YYTECH Achieves Microsoft Silver Small and Midmarket Cloud Competency

Yeo & Yeo Technology (YYTECH), today announced it has achieved a Silver Small and Midmarket Cloud competency, demonstrating its ability to meet
Microsoft Corp. customers’ evolving needs in today’s dynamic business environment. To earn a Microsoft silver competency, partners must successfully demonstrate
expertise through rigorous exams, culminating in Microsoft certifications. And to ensure the highest quality of services, Microsoft requires customer references
for successful integration and customer satisfaction.

YYTECH has three decades of experience and knowledge in the IT industry and stays on top of ever-changing technologies with certified professionals
that help them design, build and maintain cost-effective solutions for clients.
YYTECH’s expertise is backed by their Microsoft certifications, combined with their partnerships with Cisco, VMware, HP and other leading companies.
The Microsoft Silver Small and Midmarket Cloud competency gives clients peace of mind that they have chosen a partner with experience and certifications
that are needed to assist them with their IT pain points, as well as with future IT growth and advancement.  
“This Microsoft Silver Small and Midmarket Cloud competency showcases our expertise in today’s market and demonstrates our knowledge of
Microsoft and its products,” said Jeff McCulloch, President. “Our plan is to accelerate our customers’ success by serving as advisors
for their business demands.”
“By achieving a silver competency, organizations have proven their expertise in specific areas, placing them among the top 5 percent
of Microsoft partners worldwide,” said Phil Sorgen, corporate vice president, Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft Corp. “When customers look
for an IT partner to meet their business challenges, choosing a company that has attained Microsoft competencies is a smart move. These are
highly qualified professionals with access to Microsoft technical support and product teams.”
Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft’s fastest growing commercial product ever. The Silver Small and Midmarket Cloud competency enables YYTECH the
ability to capitalize on the demand from the small and midmarket customer marketplace for cloud and hybrid solutions built on Microsoft
Office 365, providing them with additional support and incentives.
The Microsoft Partner Network helps partners strengthen their capabilities to showcase leadership in the marketplace on the latest ,
to better serve customers and, with 640,000 Microsoft partners in their ecosystem, to easily connect with one of the most active, diverse
networks in the world.
 
This article was originally posted on Nov. 4. 
 

If you use a PC at home, chances are you have received a notice to upgrade to Windows 10. Now there are some cases where older devices don’t qualify for the free upgrade, based on hardware and software requirements. For the most part, Microsoft wants to make your transition to Windows 10 as easy as possible. Here are some reasons you should consider making the upgrade.

It’s Free
Believe it or not, Windows 10 has already been around since July 29, 2015. Microsoft has made the upgrade free for Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices. Microsoft sees Windows 10 as a service and want to get it on as many devices as possible. Once you upgrade to Windows 10 your device will be upgraded to newest version of Windows for the duration of its life.

Cortana
Cortana is your new personal assistant. Ask her questions, schedule reminders or get the weather. Cortana has you covered. 

No More Start Screen
One of the biggest issues with Windows 8 was the dreaded Start Screen. Windows 10 takes the best features from the Start Screen and combines it with the Start Menu we all know and love. It’s also fully customizable based on your specific likes. It works on both desktops and mobile devices. Think of it as a hybrid of Windows 7 and 8.

Mobile
If you use multiple Windows devices, Windows 10 is a seamless transition for all of them. Windows 10 gives you a similar user experience on your mobile device that you will find on your PC.  

Cross-Compatibility
If you are using Windows 10 on your mobile device, laptop, and gaming system (Xbox One) you can stream your games and information across all of the Windows 10 devices. Your Windows devices are no longer separate entities!

Smaller installation size
Microsoft has said that Windows 10 uses a more efficient compression algorithm for files. Files can be 1.5 to 2.6 GB smaller, depending on your device. This opens up more space on your hard drive. 

