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The decision to adopt new technology such as wireless presentation, can impact an entire organization. It can shift the ways in which teams perform and communicate. That decision is not always the easiest one to make. People, data, business operations and procedures have to be taken into consideration.
How can a CIO/CTO lead a charge that could impact the way an organization “lives?” There must be proper support and “buy in” across the company from the C-Suite to your employees. Ideally, you’ll want everyone to be on board with the proposed changes and accept them into their work practices.

The C-Suite

While many decisions can be made independently by the CIO or CTO, there needs to be consideration of the other executives to get their understanding and support as new technology will be passed onto their direct reports. Often times, you will need to provide analysis and recommendations to quantify and qualify the need for new technology. Cost and operational benefits need to be presented to show how the needs can be satisfied and how the changes will impact the business overall.

Human Resources

Changes to the company culture will impact its people. New technology adoption may require updated policies, training and new organizational structures. Teams may be merged or expanded to support new business models that come with the new technology. Performance levels and requirements may be modified. Human resources will need to be involved.
For example, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies will impact security and privacy. They will also add accountability and liability of individual employees and the reporting structure. Human resources would need to provide some direction in understanding and may have to amend their employee guidelines to support the policy and change.

Communications

Company/corporate communications will be central in providing education and updates related to new technology and the changes it will be bring. From announcement memos to posting new guidelines to any press releases to the public, communications is the news center of your business. New technology might also impact the way communication is disseminated throughout the organization. Therefore, you will need to work with them to ensure the right messages are being shared internally and externally.

Training

New technology adoption may not be as intuitive as we would like it to be. New or upgraded software and hardware always requires a learning period for teams to get up to speed and feel comfortable working with it. Employees want to feel confident in their work, which includes the tools they use. Therefore, training can really win over the team in see how the new technology will help them do their job more efficiently.
Training should come directly from the IT team, or can be partnered with your company’s human resources or learning departments. Facilitation of training across the company will help others understand the work that other teams perform and their impact on the whole organization. The goal should be to optimize your business in an efficient, effective and seamless way.
Something “new” can disrupt business. Your company culture will continue to shift with each change and upgrade. It is on you and your IT department to provide not only the implementation but also the education and support necessary across the company. Getting the “buy-in” from colleagues and employees will make the transition go smoother and technology adoption quicker.

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You’ve rallied the troops. Now it’s time to hunker down in the conference room. You and your team have a mission to accomplish, and you’re going to get it done no matter how long it takes.
But excessive mental strain can take its toll. Those who may have been energized at the beginning of a meeting may feel exhausted and defeated by the 20-minute mark and may need to be carried out on a stretcher by the end. To accomplish goals and ensure productivity, you want a team that is motivated, refreshed, and charged. And just as you wouldn’t drive from New York to L.A. without stopping for gas, it’s generally ill-advised to have a long meeting without organizing a break or two.
Tips to Organize Breaks in Your Work Sessions

  1. Set an agenda. Having an outline of what to cover and when sets expectations. Allow time for short breaks (10-15 minutes). If work is going all day or into the night, you may need to account for meal times. Include those into your agenda as well. The team will need to refuel to stay productive!
  2. Gauge the atmosphere. If you’re not able to set an agenda, try to get a feel of the room and the people in it. If there are lengthy periods of silence, it may be time for a break. Give the team a chance to take a short walk, grab some water or coffee, check email, etc.
  3. Get some exercise. A quick stretch can keep the mind limber. If things get sluggish around the table, get everything to stand up, run in place, get the energy flowing and then get back to work. Movement can be as refreshing as a nap. It also can jumpstart productivity in the room.
  4. Grab a bite. You may not be yourself when you’re hungry. The same may go for your team. Set aside a lunch or snack break. If you can have snacks available in the room, great. Allow people to grab something as the meeting continues on. Otherwise, have a meal together and talk about things other than your work project. It’s a great to learn about each other and create bonds.
  5. Introduce the Pomodoro Technique. Need to structure your work/break balance? The Pomodoro Technique may just be the lifesaver your team needs! Named after an Italian cooking timer shaped like a tomato, the technique is simple: Work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute-long break, then work for another 25 minutes. You can adjust to meet your team’s needs. Having a Pomodoro app, stopwatch, or alarm clock can help manage your time to allow everyone to focus on the task at hand and take much-needed rests.
  6. Utilize Conference Room Technology. Meetings can be boring, especially when they last longer than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. During breaks, it might be best for users to learn about new technologies that the organization will be rolling out or new products that will be introduced to the whole organization. For example, letting users’ try out a new wireless presentation tool will allow them to give feedback, and get a feel for the product prior to deployment. This will help the IT Department with the evaluation process as well. This can both be fun and educating for users.

