Being Bombarded by Unwanted E-mail Spam?

Are you tired of being bombarded by unwanted e-mail spam? If you want to reduce the amount of junk e-mail you receive, follow the steps for Microsoft Outlook outlined below. 

• Open Microsoft Outlook and go to Actions, then Junk Email, and then Junk Email Options.

Under the Options tab:

• Check off High under ‘Choose the level of junk-email protection you want’

• Check off ‘Permanently delete suspected junk e-mail instead of moving it to the Junk E-mail folder'

Under the Safe Senders tab:

• Enter addresses or domain names that you do not want to be treated as junk e-mail

• Check off ‘Also trust e-mail from my Contacts’

• Check off ‘Automatically add people I e-mail to the Safe Senders List’

Under the International tab:

• Check off any languages that you do not want to receive e-mails in. Typically, this will be every language but Western European languages.

If you perform these few simple steps, you are certain to reduce the amount of unwanted e-mail spam you receive.

IT Outsourcing the Right Way

Outsourcing is the contracting out of a company's non-core, non-revenue producing activities to specialists. IT outsourcing is a strategic management tool with many benefits.  By outsourcing your IT needs, operating costs can be reduced and controlled, company focus improved, internal resources freed for other purposes, and access to world class capabilities gained.  Businesses that harness both internal and external resources are often better equipped to react to changing circumstances and to explore new market opportunities.  Concentrating on core activities, these businesses are usually more flexible and responsive, and consequently have a competitive edge.

While the benefits are plentiful, the primary reasons businesses outsource are to reduce costs or to make up for a lack of in-house expertise.  A dental office, for example, typically has a complex computer system that requires regular system maintenance.  This maintenance, however, does not justify the cost of employing a full time internal IT person.  In this situation it can be far more beneficial for the business to outsource their IT needs to a provider that specializes in their system.  Costs are kept to a minimum because the business only pays for the services rendered by the IT provider, rather than a weekly salary for internal IT personnel.

IT outsourcing can be extremely beneficial for many businesses, and by following the few simple guidelines outlined below, you can ensure that your business is one that benefits.

• Outsource the right things for the right reasons: Understand why you are outsourcing: cost savings, lack of in-house expertise, company transformation?  Begin with clear achievable business goals, and remember, you must understand your purpose and expectations in order for your IT provider to understand them.
   

• Communicate your expectations to the IT provider:  Make sure your IT provider has a clear understanding of your expectations from the outset.  Without this understanding, your expectations will likely not be met.  Keep in mind; an IT provider can't deliver what you want if they don't know you want it.
   

• Communicate your expectations to your employees: Let your employees know how you expect the IT provider to benefit the company and how each employee will be affected by the change.  Their support is important to your success.
   

• Learn to manage your outsourcing relationship: An outsourcing relationship with your IT provider is very different from a typical employee-manager relationship. You need to manage in terms of deliverables and results. As well, you need to maintain open communication with your provider. Schedule quarterly meetings to discuss things that are working well and things that can be improved, but make sure that any issues that come up along the way are discussed immediately.