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Blog Articles from ATS Communciations

Advising Businesses to Leverage Section 179 Deduction

December 2nd, 2023 by admin

Businessmen Advising

Leading MTSP Highlights Tax Benefit for Equipment Purchases Before December 31st CONCORD, CA ‐ ATS , a leading managed technology services provider, is advising business owners to take advantage of the IRS Section 179 tax deduction for equipment...

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Posted in: Press Releases

Don't Neglect Surge Protectors in Your Workplace

November 16th, 2017 by admin

Isolated black surge protector strip with 6 outlets

Businesses use surge protectors every day without thinking about them; however, they are an incredibly important piece of technology that can make the difference between a $20.00 and a $2,000.00 equipment replacement. While uncommon, a power surge can...

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Posted in: Support, Solutions, Knowledge

Problems with Power Loss: Tips for Workplace Computer Battery Backups

November 8th, 2017 by admin

View of the backside of a wooden desk with 2 Apple computers and an Apple laptop, all in gray

It's inevitable: employees working hard on a time-consuming project and then out of nowhere, the lights start to flicker and the power goes out. Suddenly, those workers express their frustration by pulling out their hair because they've just lost hours'...

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Posted in: Knowledge

Alternative Employee Device Security: Fingerprints, Facial Recognition, and Iris Scans, Oh My!

October 17th, 2017 by admin

Stylized magnifying glass resting on three oversized fingerprints

So far, 2017 has been an eventful year for increasing access to password-alternative smartphone and laptop unlocking techniques. Notably, Samsung added Face unlocking to the Galaxy S8 line and Apple introduced Face ID on the iPhone X. Of particular note,...

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Posted in: Security

3 Lessons SMBs Can Learn From Retailers On Thanksgiving Weekend

September 6th, 2017 by admin

Two monitors with arms reaching out of them, exchanging a gold credit card for purchased items

Online retailers are already working on business strategies for the Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday online shopping weekend months in advance. These three days are the busiest online shopping days for retailers, bringing in nearly $6 billion...

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Posted in: Knowledge

Amazon Alexa in the Workplace: What Could You Do With a Virtual Assistant?

June 20th, 2017 by admin

Graphic of six people-shaped figures with question speech bubbles above them

Amazon Alexa, the voice-based intelligent personal assistant you may have seen an early adopter friend use at home, has surprising business use potential to increase productivity in the workplace. Like Apple's Siri, Google Assistant, and Microsoft's...

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Posted in: Managed IT Services, Services

Scheduling Security: Take Control of Your OS Updates

May 10th, 2017 by admin

The word 'update' written in chalk on a blackboard, with a red analog clock between the 'p' and 'd' letters

It happens to everyone: You turn your computer back on after you intended to leave the office, or come in early to get a head start on a new project, only to be greeted by a 20-minute operating system (OS) update session. This common workplace frustration...

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Posted in: Solutions

Avoiding Disaster: Overheating Computers

April 5th, 2017 by admin

Shiny, red fire extinguisher with a yelling cartoon face on the side

If one of your office computers always seems to shut down or slow to a crawl at the busiest of times, you may have a case of overheating on your hands—especially if IT can't find anything wrong on the software level. Performance hiccups might seem like...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

The Benefits of Laptop Docks and At-Desk Peripherals

March 21st, 2017 by admin

Overhead view of a computer user typing on a white, detachable Mac keyboard connected to a MacBook laptop

With a little bit of effort, your staff can reap all the benefits of a laptop, and many of the perks of a desktop, with a little bit of planning and some additional hardware. It's a common perception that laptops lead in portability, while desktops specialize...