Locking your team in a room until a solution is found may sound like a great thing. It may force everyone to work hard together in situations where they may not have done without a push. However, you could be creating a pressure cooker effect, if you don’t allow everyone time to catch their breath.
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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is starting to become the norm for meetings and work session. As companies begin to provide access to multiple devices, like smartphones, tablets and laptops, these tools should promote productivity and the changing styles of communication. Conference room technology needs to support those changes across device type, location and platforms.
How to prepare for a BYOD strategy?

  • Create a company-wide BYOD policy. Determine if your company’s BYOD will involve employees bringing their personal devices or using devices issued by your organization. Outline what security measures will be put into place. This may include requiring passcode protection on personal devices. detailing which programs and apps will be permitted or granting access to third-parties (clients, vendors, etc.)
  • Get wireless/upgrade your wireless. If you’re not wireless, get there! If you are wireless, make sure you are up to standard. Ensure that your Wi-Fi network provides the optimal speed and connections to support multiple devices and platforms, especially for audio and video communication, for internal and external team members.
    • With Ubiq, we make a P2P connection over Wi-Fi between the user’s device and the Ubiq’s hive to ensure that no one else can view the information. This makes it both secure, and easy for your users.
      Change the culture. Empower your employees to move away from the desktop. Show them how they can perform the same tasks on other devices, especially tablets and smartphones. Encourage employees to work away from their desk and to be more collaborative with their co-workers. Have opportunities for work sessions in a conference, create independent workspace (i.e. “genius bar” or “café”) and or promote working outside of the office.
  • Organize Your IT. Your IT team needs to be able to provide proper support to support any new software and hardware being implemented to support your company’s BYOD strategy. You may need to add resources based on skillset and experience with tools, training and network connections. You’ll also need a help desk that can process and filter support tickets.

How to update your conference room technology to support BYOD?

  • Hardware. Review your current conference room set-up and how it is being used. If you are working with mostly internal employees, look at how the equipment works with different devices, especially smartphones and tablets. You will need to determine how the different hardware will work in connecting with multiple users for any teleconferencing or video conferencing with clients and vendors.
  • Software. Software on BYOD devices should be similar across platforms ensure all team members can connect and share content. If your BYOD policy does not permit certain software usage, review what current software will meet conference room needs. If there is anything missing, it may be time to invest in new software tools.
  • Communication. For meetings, all invited parties need to be able to access the conference from various locations. If any members are working remotely, their devices need to have the capability to connect with the home office’s conference room or line through audio and/or video. In line with wireless presentations and networks, the connections need to be stable to allow for clear communication exchange.

The goal of BYOD should be provide both flexibility and empowerment to employees while promoting productivity to reach assigned targets and goals as a team. To do that, there needs to be a clear policy with the proper tools to support all.

