Technology to the Rescue Facilitated by Derrick B. Webster President & CEO Vanguarde Consulting Group NYC In-Front IT Strategies For Business Growth & Acceleration

Operational Design: How Small Firms Get Big Operations Design considers the acquisition, integration and management of key business tools and systems which can improve a firm’s competitive advantages. The benefits of savvy operational design can allow smaller firms with less capacity to improve their efficiency in the following areas: customer management and product/service fulfillment.

Leveraging The Machine That Keeps Learning & Growing Web 2.0 denotes the changing trends and expanded use of World Wide Web technology and design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web. Web 2.0 also refers to a social element where users generate and distribute content, often with freedom to share and re- use. This can result in a rise in the economic value of the web to businesses, as users can perform more activities online.

Leveraging The Machine That Keeps Learning & Growing

Top 6 Reasons To Use Google For More Than Search: 1. I need a productivity solution that’s easy to deploy and doesn’t require ongoing maintenance and or complexity Google Apps runs in the cloud using nothing but the web, so there’s no hardware upgrades, software patches or maintenance required. This also means NO ADDED EXPENSE! Because Google manages all of the hardware and software required in their datacenters, all a small firm then needs is a web browser take advantage of the cloud, either working across teams or improving communications.

Top 6 Reasons To Use Google For More Than Search: 2. I want a solution that meets my needs today and can grow with my company over time. Because all information is accessed in a browser, users always run the most up to date version of Google Apps and can count on Google to continuously improve our products by adding new capabilities. In addition to the constant improvements, the Google Apps Marketplace offers hundreds of apps built by third-party developers that integrate with Google Apps in just a few clicks.Google Apps Marketplace

Top 6 Reasons To Use Google For More Than Search: 3. I need a productivity solution that I can rely on. Google has been providing web services to hundreds of millions of users around the world for years. Google replicates your data and activity across multiple datacenters, which means that if one is unable to respond to your requests they can instantly fall back to another one with no interruption in service. As follows, Google can guarantee 99.9% uptime with no downtime for scheduled maintenance.

Top 6 Reasons To Use Google For More Than Search: 4. My employees need to collaborate seamlessly across organizational, geographical and linguistic barriers. When you use Google Docs, employees and or contractors around the world can work together on the same online copy of each document, spreadsheet or presentation. Because each file is stored online, users always have access to the latest version of that file. Sharing securely with users inside and outside of the organization is easy, and users can even use Google’s powerful machine translation to view content in their preferred language.

Top 6 Reasons To Use Google For More Than Search: 5. I need to do more from mobile devices than just send s. When your business uses Google Apps, both you and your employees can access their , manage their calendar and work with documents from any web-enabled mobile device. Google Apps also offers device management capabilities that allow you to remotely wipe data, set password requirements and more for devices such as Android™, RIM ® Blackberry, Apple iPhone and Windows Mobile. Whether your company has a fleet of mobile devices or you choose to let employees use their personal devices for work, Google Apps lets you manage the devices more easily and securely.

Top 6 Reasons To Use Google For More Than Search: 6. I want to spend half as much on IT as I do today. Google Apps offers proven savings by eliminating many traditional IT costs, including server hardware, maintenance, patching and upgrades. A Forrester Consulting study found that businesses that switched from on-premise messaging and collaboration to Google Apps saved between 38% and 56% and enjoyed a return on investment of over 300%. (Source: Forrester Consulting, 2010)Forrester Consulting

Top Mobile Apps For Small Business: DropboxDropbox: Access documents anytime, anywhere. Leverage cloud computing to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization. ScanRScanR: Turn your mobile phone into a digital scanner, printer and fax. Scan documents and turn them into digital pdf files you can store, share, and fax. FringFring: Need a quick team regroup? Use free, mobile Group Video Calls. Fring lets 4 people video call each other simultaneously, making it a mobile video business meeting of sorts.

Top Mobile Apps For Small Business (Cont.): VlingoVlingo: Tell your phone what to do while you’re on the go! The Vlingo Virtual Assistant turns your words into action. Voice to text technology makes it easier to a business associate, get directions to a restaurant, do a quick mobile search for information, update your social status, etc. SwipeSwipe: Swipe allows you to accept credit cards when you’re on the road, at the trade show, or selling at the market. It’s the easiest and most affordable way to jumpstart your business and increase sales. Google VoiceGoogle Voice: Send and receive text messages through Google Voice app for free.

Top Mobile Apps For Small Business (Cont.): ExpensifyExpensify: Keep track of business expenses when you’re on the go. Keep a digital copy of your receipts by using your mobile phone camera to capture the image of the receipt. Your receipts, expenses and reports are stored on the Expensify.com site and the mobile app. iTeleportiTeleport: Access your computer from anywhere in the world. Control any app on your Mac or PC desktop, access your computer’s files and use your iPhone as a wireless touchpad, keyboard or media remote. WiFinderWiFinder: A great app for business travelers to access a directory of paid and free Wi-Fi hotspots in over 280,000 locations in 140 countries. You can filter results by provider or by location (restaurant, café, etc.).

Thank you for attending today's Technology For Small Business Forum If you would like more information and resources for your business please visit the Vanguarde Consulting Group website at or test drivewww.vanguardenyc.com our online website builder at You can also find follow us at as well to receive updates on our schedule for upcoming courses.