Flu and COVID and colds, oh my. Lots of hands touch your copier, so the touchscreens and operation panels should be cleaned and sterilized! But, is it as easy as taking a Clorox wipe to your multifunction printer surfaces, or will that cause more harm than good?

The short answer is – kind of? Although cleaning your copier is easy, there are some things you may not be aware of, so we answered common questions in the following blog.

We continue to hear workers want to work from home or remotely. With WFH sticking around, it’s important that your home office includes all that you need to succeed. We even polled from our social media followers and learned that the flexibility and ability to log-on to work from anywhere is favored, especially when you have an ideal home office set-up.  Here’s what our followers expressed as their must-have items for their remote office.

Did you ever watch a game at a sports bar or restaurant? How about looking at a meeting agenda on a display in a hotel lobby or a virtual directory in a hospital or shopping mall? Chances are you are looking at a commercial TV. You may be asking yourself, “Isn’t that the same TV I have in my house?” Well, not quite. There are a few differences between commercial TVs, mostly found in the environments mentioned above, and consumer TVs, which are mainly used in households.

As consumer 4K TVs and commercial display products are becoming increasingly similar in design, each product has special features for specific usage. Here are the basic differences between the two.

Let’s explore!

Data breaches and other cybercrimes are becoming way too frequent. But it's not just large organizations that are susceptible to being hacked or getting a virus. Small and medium-sized businesses are equally if not more attractive targets for cybercriminals because they typically lack the security infrastructure of a larger organization. A total of 88% of small business owners feel vulnerable to a cyberattack, according to a recent Small Business Administration (SBA) survey. If your business is the victim of cybercrime, recovery costs can be expensive, including specialized repairs and legal fees, and can severely harm your brand’s reputation. That's why cyber liability insurance can be a smart precaution for any size of business.

You’ve heard countless messages about the importance of data security.  In recent years, bad actors have stepped up their activity and are using more sophisticated techniques to take advantage of distributed and remote work environments. In today’s widespread threat landscape, a well-balanced, multi-layered security strategy is needed to help ensure your copiers and printers keep your information safe from malicious intruders. Read on to learn about some features that can keep your copier on lockdown.

Well-managed organizations are not immune to the risk of potential business interruptions and need to pivot and adapt in the face of adversity. However, if the events over the past few years have taught us anything, even the most agile businesses are not prepared for everything. In the event of a catastrophe, the need for a Business Continuity Plan is paramount to keep your organization thriving. However, if your business lacks the proper planning, you could be treading water without a life preserver hoping for a miracle. Let’s talk about business continuity and how your organization can secure its operations.

So, you’re looking to reduce print costs in the workplace, hey? In fact, you’re wondering to yourself right now, “Why? Why does this happen and how do I avoid spending a fortune on toner / ink / paper?” Luckily for you, there are three stages to resolving the eternal challenge of avoiding spending loads of money on print costs. And the good news is you can choose any stage you’re comfortable with (and can afford)! Let’s explore…

When shopping for a new copier or multifunction printer (MFP), things can get tricky. When you look at the specification sheets of similar devices from different manufacturers, at first glance, it may not seem like there is much differentiation among the group. But just because these devices look the same on paper doesn’t mean there isn’t a difference between them. And if it’s been a while since you’ve been in the market for a piece of print hardware, you may be surprised at what today’s devices offer.

Verizon recently released its latest “Data Breach Investigations Report” (DBIR) that analyzed 23,896 security incidents, of which 5,212 were confirmed breaches*, in the timeframe from Nov 2020 to October 2021. The hefty report, which for a data-filled technical piece demands your attention with cheeky jargon, offers the latest insights into how threat actors are operating, who they’re targeting and the attack methods that are delivering results. It’s overarching conclusion: this was one insane year in cybersecurity. Strap on your swimmies and let’s dive into the key findings of the report as well as some plain English explanations.

For years we have been hearing that print is dead. Digital technology has certainly cornered the market in the past 15+ years. Medical offices started transferring paper records to digital and many schools stopped using hardback textbooks in favor of digital textbooks.  Newspapers, magazines and books have gone digital. A lot of companies have decided to make the switch from print advertising to web advertising. It is obvious that print is no longer the only game in town. But is print really dead? Not so fast.

At Sharp, we’re always looking for ways to help you think “simply smarter.” So, we thought it would be a great idea to feature our leaders to get an inside look at what they are working on and their views on the office technology space while learning some fun facts about them too! Today, we’re interviewing Tom McElligott, CIO & VP of Information Technology. We hope you enjoy getting to know Tom!

