September – October 2015

needs, there are some significant compatibility issues with business software and Windows version 10; it’s just too new. We’ve had some experience with the upgrade process—some have gone very badly, others have gone less badly, but none of gone smoothly. Like anything new, it might be tempting to be on the ‘latest and greatest,’ but if you need to print from your computer, have Wi-Fi access, run anti-virus, run any business-class software, or have Facebook friends, you should probably wait—CMW Windows 10 Upgrade—Now or Wait? Updates and Tips from Syscon We strongly encourage you to wait to do this upgrade. We’ve had some experience with the upgrade, and we’ve done some research on it, confirming our recommendation to hold off for now. With the release of any new software version, the first adopters are helping with the testing process (like it or not). Based on these ‘field tests.’ there will be various updates to the new version until it is stable. It also takes time (and money) for other software companies to learn about the new Operating System (OS) and make appropriate changes to their software so it runs on the new OS. Then they have to test their release and get it out to their customers. No rush—the one year free upgrade offer for Win 7 and Win 8 users is valid through next summer. Turns out, Windows version 10 has an automatic sharing of Wi-Fi passwords with the user’s Facebook friends. We consider this a security issue; you may not want that kind of automatic ‘sharing.’ Even Microsoft says that some printers and other hardware might not work correctly, including anti-virus and security programs— that’s a big deal. For business computing Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly? What is a ’mobilefriendly’ website? It’s a site that has a responsive layout that adjusts to the width of the screen. Sections of the website are designed in blocks that can stack on top of each other, rather than next to each other, so you don’t have to slide the image back and forth to see what you need; that’s just one example. Google has a great tool you can run on your website to see if it is mobilefriendly. Here’s how to get the Google tool and check your own website—https:// webmasters/tools/mobilefriendly. If you don’t think this is a big deal, Google has warned that websites that are not mobile-friendly will be posted lower in search results when users are on mobile devices. If your website doesn’t pass the test, you may need to redesign with this structure in mind. We’ve done this for a number of clients, including ourselves! Give us a call and ask for Chris to get more information and next steps. — CLW ———-—– Syscon, Inc. 15 Spinning Wheel, Suite 218 Hinsdale, IL 60521 (630) 850-9039 VOICE (630) 850-9040 FAX Did You Know? Sage 100 Contractor Spending a few extra minutes during Vendor setup in 4-4 can save a lot of time in the day-to-day entry process and at yearend. Due Terms: On the Invoice Defaults tab, take a minute to enter the Due Terms, Discount Terms, and Discount Rate. You’ll clickthrough the 4-2 screen a lot faster and have more accurate aging reports. 1099 status: Don’t wait until the end of the year; ask for the W-9’s when you set up the Vendor. Didn’t ask them yet? Print the 4-1-1-61 report and get a head start on collecting and entering the details before the year ends. —CMW Is there a tip you would like to hear about? Syscon Website re-launch Thanks to those who took a few minutes to send us your thoughts on our new website. We got some great feedback, lots of nice comments, and some great suggestions!! September/October 2015 -- 1 of 2 - Cloud Hosting—News and Reminders 20 Years with Master Builder/ Sage 100 Contractor In our May/June newsletter, we included a list of ’interesting’ experiences we’ve had with this product, the original owner, and the changes in ownership— Intuit, then Sage. As promised, we have a series of five short video interviews with Larry Wendt. They include the very first training in California which ended with emergency surgery when Larry got back to IL; upgrade from DOS to Windows; and more. The first video will be available on our website mid-September. Anyone who knows Larry also knows that he can tell a great story—enjoy! CMW Where do you store your computer disks? So, this is a first! We opened up an HP workstation and found the installation disks inside. I suppose that means they’re not lost, but this is not a good way to keep track of them. However, we have a great Syscon duffel bag that we’d love to give you (if you don’t already have one). It has room on the side for a can of air or screen wipes, and lots of room inside for disks, manuals, Care Pack (warranty) certificates, anything associated with your computers. We have them in stock just for this purpose, and the techs and sales staff carry extras in their trunk; if you need one, just give us a call or ask your tech—CMW Looking for a few Great Techs If you know a great Network Tech who might be a good fit for our team, we’d love to see their resumé and give them a call. If they are invited to join Syscon, we’ll send a thank you gift for your efforts—CMW Love what we do? Love how we do it? When you refer someone to Syscon and they become a client, we’ll reward you for your time, and thank you for your vote of confidence. Contact Brian Bruns at Syscon to share the contact details and sign up. Syscon, Inc. 15 Spinning Wheel Suite 218 Hinsdale, IL 60521 630-850-9039 Voice 630-850-9040 FAX Catherine announced this year’s Vision and Values for each Department as part of the annual State of the Company held at Ditka’s. Sage 100 Contractor There is a new release that will incorporate a SQL back-end. We’ll keep you posted on testing, timing to upgrade, and impact to your staff. Stay tuned... Sept/October 2015 Larry will present Cloud Computing for your Business to the Mason Contractors Association members on Sept 18th -- 2 of 2 -