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Your business is global. Your employees, clients and vendors are far and wide. As you try to bring people together virtually, there will be times when technical support will need to be called. How can you ensure that your IT department, especially your help desk, has the right tools to manage support calls and tickets?
What is the right IT ticket solution? There are many IT ticket solutions on the market like Zendesk, Gemini and Freshdesk to name a few. Each offers a number of features, ranging from live chat to ticket deflection. What will work best for you? You know your business and your team. However, in this virtual age, you need a solution that will support new forms of communication from conference room technology to wireless presentation. A ticketing system that can be accessed by many from multiple locations requires flexibility to meet company needs.
These are 5 simple ways to selecting the right IT ticket solution:
Do your homework. Is your current solution working? Examine how employees are currently communicating with your help desk. If possible, conduct a company-wide survey to gather feedback on the current support structure and process. Share that information with your IT support team. Brainstorm on ways to improve efficiencies and identify features of an IT ticketing system are mandatory, nice to have or not needed. This will help you to budget wisely and evaluate costs of implementation and maintenance as many providers work on a subscription basis.
The bells and whistles. The “hot” features sure look great, but are they really necessary? Don’t be sold on looks alone. For instance, Gemini offers email integration and a Knowledge Base. Freshdesk has added features like live chat and social media integration. What you should consider is how the platform operates and fits into your team’s structure and processes. For example, you should evaluate if you can dedicate team members to live chat. Ask providers for a demonstration of the solution, and have help desk team members participate. If providers can provide you with a trial to test the solution and its features, go for it! Many solutions also come with free trials, like Zendesk provides, which will allow your team and other key employees across departments give proper feedback and recommendations.
Global technical support. As your company’s employees are connected across multiple countries, platforms and devices, you’ll need to have an IT ticket solution that everyone will be able to access and work together. IT support teams will also need a way to communicate with them on an as-needed basis through devices and across time zones. Some solutions, like Freshdesk and Zendesk, offer mobile applications for Android and iOS.
Language and translation. While your company may do business globally, does everyone speak the same language? Maybe or maybe not. You might need to consider multi-language support for your ticketing solution, especially if you embed frequently asked questions or a knowledge database. For example, Zendesk offers support for over 40 languages, which administrators can configure through account settings. Having content available in more than one language may help employees readily obtain answers rather than getting lost or misunderstood through tickets.
References and recommendations. When considering IT ticket solutions, some providers might provide you with references from their client pool with whom you can discuss how the solution has worked for them. You may also want to gather references and recommendations of providers from colleagues or your professional network. The feedback you gather may be useful in determining a final list of top providers to consider or select.

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Today’s conference room technology opens the paths of communication between people, platforms, and devices. With greater exposure, there could be significant risks if the right security measures aren’t taken. The purpose of enterprise security is no longer just to keep internal network data where it belongs in a central location. It has expanded to ensure data is protected across multiple access points in and out of your organization.

Enterprise security is like driving a car. Really.

The term “The Information Superhighway” has become a well-worn cliche, and it’s easy to understand why: It’s the perfect metaphor for how electronic information travels. Some cars drive carefully, protecting their vehicle (data) and their passengers (the organization). Some cars are looking to get to where they need to go without pause, quickly cutting off others. Some drivers don’t have valid licences while others are driving in cars that have been stolen.
Traditionally, the common approach to security on the information superhighway was to look at it as an everyone-for-themselves type situation. However, in enterprise security, you’re looking out for everyone who is connected to you in and out of the main office while protecting your data and organization. Traditional security may look at the immediate moment. If all seems clear and things were okay until that point without fail, then it’s time to get moving. Enterprise security is like listening to the traffic report, plotting the best path using GPS or Google Maps and checking your car before you hit the road.

So what exactly is it?

It’s really a holistic approach to managing your data and protecting your company’s interests. To maintain government and internal security compliance amidst rapidly changing technology, you have to look at where your data is sourced, stored, and delivered. Data comes in various formats, including paper. Information is being transferred from hand to hand and across internal and external devices between you, your colleagues, clients, and vendors. You certainly don’t want to get it into the wrong hands!
Your IT teams are programming and providing support to make sure data flows and processes are working as intended. They also are striving to put safety measures in place to be proactive in defending, protecting, and serving the entire organization. In some fashion, they are the police force of your company’s information cache. They are also working towards ensuring that no breaches or gaps in system communications could pose a potential threat to your business and its privacy. To this end, the infrastructure needs to be designed to support the expanding technology and means in which people access and transfer information.
While IT security teams have always been mindful of this, on an enterprise level it’s now a matter of securing data outside of “headquarters.” Think about virtual teams, using multiple devices, including BYOD (“Bring Your Own Device”). Whether it’s requiring pass codes on personal smartphones or tablets or restricting access to specific IP addresses, enterprise security is what will help your organization maintain government and internal compliance, keep personal and business information safe, and solidify trust with clients and vendors.

Be prepared.

Certainly, one cannot always predict when a breach, hack, or virus will hit your system, just as you can’t predict a car crash. However, with enterprise security, one can be prepared and stay aware. It may require changes to the data architecture. It may require additional resources. Being connected to the outside and ensuring all is secure beyond your company’s walls will put you ahead of the game when the hard times come. Just like being on the road, you can protect and defend yourself with the right systems and processes in place.

