Blog & Updates

Search engine optimization concept illustrated on a chalkboard, emphasizing SEO strategies and digital marketing.

Talking Digital Marketing: SEO Hurting Your Business?

November 16, 2017

As we said in our previous post about digital marketing, having an online presence is very important in today’s world. Not using one major tactic can hurt a business’s online presence. That tactic is Search Engine Marketing (SEO) and it’s vital to digital marketing. Why is SEO important? Focusing on SEO as a tactic can help your business rank better organically on search engines like Google and drive traffic to your site. It determines so much of the traffic that websites get through the internet. It doesn’t matter if you have a local business or a global one; SEO is a must for every business that’s online. There are a couple main reasons why you shouldn’t be ignoring SEO: The

Email Etiquette

November 10, 2017

With all the different forms of messaging and online communication, you may not think twice about your responses in your emails. Although it can be easy to forget to do, experts agree that you must not forget the social rules that accompany any form of professional communication. Did you know that there are 205 billion emails sent every day, worldwide? (Constant Contact) Do’s and Dont’s Do have a clear subject line Be specific “xyz is attached”, please respond by xyz date. DON’T use unprofessional salutation Hi or Hello vs. Hey, Yo, Hiya even when you have a strong relationship with the recipient. DO make sure you use the recipient’s name correctly! Ex. – don’t turn “Robert” into “Bob” unless you are certain this

Assorted colorful ice cream scoops at Whitey's Ice Cream, showcasing variety and quality, perfect for dessert lovers.

2017 W³ Award Winner

October 27, 2017

Twin State Technical Services has won the Best Website Award in the Restaurant category for Creating Whitey’s Ice Cream’s website! W³ Recognizing the Power of Web Creativity What is the W³ Award? The W³ Awards honor creative excellence on the web, and recognizes the people behind award-winning sites. In honoring the best of the Web, the W³ Awards is the first major web competition to be accessible to the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Now in its twelfth year, the W³ Awards received over 5,000 entries from Advertising agencies, PR Firms, Interactive Agencies, In-house creative professionals, Web Designers, Graphic Designers, and Web Enthusiasts. Who is the Power Behind the W³? The AIVA, Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, is

Cyber-Security Resources

October 12, 2017

Don’t need a nationally recognized car mechanic to knock off 95% of what you need to do with your car when it has a problem. Resource Links The government website to report fraud and cyber incidents which includes 2016 Cyber Report: IC3 Great policy templates & security info from this independent industry group: Sans Group Sub-sites with great specific resources/instructions: Sans National Institute of Standards and Technology from the U.S. Department of Commerce: NIST The NIST Cybersecurity Framework Manufacturing profile published September 2017 provides a cybersecurity implementation details developed for the manufacturing environment at: NIST Framework National Security Agency | Central Security Serivce: NSA Promotional materials to promote awareness in using technology: https://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect Software Cyber Security, part of the Software Engineering Institute, software/database related

The Customer Immersion Experience

October 12, 2017

What is Customer Immersion Experience (CIE)? An immersion experience is a facilitated hands-on session to “Experience the Possible” by test-driving Microsoft devices and solutions through simulated, everyday scenarios. During an immersion session, you will experience the true impact of being a Microsoft-powered organization. We’ll provide a skilled facilitator to walk you through scenarios using the latest Microsoft online services and some of the newest PCs, phones and tablet devices on the market. There is no set agenda. Each immersive session is unique, as it is based on the interest of the session’s participants to offer real world solutions that can solve your business challenges. Immersion sessions are 2-3 hours in length. How can this help you? Enhancing mobile productivity Encouraging

Office 2007 extended support has ended. What does this mean?

October 12, 2017

What does this mean? No new security updates. No non-security updates. (like no updates… at all!) No free or paid assisted support options. No online technical content updates. How does this affect you? Since it will no longer updated or supported, you will no longer receive security patches. So basically hackers are going to look at your software for vulnerabilities and holes in the system. That is where they will enter in to place malware and viruses. What should you do now? You’re taking a risk by using insecure software; Microsoft is encouraging everyone to purchase their Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) subscription plan, which you’ll receive in the latest versions of office. See what Microsoft has to

International Day of the Girl

October 11, 2017

[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Today is International Day of the Girl. Here at Twin State, we are all about it! “Empowerment of and investment in girls are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights” -United Nations Resolution 66/170 Have you noticed on Facebook today that you see a lot of #dayofthegirl posts? Today encourages and celebrates the potential of every young woman to be a powerful voice in her community. Five years ago, the United Nations decided that October 11 would be known as the International Day of the Girl. According to the movement’s official website, its mission is “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing

Protecting Your Business Against the Growing Threat

October 2, 2017

[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Cyber-security Town Hall for Cyber-Security Month!*edited post “Following the hacking of companies like Yahoo and Equifax, local leaders here in the Quad Cities have shown concern over the possibility of a security breach. The Quad Cities Chamber held a cybersecurity meeting on Thursday to discuss changes coming to the Department of Defense to combat cyber attacks. They also gave tips on ways to protect yourself from potential hackers. They say keeping up to date on your computer’s operating system and anti-virus software is crucial to staying safe online.” –WQAD Digital Team With cyber-crime damage costs predicted to hit $6 trillion annually by 2021, the Quad Cities Chamber brought together industry, business, and community leaders in a panel format

High-quality IT support services provided by Twin State Technical Services, specializing in cybersecurity, managed IT, and tech solutions for businesses.

2017 Veeam Recognition

August 31, 2017

Veeam named to the Forbes 2017 Cloud 100! As you may know, Twin State Technical Service is a Veeam partner. As a partner, we are thrilled to announce that Veeam was recently named to the Forbes 2017 Cloud 100! This is the second year in a row they have made the definitive list of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world. They managed to climbed to number 27 from last year’s position at number 53. The selection committee, compiled by Forbes, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Salesforce Ventures, focused their decision on the criteria that includes valuation, people and culture, and market leadership. Those are important qualities to Twin State Technical Service when looking to partner with a company. Congratulations Veeam – keep

TSTS wins Quad Cities Innovation in Talent Development Award

August 8, 2017

At Twin State Technical Services, we strive to always provide the best service to our clients. One way that we do that is through our commitment to continuous technical and personal development. With this unique aspect of the TSTS business model working as the backbone of our company, we work hard to not only encourage our employees’ continued learning, but to help support them in that journey. It’s always exciting to be recognized for something you’re passionate about, and on August 7, 2017, the Quad City Chamber of Commerce awarded the TSTS team the Quad Cities Innovation in Talent Development Award in the small business category. We are so proud of our team for making this possible. The Quad Cities

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Blog & Updates

Talking Digital Marketing: SEO Hurting Your Business?

Email Etiquette

2017 W³ Award Winner

Cyber-Security Resources

The Customer Immersion Experience

Office 2007 extended support has ended. What does this mean?

International Day of the Girl

Protecting Your Business Against the Growing Threat

2017 Veeam Recognition

TSTS wins Quad Cities Innovation in Talent Development Award

Need IT Support That Moves As Fast As You Do?

SIGN UP FOR OUR TECH TALK eNEWSLETTER

Bite-sized Tech Wisdom.
Zero Geek Speak

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Bite-sized Tech Wisdom.
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