Internet/E-Mail

Internet and e-mail are now the lifeblood of many companies and reliable, fast links are essential. We only use reliable and robust Internet access and e-mail hosting and we are always very up to date with the best and worst providers.

We can also help you set up your e-mail or configure your current e-mail to better suit your business needs (sharing, remote access, security etc). We have an extensive list of providers to suit most needs.

Wireless access

Wireless technology has enabled network connectivity without the need to hard wire office premises and can offer consistent quality of connectivity within an average range of 100 feet. This can be an ideal solution where cable access is difficult or changes to the building are restricted, it is also a convenient way to provide Internet access to visitors to your office.

Recent concerns over the security of wireless networking can be overcome by using encryption (encryption of data over radio waves) and MAC or IP address filtering. This allows a safe connection to the network without compromising sensitive data*.

Wireless routers combine the functionality of a wireless access point with access to the Internet. It is also possible to combine a wired LAN with a wireless LAN for awkward office areas that cannot be hard-wired. Using a wireless print server makes it possible to establish a wireless connection to a printer to create a central printing point regardless of the existing cable infrastructure.

* Note however that in most cases a wireless LAN is not as secure as a hard wired LAN (local area network) with appropriate security measures.

Mobile technology

Mobile computing can take many forms, enabling you to work on the move in the same way as you would in the office. Laptops can be configured to access a corporate network or shared files from a remote location (e.g. via a VPN or virtual server) or can be synchronised with files and folders on a separate machine the next time you connect to your network. Collaboration and document sharing have taken this idea to the next level and allow users in different locations to access files folders and software as if they were in the same office.

We can advise you on remote e-mail access or access to a single machine not on a corporate network and install and configure your technology for you. We can also assist you in collaborative or file sharing for those users that are not always in the office.

Remote Office and tele-working

Tele-working has become very popular in recent years and more organisations are implementing solutions to allow employees to access corporate data from remote locations such as home offices, vehicles or hotel rooms. Remote solutions provide the following benefits:

• Organisations can relocate to less expensive offices
• Mobile employees can offer a more responsive service due to their proximity to the customer
• Constraints such as geographic location and time zones are no longer as important
• Less time spent on commuting and a greater work life balance can increase motivation

The ability to access a corporate network or link two separate networks or machines can be a useful tool when offices are located at different sites. We offer the configuration of remote access or the linking of your offices to enable you to work as if it was one network.

Options for remote access can be through an internet connection such as ADSL via direct link to your server. Where offices need to be linked we will advise you on methods as well as security issues and solutions.

Cloud computing and hosted applications

We also offer advice on cloud computing and hosted applications. This method of working has become very popular in recent years and ensures that shared documents or applications are not stored locally, reducing required processing power and ensuring safe storage of data. For those clients that require version control (who changed what and when) we have a variety of options.