What’s new in Massachusetts manufacturing and technology

Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc. Manufacturing (which represents about one-third of our client base) is a growing and vital industry within the Commonwealth.  Some relevant statistics1: There are over 6,500 manufacturers in Massachusetts They provided more than 248,000 jobs in 2014; about 7% of the workforce The average manufacturing-employee compensation was $93,682 in 2013 Over […]

Bryley Basics: Why do my outbound emails show up as spam?

Anna Darlagiannis and Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc. I just got a call from a prospect; he notes that his emails are showing up as spam and his email recipients now think he is a spammer.  This is a topic that many email-oriented organizations experience. Unfortunately, with ransomware growing more common, spam-filtering efforts are getting […]

Do I need Cyber Liability Insurance?

Gavin Livingstone, President, and Mike Carlson, CTO at Bryley Systems Inc. with Bill Percuoco, Sales Executive at DF Murphy Insurance Agency, Inc. In general, Bryley retains business insurance to address all areas of significant risk; we ensure that we have sufficient coverage for all big-event issues, while usually requesting the greatest deductible possible.  Cyber Liability […]

Michael Carlson, Bryley Systems’ Chief Technology Officer, surpasses 20 years of service

Mike Carlson celebrates his 20th year as Chief Technology Officer at Bryley Systems Inc., an award-winning, Managed IT Services firm based in Hudson, MA.  Mr. Carlson has extensive knowledge in both local and wide-area network design and implementation.  He is a Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist™ (MCTS), a VMware Technical Solutions Professional (VTSP), and a Citrix […]

My final words on Ransomware (at least until next month)

Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc. Ransomware continues to grow at a rapid pace: The FBI received over 2,400 Ransomware complaints in 2015 There was a 30% increase in Ransomware cases in Q1-20161 Ransomware infections in April 2016 more than doubled2 The most-popular variants and their distribution methods: CryptoWall – Distributed through ZIP attachments on email […]

Bryley Basics: Setup your Android or Apple phone as a burner

Anna Darlagiannis and Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc. Wouldn’t it be great to have a disposable phone-number; one you could use to make calls to an unavoidable person that you’d rather not have call you back?  Well, you can now get Burner from Ad Hoc Labs, Inc. Burner creates phone-numbers on your existing phone.  You […]

More Ransomware – Jeez, I’m getting sick of this topic!

Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc. Guess what:  Cyber crooks are killing it!  According to Kaspersky Labs, over 700,000 people late 2015/early 2016 gained the privilege of stress-testing their backup strategies or forking over money (and a comment on their vulnerability) to some overseas creeps who view every server and workstation as a potential cash cow; […]

How the Web is Won – Real-Life Tips for Getting Highly Ranked by Google

Lawrence Strauss Google has by far the most comprehensive data on the web.  Its business is virtually completely dependent on people using its search engine.  This means it has an enormous interest in keeping searchers satisfied, that neither an upstart nor Microsoft overtakes it (as it did to AltaVista).  And, given its wealth, it purchases […]

Bryley Basics: How to determine what Google knows about you

Gavin Livingstone and Anna Darlagiannis, Bryley Systems Inc. If you ever wondered why those pop-ups are becoming more targeted (and more invasive), you might be aware that your profile information (name, email address, location, etc.) and web-surfing habits are being shared with others. It is an unwritten agreement:  Google helps you search the Internet and […]

Why no-one wants to pay for IT support

Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc. I’d be rich if I had a $5 dollar bill (inflation) every time I heard: “My son/daughter/niece/nephew (pick one) who is only 2/4/6/8 (pick one) years old was able to solve my computer problem; why do I need you?” Lisa, a senior VP in our marketing department, handles our IT.” […]

Gavin Livingstone interviewed by CRN®

Gavin Livingstone, President of Bryley Systems, was interviewed by Richard Whiting in CRN’s 2016 Managed Service Provider 500 in the February 16, 2016 online issue of CRN®. Highlights: “We’re doing really well,” said President Gavin Livingstone, noting that 2015 was the second-best year in the company’s history (2000, in the midst of the dot-com boom, […]

Anna D. promoted to Manager of Client Relationships

Anna D., a member of Bryley Systems’ Business Development team, has been promoted to Manager of Client Relationships – a new position designated to proactively monitor and enhance client services within the Company. Anna joined the firm in 2010 and most recently served as an Account Executive. In her new role as the Manager of […]

Michelle Denio promoted to Technical Support Supervisor

Michelle Denio, a key member of the Bryley Systems’ Technical Services team since 2008, will continue to support the Company’s clients in this newly created position. With a look to the future of Bryley Systems’ continued growth, she will also take an active role in the supervision of the Technical Services team during its expansion. […]

Bryley Basics: How to remove Windows 10 updates

Anna Darlagiannis and Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc. The Windows 10 update can be removed from a computer with these steps: Go to Control Panel Select Program and Features Select View Installed Updates Right click on each update below and select Uninstall: KB3033583 KB2952664 KB2990214 KB3012973 KB3044374 Go to Control Panel Select Windows Update Select […]

Best practices to deploy Windows 10 across your organization

Microsoft has been bombarding end-users with free-upgrade ads for Windows 10; their goal is to bury older Windows operating systems, which should reduce support requirements while enabling future capabilities. (Click here for specifications on Windows 10.) The free-upgrade process works reasonably well for individual users, particularly those with compatible applications (Microsoft Office 2016) and modern […]

Corridor-9 Data Room Cleanup – Before and After

We recently teamed up with our long-term business partner, Communication Link Services Corporation of Natick, to update the data room at the Corridor-9 Chamber of Commerce. The Corridor-9 Chamber of Commerce is a business-oriented, non-profit organization servicing Westborough and local communities. Bryley Systems is a long-term member who recently began supporting their IT infrastructure. Their […]

OneNote: A hidden gem in Microsoft Office

Gavin Livingstone, Bryley Systems Inc., January 2016 Microsoft first introduced OneNote with Microsoft Office 2003; since then, it has gone through five iterations and has become a useful utility to record free-form ideas and collaborate with others on any device, from Windows to iOS to Android. (See Wikipedia’s write-up on OneNote.) Microsoft says that OneNote […]

Bryley Basics: Apps that send an “I’m busy” text from an Android phone

You can’t always be there to respond when you receive a text, but you might want to send an automated “I have received your text” message; much like an “out of office” email response. You can even setup a schedule that provides a response that switches on when your calendar shows a current meeting and […]

Communicating with your IT Team – A Glossary of IT Terminology

Lawrence Strauss, Strauss and Strauss, January 2016 This list of computer terms provides a brief and simple definition of the key computer terminology and technical words that are most often used. Backup/Data Recovery™ (BU/DR) – Backup and recovery refer to the process of making data redundant and secure in case of a loss and setting […]

Data-Backup Guidelines for 2016

Our Data-Backup Guidelines for 2016 discusses backup technologies (like our Cloud-based Backup/Data Recovery™ service) and includes a helpful Backup-Rotation Calendar and a Backup-Event Log for those with on-premise backup systems.