There are many other great features of Windows 10 that aren’t listed here. But the most important thing to remember is to make sure that upgrading is right for you. If you’re device is running Windows 7 or higher, there’s really no reason not to upgrade. Just make sure your computer is equipped to run Windows 10 and doesn’t have any hardware or software conflicts. Here is a great way to check the compatibility of your PC. 

Also, remember that there is a difference between upgrading your home PC and your work PC. It’s important to note that if your work PC receives the Windows 10 update prompt that you do not click it. 

 
Another security scam has presented itself in our area. Most of us are used to seeing scams that hit our email inbox or pop up on our screens. Now scammers are attempting to use phones, pretending to be a computer technician, to gain access to vital information.

How a Tech Support Scam Works
This type of scam is different from what we typically see. It begins with a phone call from an individual claiming to be support for a well-known company like Microsoft. The scammer will then walk users through complex steps to find legitimate files that they claim to be viruses. This is all in an attempt to gain your trust. Once they have it, they will begin asking for things like, remote access, credit card information, directing you to false websites.

What you can do if you get a call
If you receive a call from a person who claims to be tech support, hang up and contact a number or organization you know to be legitimate. Remember to never give remote access or vital information to someone you do not trust. If, for whatever reason, you believe that you have ever responded to a scam, be sure to change any passwords you have given out and cancel any credit cards that have been compromised. 

If you believe that your organization has been targeted by a tech support scam, please contact Yeo & Yeo Technology at 989.797.4075.

 
The USB. It’s the one piece of that you use a lot, but never really think evolves. The introduction of USB-C and USB 3.1, last year, have brought improvements to USB .

USB ports have gone through a number of changes over the last decade. By improving the , USBs have gotten faster and more reliable.

In 2014, Apple decided to take a leap and introduce a Macbook with just a USB-C port, following the footsteps of Google’s Chromebook Pixel. While this new is great, many people are not up to speed on what it is. This is especially true if you are used to seeing a standard USB port. USB-C looks completely different and is failsafe when you try to plug it in. We’ve all experienced the fumbling around that comes with plugging in a USB stick. 

USB 3.1 shares a much similar look and feel that the standard USBs you’re used to seeing. You will notice that USB 3.1 ports will be fitted with blue sockets. USB 3.1 is faster, more powerful and maintains backwards compatibility for older USB ports. A new cable, Type-C 3.1, has also been introduced with USB 3.1. This standardizes the port and cables across all USB devices, with USB Type-C cables also being backwards compatible.
 

On May 27, USA Today published an article on how costly data breaches are to large companies. In a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute and IBM, it was found that breaches cost large companies and average of $3.79 million globally. For companies based in the United States, the average cost is $6.5 million.

Additional statistics include:

  • 350 Companies in 11 countries experienced a data breach. 62 companies surveyed were based in the U.S.
  • Costs of data breaches has increased 23 percent since 2013.
  • 25 percent of breaches are caused by human error, while 47 percent are malicious attacks.
Although this survey was conducted by surveying large businesses, the moral of the story is, no matter your business size, data breaches are costly and harmful. From avoiding costly downtime, to , Yeo & Yeo Technology offers a number of solutions to help organizations protect their data. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more.

Think about how you use your phone in your personal life. If you’re like most Americans, chances are you have ditched your landline for a cellphone with no plans of going back. A similar change is happening in the business world. 

For those that are unaware, the landline phone system as we knowing is fading away and moving toward VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) . Our partners at INVOIP recently published a blog post, pointing out some facts, that decision makers should be aware of as the landline fades away. Read the post here. 

What is VoIP?
Hosted Voice Phones use VoIP as the basis for helping businesses better manage their incoming and outgoing calls. VoIP audio signals are transferred into digital data, allowing users to make calls over the internet. With Hosted Voice, the entire infrastructure is housed at an offsite data center, except for the phones and switch with Power over Ethernet (PoE) in your office. Learn more about Yeo & Yeo’s VoIP solutions.