The Real Times

Welcome

Welcome to the September 2014 Edition of the Real Times.

Does it really feel like summer is over? Labor Day has traditionally been viewed as the end of summer, but here in the Northeast the six weeks after Labor Day can provide the nicest weather of the year. This year Labor Day falls on September 1st which is a milestone for us at Real Time Consulting. It is the 1 year anniversary of our merger with Networking Technologies & Integration. It certainly went fast! We continue to refine our processes to take advantage of the strengths of both companies. We thank all our loyal clients that have made our success possible since 1981.

As part of the refinement process, I wanted to announce a change that some of you may already be aware of. Mr. Mike Cray has been appointed Director of Technical Services for Real Time. In this role, Mike oversees delivery of all the services Real Time provides to our clients. Mike is well suited for this job, he held this same position with NetTech prior to our merger and brings his many years of technical and business experience to the role.

We also want to make you aware that HP announced that it was recalling some AC power cords used on certain models of its laptops and notebooks sold between September 2010 and June 2012. See the article below for more information and a link to see if your power cord is one being recalled.

Included in this month�s Real Times are timely articles on Preventing Data Breaches and keeping your kids safe when bringing your own device (BYOD) to school.

Look for the next edition of The Real Times coming in November. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. Thanks for your loyalty and your business.

John Azzinaro
And the Real Time Team

	September 2014 In this issue. . .
►	Welcome
►	HP Notebook PC AC Power Cord Safety Recall and Replacement Program
►	Virtual Success
►	Preventing Data Breaches
►	BYOD in K-12 Schools
►	Business Continuity Tip
►	Just for Laughs

Real Time Contacts
201 512 1777

John Iaccarino, President -
x1031

John Azzinaro, COO -
x1114

Bill Jacques, Vice President -
x1117

Jim Bohlin, Vice President -
x1030

Mike Van Pelt, CTO
x1017

Mike Cray,
Director of Technical Services -
x1116

Bob Larsen,
Director of Managed Print -
x1057

Business Continuity Tip
Don't Let Your
Guard Down

With record cool temperatures for parts of the US recently, in addition to a relatively quiet start to hurricane season, it's easy to forget the real dangers and threats associated these storms.

The truth is, now is the best time to prepare for the season ahead. (Remember, "peak hurricane season" runs from mid-August to late October.) Learn the 3.5 reasons to not let your guard down this hurricane season and download the free infographic.

Don't live in a hurricane prone state? Click here to learn why you should care about hurricane season no matter where you live.

Just for Laughs

Quote of the Month

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change
the world.

- Robin Williams

HP Notebook PC AC Power Cord Safety Recall and Replacement Program Announced August 26, 2014

This program addresses an issue with specific AC power cords used with AC adapters shipped with HP and Compaq notebook and mini notebook computers, as well as with AC adapters provided with accessories such as docking stations.

Program highlights

On August 26, 2014 HP announced a worldwide voluntary recall and replacement program in cooperation with various government regulatory agencies for certain AC power cords used with AC adapters shipped with HP and Compaq notebook and mini notebook computers, as well as with AC adapters provided with accessories such as docking stations.

This HP recall is worldwide.
HP customers affected by this program will be eligible to receive a replacement AC power cord for each verified, recalled AC power cord at no cost.
Visit the HP Notebook PC AC Power Cord Replacement Program website for additional information.

Virtual Success
used with permission from HP Technology at Work

It�s tough to make a meeting engaging and informative�it�s even harder to do this when the attendees aren�t in the same room. Virtual meetings are becoming increasingly important for modern businesses, especially as employees become more mobile and the idea of office hours becomes more blurred.

Organizing and executing a virtual meeting has many of the same challenges as holding an in-person meeting, but some of these may be magnified and others may be completely new to the virtual environment. Let�s look at a few pointers to make sure your virtual meetings are as effective as possible.

Preparation is key

Virtual meetings should be planned out well in advance. It starts with sending out the meeting invitation. If you�re inviting participants from different time zones, remember to take this into account. Make sure that the meeting is not too early or too late for any of the participants.

And just like face-to-face meetings, you should have a clear agenda, supporting materials, and any other bits and pieces necessary prepared and sent to your attendees before the meeting occurs. There�s less chance for improvisation in a virtual meeting, so making sure that everyone has all the materials in advance will be a good backup if something does go wrong with your presentation. In case this happens, make sure all the meeting participants have a way to reach you offline.

Preventing Data Breaches
used with permission from Norton by Symantec
by Matthew Nelson

Tips from the FTC on Fraud, Deception and Consumer Privacy

It seems like every week another major company experiences a data breach. 2013 was a rough year for organizations struggling to secure their data and the list of breached organizations reads like a �who�s who� of the business world: Target, Neiman Marcus, Adobe, The New York Times, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, LivingSocial, Evernote and even the NSA suffered major data breaches.

The cost of data breaches is astounding. A recent study by the Ponemon Institute estimates that data breaches cost US organizations an average of $5.4 million (this figure excludes uncommon �catastrophic� data breaches involving over 100,000 compromised records). Exacerbating the problem is the fact that if the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gets involved, those costs are likely to climb. Unfortunately, many organizations are finding out the hard way that the FTC takes data breaches seriously, whether the breach involves ten thousand or tens of millions records.

BYOD in K-12 Schools: 5 Tips to Help Parents Keep Their Kids Safe
used with permission from Norton by Symantec
by Melissa Segura

Despite controversial beginnings, many school districts across the United States are embracing BYOD�bring your own device�in the classroom by expanding curriculum to include student owned devices. With this trend gaining momentum, some districts are starting to run pilot programs to explore the benefits of bringing mobility to classrooms through BYOD. Rather than fighting against change, forward thinking school districts are moving into 21st century learning environments because they recognize the advantages of incorporating tehcnology and learning applications into the classroom to better engage students.

Real Time Consultants, Inc. | www.rtcnt.com | 201-512-1777 | [email protected]
Headquarters � 777 Corporate Drive, Suite 1, Mahwah, NJ 07430
50 Boright Avenue, Kenilworth, NJ 07033