Learning is becoming more and more digitized. Luckily, technology is also becoming more comfortable to use and takes less time to implement. With the ability to use the display as a touchscreen device, an interactive whiteboard allows teachers to accomplish a wide range of tasks, from presenting to collaboration. 

Over the past few years, working from home at least a few days a week has become a regular occurrence. This way of work has shifted family dynamics, as many have turned guest rooms into offices, splurged on top-notch Wi-Fi systems, and even moved homes due to no longer having to commute to work every day. At first, your ideal home office may be as simple as a room that is secluded from traffic or lawnmower noises, but if you really think about making your workspace perfect for productivity, there are clearly other aspects that need to be considered. In my quest to put together my ideal home office, I examined all critical components, from hardworking hardware to a motivating ambiance.

Sharp brings unparalleled image detail and quality like you have never seen before with its 120" Class (diagonal) 8M-B120C 8K Ultra-HD Professional LCD display. In terms of quality, it’s no big stretch to say that 8K is the ultimate in imaging quality. The 8K Ultra-HD (7,680 x 4,320-pixels) resolution provides an exponential boost in terms of image detail with 4 times the resolution of 4K Ultra-HD and 16 times the resolution of Full-HD.

8K, by design, lends itself to certain industries and applications more than others. This blog will explore the reasons and logic behind purchasing an 8K monitor.

Does your school need a technology upgrade? If you’re still writing on chalkboards and working on older smartboard models – the answer is yes! Technology is at the core of virtually everything we do and exposing students to cutting-edge devices at a young age can set them up for success in the future. In addition, new display technology in the classroom allows teachers to streamline their daily plans and allows for an interactive environment for all to learn.

Before the pandemic, the digital signage industry was already going through considerable changes, with innovations and advancements on the horizon. We have compiled five key trends based on our new environment that companies in the digital signage space should keep in mind.

Now more than ever, small businesses are more vulnerable due to the lack of technology and IT support needed to effectively mitigate and recover from a cyberattack. Due to the pandemic, many SMBs had to scale back on operations, and if that included their IT departments, they become much more susceptible to bad actors. As more processes become digitized, employees continue to work remotely and cybercriminals become smarter, the need for small businesses to implement proper defenses to protect against security breaches has never been more critical. For small businesses, now is the time to strengthen cybersecurity measures. Check out these tips to address cyber concerns and prevent your organization from becoming a victim.

In a time where hybrid and remote work is more common than not, IT departments have played an integral role in keeping distributed teams connected and secured while working away from the office. Today, IT teams must accommodate the growing needs of videoconferencing, collaboration and simplified communication solutions. However, the demands for IT departments have dramatically increased over the past few years. Additionally, businesses are struggling to find and retain top IT talent to fill key technology positions or backfill roles lost due to the Great Resignation and face an overwhelming need to find candidates with technical skills to drive digital transformation. As many businesses know, not having the right people puts pressure on how fast any company can move, regardless of budget.

There are advantages to having a dedicated technology provider that can scale an IT environment, maintain business agility, upgrade an outdated IT infrastructure, provide advanced cybersecurity support and more. So, what are the benefits of Managed IT Services, and why consider them?

One record-breaker we know all too well is the soaring cost of gas. As of June 13, the national average per gallon is $5.01. In California alone the cost was $6.42…ouch! To make matters worse, inflation is at 8.3%, an all-time, 40-year high.  Times like these call for creative measures. Readjusting departmental budgets is a start, but if you take a closer look around you, there could be wasted money hidden in plain sight. You might be wondering, where to begin? My recommendation is a workplace technology assessment. It can provide numerous benefits, but right now the focus is to recover wasted expenses. Here are five ways a technology assessment can help offset the rising cost of fuel and inflation.

According to the United Nations, climate change is on a “fast track” to disaster and it’s “now or never” to implement actions and decisions to reduce carbon emissions. No one individual can tackle global warming challenges on their own, so it’s our responsibility to work together to make changes, big or small, in our daily lives that will make the Earth cleaner and greener for years to come.

One area we often overlook when thinking of an eco-friendlier lifestyle is the office, whether that’s at home or a corporate space. In honor of World Environment Day on June 5^th, we’re sharing three tips on making sustainable decisions – and making a difference for the environment – with your office equipment.

In today’s continuously evolving workplace, the need for communication and collaboration is more important than ever. Digital technology is constantly reshaping the way people work. Employees are bringing tablets, laptops and smartphones into meetings as ways to share information. Additionally, many employees work on a hybrid schedule, where they are partially in the office and partially remote. One of the most impactful ways companies can create a collaborative space is by introducing an interactive whiteboard into their meeting rooms. With an interactive whiteboard in a business setting, meeting attendees can use their personal handheld devices to share their information with all participants using the interactive display, whether working in the office or remotely.

