Maryland Network services

There is no doubt most offices have taken advantage of the benefits of wireless internet. Without having to deal with cumbersome cables, employees are able to conduct their work throughout the office, increasing collaboration. Now you can increase the productivity of your business even more with multifunction devices with Wi-Fi connectivity. A wireless device allows documents to be printed from portable laptops, digital cameras or other devices within range.

Through the use of a built-in Wireless Network Interface Card (WNIC), printers are now more mobile and versatile than ever. By replacing the standard USB connection, you allow for minimal cabling to connect the device to electricity. Not only does this provide mobile printing, but it also makes reallocating your devices quick and easy. 

Wireless multifunction devices still have all the features of a standard device and also reduce clutter and dangerous cables in offices. With access to a central printer connected to a Wi-Fi hub, hundreds of employees will have printing capabilities without having to share cables.

When it comes to designing and customizing the layout of workspaces, wireless devices offer expanded flexibility. Most wireless multifunction systems can work within a radius of about 150 feet.

Multifunction devices with Wi-Fi connectivity are not restricted in features, either. They can perform all the standard functions of wired devices such as scanning, copying, color printing, and remote access. However, with wireless connections, you give your office the power to print to any device within range.

Even with this increased functionality, Wi-Fi printers are not necessarily more expensive than standard printers, especially as the technology becomes more of a standard feature on new models. The fact that you can now use a central printer from any number of computers and devices can also save on the cost of having to buy additional printers for each area of the office.

Wireless multifunction models are increasing productivity in offices around the world. You have the ability to print to any device within range, therefore allowing you maximum flexibility. This can be very beneficial for client meetings or presentations. continue reading...

Most multifunction systems today come equipped with advanced access controls. Despite having a large breadth in functions, these controls are actually very easy to use. Plus, by monitoring print usage, you can reduce your costs greatly by supervising usage by department, work group, or even individuals.

Access controls work in conjunction with the security features of your multifunction to set up PIN codes or card-access for desired users. By requiring every user to log in to the multifunction, you can get a clear report on how the device is being used. You can also set authorizations based on access groups. For example, you may want your Marketing Department to have access to color printing, but feel it would be unnecessary for the Sales Department. With access controls, you can minimize unnecessary color printing and reduce your costs.

Effective print monitoring also allows you to create defaults for certain access groups. You can set print jobs to automatically duplex (two-sided printing) to help save paper. This is a quick and easy solution that will yield instant results.

Multifunction devices are often used as a gateway to a company’s document management system. Access controls can ensure that unauthorized users do not get into confidential documents. Just as you can dictate print capabilities, you can also select which users can retrieve or view certain files, folders or specific documents. Controlled access limits your company’s liability and encourages employee responsibility.

Print management has been made quite simple with access controls on most multifunction devices. Once the controls are set up, managing your printing expenses and security is a breeze. Plus, with easy to use interfaces, the set up process can take just a matter of minutes. continue reading...

I was recently browsing the internet when I came across a website claiming it could tell me exactly how much my life was worth as a human being.  Intrigued, I filled out a survey that asked questions about my physical, mental, lifestyle and personality factors.  Once completed it broke down every aspect of my answers and gave me an exact number of my life’s worth—$2,327,896 to be exact. 

I began wondering, if there is a method to determine something as intangible as the price of a human life, certainly any other object could be also be weighed and measured.  Businesses everywhere know the value of a document, but how much is it really worth?  While the question remains of why researchers would find interest in determining the life worth of a piece of paper, I did find an answer.  Research has shown that over a document’s lifetime the cost of handling, storing and shipping a single paper document can easily reach up to $30.

First, there is the cost of the paper itself, just a few cents to begin with, but we’re only getting started.  Then there is the cost of storage.  This can include anything from file folders, file cabinets and storage boxes to the extra office storage space you have to rent.

Next, there are the costs of shipping and routing paper.  Not only do the actual mailing costs add up, but then there is the efficiency costs of time spent waiting for documents to get where they’re going.  It’s a fact that pushing paper around the office or the globe impedes employee productivity. 

Finally, you have the liability factor of paper to contend with. Papers get lost or ruined and have to be reprinted.  They’re usually difficult to find in a traditional filing system and even the threat of potential security risks add to the cost of a single paper document.  Quite simply, it is costly to manage a piece of paper.

It is for these reasons that many businesses are turning to an electronic document management system to cut back on the cost of paper.  Not only is it easier to keep track of your documents and maintain their security, but the costs of storing and routing paper are cut back significantly.  A good first step is to determine how much your paper-based office is costing you.    

Southern Solutions offers document and network management solutions to Southern Maryland, including St. Inigoes, St. Mary's City, Scotland, Tall Timbers and Valley Lee.     continue reading...

There has been a movement to incorporate new document capture technologies into businesses worldwide.  Why would you spend hours patiently keying in information from delivery tickets, sales orders and remittance stubs when you could automatically extract information from scanned documents?

How Data Capture Works 
Documents are scanned using a scanner or multifunction system and then utilizes the following technologies to read data from the document:

Zone OCR: Optical Character Recognition (OCR) converts scanned text into text that can be edited in common word applications and imported into a database.  Zone OCR reads text from a specific area of a document. 

Barcode Recognition:  Information can be read from barcodes on documents.  For example, the invoice number on your proof of delivery slips can be embedded in a barcode. When these slips are scanned, the capture software reads the barcode.

Automated Document Capture brings many benefits:

1. Faster Data Entry.  Instead of spending hours on manual data entry, pages can be scanned and data extracted in seconds. This speeds up your business processes, allowing you to deliver better customer service and employee satisfaction.
2. Lower Expenses.  An automated capture process requires less manual labor, allowing you to focus personnel on higher-value tasks.
3. Fewer Errors.  Extracted data can be validated against your existing customer database to ensure that it is correct.  Possible errors are routed to an exceptions folder where they are quickly proofed and processed.

Southern Solutions offers document and network management solutions to Charles County Maryland including, Marbury, Morgantown, Mount Victoria, Nanjemoy and Newburg. continue reading...