Find out from our IT service guru, Dan Straw:
Where are your email messages and contacts stored?
At home it’s easy enough- through your e-mail server or in an address book file on your personal use computer. And since you are an “interwebs”-savvy, chronically careful and über-efficient home user, you always back up your data….right?
When it comes to ensuring that your business runs smoothly, secure, accessible data storage is a priority that goes beyond archiving grandma’s casserole recipes and pun-filled forwards from your Uncle Frankie. The constant flow of exchanges that come with even the smallest of successful businesses are valuable records, but also contain the material you need for day-to-day operation. It’s in your best interest to utilize an IT support system that can get you the right info at the right time.
Many of our small business clients are customers because they do not, for a variety of reasons, have their own in-house IT support. T.R.A. has clients whose initial need was immediate recovery of exactly these resources that are used daily- e-mail exchanges, contact data and records of correspondence. In some of those cases, we have been able to help rapidly and get everyone back on track. In others, time consuming research (read: pricey!$!) was necessary just to get a scope on the problem! This is what happens when the original electronic messaging system is out-of-date, improperly run and neglected or, as is so often the case, was set up by someone who is no longer with the company.
Where is the mailstore? I have a host? Local or exchange? The basics are essential. Would you go to the mechanic without knowing the year and make of your car? The best defense against e-mail amnesia and its costly cures is, of course, good record keeping. If you’ve contracted with a support company like T.R.A., DEMAND detailed documentation of how your service is configured, if it isn’t already provided for you. Keep it handy. Keep it safe. It will save you time and money when it’s time to problem-solve.
Dan Straw, Business IT Services
