planned criminal activity, but carelessness, the actions of disgruntled employees or an opportunistic third party.

The ICO (Information Commissioners Office) has formed the view that in future, where such losses occur and where encryption software has not been used to protect the data, enforcement action will be pursued.

Laptops or course are not the only items at risk, your emails, mobile phone or PDA could contain sensitive information about your clients’ businesses that should be kept confidential. The ICO also recommends the portable devices like USB Keys and Portable External Hard Drives, used to store and transmit personal information, the loss of which could cause distress to individuals, should be protectied using approved encryption software which is designed to guard against the compromise of information.

In addition, personal information, which is stored; transmitted; or processed, in information, communication and technical infrastructures (for example, in  a client server network scenario), should be managed and protected in accordance with the firm’s security policy and using best practice methodology.

Ancar B has recently conducted some work on behalf of a client in this area and took the following measures to enhance security for the client:-

• Introduced a strong password policy for the server and client PCs.
• Applied encryption settings to the backup solution thereby encyrption data stored on backup/DAT tapes removed from site.
• Introduced encrypted USB keys, where data needs to be transfered from one user to another using this method.
• Applied encryption software to laptop computers that run the risk of being stolen or lost when taken off site.
• Reviewed the used of encryption software for the sending of email.

So if you are concerned about your data and don’t want to incur a fine, think long and hard about the information you store and, if you require assistance, give us call.

Thanks

Richard

After a late start at the St. John Fisher Stadium the long awaited battle commenced between the Ancar B Nerds and an IT Sales Powerhouse from Central Leeds.

The Sales team set off at an impressive pace, ‘bossing’ the game early on and applying pressure to the Ancar B Midfield.  They dealt the first blow with a super strike from 25 yards out sailing past the keeper’s outstretched right hand to the bottom corner…

Instead of building on that lead they sat back and allowed the Nerds to settle into the game.  They turned on the style and began to boss the play, pulling a string of keen saves from the Sales Powerhouse keeper.

Despite a heroic display between the sticks from the brick wall that was Stevey ‘OB, the strong partnership of Barnes & Binns at the heart of the Ancar B backline allowed the team to play some attractive football and control the flow.

The Riordan brothers bagged 3 goals between them, with young starlet Andy netting a brace.  The 4 goal rout was completed with a stunning finish from Jennings, sending the keeper the wrong way and trickling the ball into the bottom corner with a touch so light that only an IT nerd could have mustered!

After the match, the visitors captain Scotty D was quoted as saying “…You have to hand it to those handsome chaps at Ancar B, they were in a league of their own tonight. With play like that they could really turn a guys head…”

No word has come in terms of a re-match, but surely this was only the first battle of what could become a long war…