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Posted in: Managed IT Services, Knowledge

8 Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Office Computers

March 1st, 2017 by admin

Stylized green bucket, with a blue squeegee and a gray dust buster vacuum

When it comes to your office computers, a little bit of spring cleaning goes a long way. Sure, cleaning office computers can seem tedious. But think of it like preventative maintenance on a vehicle: In the best-case scenario, you'll never know all the...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

Digital Sticky Notes: A Time-Saver for Your Entire Team

February 15th, 2017 by admin

Stylized depiction of nine sticky notes in various colors

It's a familiar sighting in the workplace: the employee with half a dozen sticky notes attached to their computer monitor. While not the most confidential or elegant solution, these employees are on to something. Fortunately, technology has stepped in...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

Using Snap and Split-Screen Modes for Increased Productivity

February 1st, 2017 by admin

Stylized sliding drawers stacked one atop the other, in blue and gray

Multi-tasking wizards have a secret: Modern operating systems offer a handy technique for managing multiple windows while maximizing available screen space, significantly increasing productivity. Depending on the OS, this feature may be referred to as...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

A Primer on Common, Helpful Device Adapters

November 11th, 2016 by admin

An iPhone 7 resting on a table top

In September 2016, Apple announced that the iPhone 7 will not feature a 3.5mm jack—meaning anyone who wants to use standard headphones (or the credit-card scanning Square Reader) will need an adapter. Only time will tell if removing the century-old...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

Low Battery Life: Bringing Productivity to a Halt

October 26th, 2016 by admin

 Stylized graphic of a AA battery with a green cape flying through the air

Work-disrupting messages like “please connect charger” and “plug in or find another power source” can be a huge source of frustration—not to mention a major productivity killer—for employees on the go. Nobody wants to see their phone battery go belly-up...

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Posted in: Data, Managed IT Services, Solutions, Knowledge

Overloaded, Weak Signals: Alleviating Common Wi-Fi Bottlenecks

September 28th, 2016 by admin

Cartoon graphic of a hand holding a tablet with a Wi-Fi symbol on the screen

If your staff is complaining about slow Internet access at your office, it’s time to consider how well the Wi-Fi network is configured. Slow Wi-Fi is best known, after all, for transforming an otherwise ideal work environment into a slow-boiling pot...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

Water-Resistant Smartphones Are Here: What You Need to Know

September 13th, 2016 by admin

Graphic of an iPhone with an image of water droplets on the screen

Water-resistance probably isn’t on the feature checklist for your employee smartphones—but judging by how many of these devices meet an untimely end via liquid damage, it should be. It probably doesn't come as a surprise that dropping the device...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

Are Comatose Servers Draining Your Wallet and Leaving You Vulnerable?

August 30th, 2016 by admin

Black skull and crossbones graphic

Those old servers your business no longer uses—and keeps running anyway—are more than just a security risk: They’re hurting your firm’s bottom line. The term comatose server describes a functional server, connected to a network, that sits idle virtually...

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Posted in: Solutions, Knowledge

Windows 10 Free Upgrade Window Comes to an End

May 24th, 2016 by admin

Stylized depiction of the modern Windows start menu with a blue '10' overlaid

Those “Upgrade to Windows 10” notifications seem to be showing up everywhere, even in the middle of a weather forecast on Iowa television. What would’ve otherwise been an embarrassing interruption turned into a watercooler moment that anyone who used...

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Posted in: Support, Knowledge

How To Choose a Desktop Monitor

May 17th, 2016 by admin

Graphical render of a standard desktop PC, with monitor, keyboard, mouse, and tower

Let’s talk about desktop monitors. In many companies, large or small, an onboarding employee gets whatever display hardware might already reside in their assigned cube—no matter how old it is. But like most computer products, the technology is always...

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Posted in: Managed IT Services, Knowledge

New Threat Targets Older Android Devices

May 11th, 2016 by admin

Three smartphones with happy, neutral, and sad faces on them

Smartphone users can be broken down into two camps: those who can't live without lining up to buy the latest and greatest model the day it hits the stores, and those who hold on to their tried-and-true phone until it suddenly dies one morning. There's...

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Posted in: Security, Knowledge

URGENT: Uninstall QuickTime for Windows NOW

May 3rd, 2016 by admin

Red and yellow depiction of a ringing alarm clock with hands at 12:15

Today we'd like to pass along a critical security advisory to all our customers: If any of your company's Windows systems still retain Apple's QuickTime for Windows software, uninstall it immediately—as soon as you finish reading this post (if not...

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Posted in: Support, Security, Knowledge