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The rise of the conference room technology is allowing teams to be more interactive and flexible across multiple platforms and devices. In order to support the growing amount of hardware and software, IT teams have to adapt their processes to promote alternative means of communication and collaboration, such as a wireless presentation. However, with new technology comes a greater need of support for fellow employees. How can help desk teams efficiently manage the influx of support calls and requests? A lot comes down to organization with an online IT ticketing system.
IT ticketing systems allow for a central repository for project requests, defect logs and “How does this work” questions. These systems assist IT help desk teams in estimating the level of effort, assigning tasks, setting priorities and creating visibility to track the status of tickets. For example, in conference room technology, a ticketing system should provide immediate access to the help desk, due to the “live,” time-sensitive nature presentations and meetings. However, without the right structure, the system and help desk support can become overwhelmed with the volume of tickets and the ability to prioritize them.
Help desk support teams needs to efficient and productive. An inefficient workflow or the absence of a ticketing system may bog down the help desk. Therefore, calls may not be resolved in a timely manner, incorrect expectations could be set and employees may be left frustrated.
Here are 3 ways helpdesk teams can become more productive with the help of an IT ticketing system.
Define Team Structure. An IT ticketing system is only as good as the team managing it. By instituting a structure which will account for resource management, priority settings and help desk knowledge, tickets can be assigned appropriately, worked efficiently and avoid drain on a single team member. The goal is to use the system to balance the workload in order for team members to be available to assist more employees while having resources free to handle critical matters.
Setting Expectations. Employees may think that tickets are worked as soon as they are received. In many cases, they are. However, an IT ticketing system can be used to set real expectations for resolutions. Some systems will allow the end user to set a priority, which may not always be correct. Therefore, having a system that allows the end user to track their tickets can help convey how tickets are prioritized, when they will be addressed and how they are being handled. By giving visibility to employees, there will be a reduction in status calls
Knowledge Database. There are often frequently asked questions or FAQs. Those calls can eat away at time and resources. Having a mix of FAQs and a knowledge database with operating procedure guides will give employees an opportunity to get the guidance they need on their own. This will empower them to resolve easy, low priority matters without needing IT support.
The help desk is your IT customer service. They want to do a good job and provide assistance to all who need it. By providing them with a ticketing system and the right structure to assist their fellow employees, the help desk can be invaluable and attentive to support your business and reach its goals.

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IT professionals’ play a huge role in workplace collaboration – which will improve with the overall business objectives, and increase productivity within the teams. By collaboration, it is important to have an open communication either through virtual communication tools or regularly in person collaboration sessions. This will help promote a positive and creative working environment.
There are 6 quick ways to Increase Workplace Collaboration

  • Utilize wireless presentation technology: Weekly collaboration sessions are recommended between team members. These weekly collaborate sessions can be an overview of tasks for the week or sharing best practices which will take 10-15 minutes. These sessions should be quick, where no one should be fumbling with cables – therefore, using a wireless presentation solution can make the progress seamless and easy.
  • Create a creative environment: The most innovative workplace environments are those where teams members feel like their voice can be heard. Make sure your workplace is an environment that encourages the voicing and sharing of ideas.
  • Lead by example: If you make the effort to work with the guys in marketing, or some other function in the business, your teams will be more inclined to work in the same way too. Demonstrate you are a leader.
  • Know your colleagues: The better you get along with your colleagues, the easier it is to work with them. It’s a simple rule to follow, but the more time you spend getting along with your colleagues personally the more over time you are sure to be rewarded professionally.
  • Set your expectations and clearly communicate them: It always helps a team especially remote teams if they know what is expected of them. Rather than let your teams drift along, make it clear what you expect of them. Tell them you want them to collaborate with one another!
  • Reward collaboration: If as a manager you see collaboration taking place between colleagues, celebrate it! Highlight the successes that collaboration has brought the company, and tell people how they are adding value. Remind individuals that ultimately they will be rewarded where they want rewarding most – in their pocket.

Hopefully, it has made you think about the ways in which you can become a more collaborative colleague too.

