How Can Our Two Offices Use Technology To Collaborate And Work Better Together?

We get this question all the time. So many companies come to us for Calgary IT Services wondering how technology can be used to help their branches collaborate on operations and projects.

Collaboration technology is designed to facilitate groups working together. It allows for better communication, real-time collaboration, and cooperation among coworkers. It comes in many forms and offers unique capabilities and benefits.

We Have 30 Employees In Two Locations – Can You Help?

Your workers likely rely on your computers to keep operations flowing smoothly. Perhaps they need to process orders and quotes, schedule projects, and manage other types of tasks. But to increase efficiency and productivity you need them to do this in a cooperative fashion.

A one-size-fits-all technology solution isn’t the answer. You need a custom-designed IT approach with the right hardware and software products created for your particular requirements. One that provides a stable foundation you can build on.

This is where CTECH excels. Our clients depend on us for collaboration tools that promote:

• Coordination designed to manage groups of people so they can handle large complex tasks more efficiently.
• Communication to convey secure messages between individuals to facilitate dialogue.
• Conferencing that allows project members to see a unified view screen, either working all together in real time or letting a single presenter control the screen while others provide input.

How Do We Begin?

Before beginning any Calgary IT Support project, you’ll likely need a complete IT assessment to ensure your technology is up to par. Many times we find that collaboration isn’t possible due to outdated technology and servers that are running unsupported operating systems that are out of warranty.

Plus, if you aren’t using the right collaboration software, you’re wasting time and money. A lot of companies need an “IT Reset” before we even begin. One way we do this is with:

• Dell Servers that can run the latest Windows operating systems, speed up system services, and are designed to grow as a business does.
• SQL Servers to keep CRM software up and running at all times.
• Licensed software to ensure compliance and security.
• Proactive, preventive remote monitoring and maintenance to ensure systems are fine-tuned, updated, and patched to eliminate the need for constant support.
• 24/7 Coverage for peace of mind knowing our techs are always available at any time.

One of the most popular collaboration solutions that our clients who need Calgary IT Support use is Microsoft Office 365.

Can You Tell Us More About Microsoft Office 365?  Will It Work For Our Collaboration Purposes?

Yes – and our techs can set it up for your particular needs. Using Office 365 is easy but migrating your technology over to it isn’t. Don’t worry. We can do this for you and train your employees to use it as well.

Microsoft Office 365 lets you and your staff collaborate the way you want. You can manage changes in shared documents whether you’re working offline, online, or in real time with others. This allows you to work on the same document with others on files stored in the Cloud.

Plus, you and your coworkers can sync files located in the Cloud along with your online files and access them even when you’re working offline.

Coordinate

Together you can keep full control of these documents using OneDriveforBusiness. One Drive lets you work with anyone inside or outside your organization. It enables real-time co-authoring in the apps you already use like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.  And you can even access Outlook right from these applications and attach files to emails with just a click.

SharePoint lets you share and manage content, knowledge, and applications to empower teamwork and seamlessly collaborate across your branch locations. You and your teams can share files, data, and resources. It lets you collaborate easily and securely with team members inside and outside your office, whether they use PCs, Macs, or different kinds of mobile devices.

Quickly invite employees in both branches to edit or view documents. Check out who’s currently working on a document. This is all easily managed with access permissions.  We can help you learn to do this on your own.

With Office 365, your teams can stay on top of their shared documents while collaborating with version histories and integrated activity.

Communicate

Then there are Office 365’s communication tools. Effective communication is the cornerstone of productivity. Office 365 offers a variety of options to ensure your workers can speak in real time without having to meet face-to-face, including Microsoft Exchange Online, Instant Messaging, Video Chat, and Skype for Business. And, you should definitely check out Microsoft Teams.  We’ll show you how it works.

Conference

Did you know you can use Office 365 to conference with up to 250 people at the same time? Plus you can include participants’ pictures and job titles to help everyone keep track of who’s who. The video will lock onto whoever is talking, so there’s no confusion. And you can broadcast meetings to up to 10,000 people.

Whenever collaboration is necessary, CTECH makes it possible no matter where your teammates are located.

This sounds great!  How do we get started?  We need IT Support in Calgary!

Just go to our Contact Page, complete the form, and we’ll get in touch with you.

Interested in learning more?  Check out these articles in our Media Centre:

Help! How Do We Migrate To Office 365?

Why Your Company Should Switch To Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft Security: Common Security Threats

Written by Carl Fransen

posted on July 9, 2018

Carl Fransen

My passion is to make my mark on the world in a positive and lasting way. I want to set an example for my son that his father can compete with integrity in today’s world, be very successful, and leave the world a better place for him.

Combining my technical/business-based education with a long career steadily progressing up the corporate ladder, I decided to build a company that held true to my values. So, I founded and designed the next generation of IT support firm: CTECH Consulting Group Inc. We are a completely automated, cloud-based IT company designed to compete against any other IT firm without the overhead. We promote a lifestyle to all our staff where they can work anywhere, at any time, access any information on any device that is relevant to their job, and collaborate with anyone they want to.