The world has undergone a massive technology evolution over the past decade and it’s particularly noticeable within the higher education sector. Previously, students would lug around a backpack heavier than them, filled with textbooks, notebooks and supplies. Now, they have slim laptops and tablets full of the materials needed to complete assignments, take notes and collaborate with others in their class. It’s critical for the classroom to evolve alongside students’ tools to create a streamlined, productive learning experience for all.

One way to achieve this is through the addition and/or upgrade of interactive displays within the classroom. While chalkboards and whiteboards have been effective in the past, they do not reflect the rapidly changing technological needs and contemporary classroom environments for students. Interactive displays offer an enhanced learning experience for both students and professors, while also providing the classroom with an updated, modern look.

Picture this. You’re a high school administrator trying to figure out how to best help your students in the stretch run of April and May, gearing up for exams, projects and (gulp) final grades. You assume that they each have reliable personal laptops to get all their work done, in between gaming or binge watching their favorite streaming shows, of course. Or so you thought. What if it turns out their laptops aren’t as new or functional as you all believed them to be? You do NOT want to put your students in a position where they need to wait in line for a library computer to study for their chemistry final.

Whether it’s due to an outdated machine, or accidentally losing or breaking it, unexpected laptop mishaps happen. But educators need not despair. Here are a few tips to help you figure out exactly what kind of new laptop your students will need to wrap up the school year with flying colors and cruise into summer.

Hybrid workstyles have driven the need for secure access to the cloud for all technology used in the workplace. As a result, you are no longer tethered to your desktop, and neither are your files! Meet the new Advanced and Essentials Series workgroup multifunction printers (MFPs) from Sharp. They provide seamless and secure access to enterprise workflows from wherever you are working.

These new MFPs check all the boxes when it comes to today’s diverse workstyles.

Let’s face it, when most of us think of an office copier, we think of that scene from Office Space in which three office employees demolish their printer with a baseball bat. If you’ve ever been frustrated by a copier that doesn’t perform as needed – you can relate. Which is why, like a car purchase, you should really think about what you need a copier to do before you go all in. Thinking about the bells and whistles desired on your new car is easy because you’re more familiar with cars, and let’s face it – they are much racier than copiers. Herein lies the ultimate question - What should I look for in an office copier to avoid being casted in Office Space 2: Revenge of the Copier?

Drumroll…… it depends. What kind of office do you have and what are your printing habits? In general, here are the things that you should think about when selecting a copier for your office.

As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the messages we continue to see is the need to adapt to the hybrid model. This has presented unique challenges for educational institutions, where the push to turn your home into a classroom has come with a learning curve for both teachers and students.

Despite the fact that many schools have pivoted back to in-person learning, the classroom environment has become more complex and nuanced than ever before. Educators and administrators need to be ready with updated technology to switch up the learning structure from classroom to hybrid – and back again – if the occasion calls for it. Here are two ways in which they can accomplish just that.

Organizations strive to reduce expenses and increase efficiency, but one area that is often overlooked is their print environment. According to Small Business Trends, 64% of small businesses can't track printer usage or cost. Managing a fleet of printers can require a significant amount of work, especially since printer management is rarely centralized. And, when multiple departments are involved with managing a fleet of printers, it's challenging to fully understand and keep tabs on critical elements like unforeseen issues, uptime, cost and productivity.

Rather than dedicating internal resources, organizations can consider subcontracting the management of their print environment. When outsourced, external providers can implement Managed Print Services (MPS) to manage and optimize an organization's document output so internal teams can focus on business development. If your organization is on the fence about implementing MPS, here are some things to consider.

Per the recent Shields Up advisory issued by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, it is quite possible that the U.S. will see a large increase in cyber-attacks. While there are no specific cyber threats to the U.S. currently, this conflict has brought cybersecurity conversations to the forefront. In light of this, and as trusted technology advisors, we have been in close conversation with our clients to guide them on steps they can take to boost their cybersecurity posture and help to keep their organization safe. We would like to take a moment and share some of these guidelines with you as well, as these should be adopted by all businesses, especially at a time like this.

If we had to select positive outcome from the disruption that schools and students had to face from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that there has been a renaissance in classroom technology upgrades. And they’re here to stay! See how these schools were able to implement customized technology to remain flexible, and more importantly, open for our children.

Today’s consumers don’t like being sold to. We are bombarded by targeted ads so much so that we immediately put up our guard. We don’t trust what we are told and typically ignore the barrage of sales messages we get every day. So, what is a business owner to do? The solution is content marketing, which with a little effort and some creativity can effectively attract, nurture and retain customers without breaking the bank.