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Managing virtual teams and working in different time zones has become increasingly popular. It’s estimated that around 10 million people work in this way and IT professionals in particular have been a big part of this shift in work culture.
More companies than ever before are outsourcing their IT projects across the world, whether for cost-saving purposes, or for the need to acquire specific expertise.
Managing virtual teams across time zones is not without its pitfalls though. If you are responsible for people working across multiple time zones, here are some handy hints that should help you work more efficiently:

  • Keep everybody up to date – It’s easy for virtual employees to feel disconnected from their team especially when most of the team members are based in a different location. Keep teams in the loop with regular, scheduled virtual meetings by utilizing conference room technology such as wireless presentation, remote presentation, or videoconferencing.
  • Set clear expectations – This applies especially to deadlines. Make it clear to your team members that the task needs to be completed by a specific time zone. For example, 4pm PST or 2pm EST. Setting clear expectations will help eliminate any complications and misunderstanding.
  • Have all teams work from the same schedule – If most of your team members are based in the Pacific time zone, it would make it easier if your calendar is changed to the Pacific time-zone to accommodate their schedule. Additionally, placing all files on the corporate network or a shared drive would help team work collaboratively and efficiently.
  • Unified Communication is key – Integrating enterprise communication such as instant messaging, data sharing, or even desktop sharing can help teams stay connected and gets responses in real-time.
  • Get everybody together in the same room – If it is an on-going project, it might be valuable to bring the whole team together in one central location so different time zones wouldn’t be an issue

You will have noticed there is one common theme with all these suggestions: ‘communication’. Effective communication is the key to successfully managing virtual teams. Take a closer look at what Ubiq’s wireless presentation technology can do for you.

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Across many businesses the strongest relationship the CIO has is with the CFO. This is often for pragmatic reasons. The CFO looks after the money, and IT projects can be expensive. This is a relationship born of convenience.
It is time for a rethink though. The mindset of companies across the world is evolving to something that is naturally more customer-centric than ever before, and this is down to increased marketing orientation. For this reason it is crucial that IT teams become closer aligned with marketing teams. This cultural change should be led by the CIO.
Why Increased CIO And CMO Collaboration Makes Sense
Traditionally, the CIO and CMO could not have been further apart in terms of working practices and expectations. Marketing likes to consider itself responsive, and quick to act upon customer feedback. IT on the other hand is all too often considered unresponsive by the wider business, with slow project implementation and feedback mechanisms. It is not, on the face of it, a match made in heaven.
The truth is though that the core competencies and requirements of both the IT and marketing disciplines are changing. As such, it makes sense for IT and marketing to grow together.
CMOs are increasingly spending more of their budgets on technology, with automated digital marketing systems becoming the norm rather than the exception. However, CMO’s often lack the knowledge to make the most of these new technologies. Think of the number of times your company’s marketing people have asked IT to make the conference room technology work before a presentation, and you get the idea.
The CIO can act as an educator, increasing the understanding of technical limitations for new products. For example, if a CMO decides to use a third-party cloud-based solution without consulting the CIO first on practicalities, he or she might it difficult to extract the desired customer data and integrate it with existing systems. Constructive dialogue between the CMO and CIO can prevent such problems occurring in the first place.
Equally, the CIO working more closely with the CMO can directly benefit the CIO’s own knowledge base. For the CIO it is an opportunity to develop his or her general business knowledge by increasing their understanding of the customer base. Over the longer term, it will enable the CIO to make a more solid contribution to a customer-centric business strategy.
There is one further fundamental danger for the CIO to be aware of. If a CMO does not feel comfortable working with the existing CIO, there is an increased chance that marketing teams will seek to appoint their own marketing-focused technology officers. This would be a political disaster for CIOs and their IT teams. With the trend CMOs commanding an increased share of budgets expected to continue, it makes sense for CIOs to align themselves with CMOs in order to prevent this from happening.
Being Practical: How The CIO and CMO Can Work Together
There are several practical ways in the CIO and CMO can work more closely together. The groundwork starts on a personal level. Making an effort to be personable can go a long way as it shows the CMO that the CIO is a real person with emotions and personality, a person with the capacity to understand the CMO’s requirements. Technical knowledge is important, but ‘being real’ is an equally important, yet underrated, skill.
On a more technical level, demonstrating that the IT team is more agile in its overall approach will go a long way towards changing internal perceptions of the department. The CIO needs to show that his or teams can respond quickly to requests, and they can deliver innovative solutions. The CIO needs to make things easier for the CMO. Recommending simple solutions, such as wireless presentation technology, will earn the CIO brownie points. This is an area completely within the control of the CIO. By making efforts to move away from process cultures within IT teams, the CIO is more likely to gain the confidence and trust of his CMO.
Finally, modern marketing is a metric focused discipline. The CIO can show he or she is on the same wavelength as the CMO by developing and implementing an IT metrics programme. This will demonstrate a degree of commercial awareness that will serve to add credibility to the CIO and ultimately will enhance the CIO’s reputation.

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