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3 HR Metrics SMBs Can’t Afford to Ignore

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Recruiting and retaining top talent isn’t easy. Even after the hiring process ends, there are several metrics your Human Resources (HR) specialist(s) should keep tabs on to ensure top performers stick around long enough to deliver meaningful results for your company.

Here are 3 metrics highly effective HR organizations measure:

  1. Productivity Over Presence

Some HR organizations focus heavily on absenteeism. Maybe that’s because countless studies have shown that higher than average absentee rates—anything above about 2%—equate to lower productivity. And yes, in a general sense, increased absenteeism could be an early warning sign of employee engagement issues.

That said, organizations lose top talent by making the simple mistake of equating productivity to showing up for work.

Here’s where this breaks down …

Highly productive and efficient employees are significantly more productive than those just phoning it in. By simply lumping everyone together into one bucket that values attendance over productivity, organizations inadvertently cause top producers to disengage.

Tip: To identify and reward top workers, consider creating a Productivity Index that’s tied to an incentive program. This way, you’ll have line-of-sight to top producers, as well as the ability to reward their hard work and improve retention rates.

Ways to Measure Productivity:

  • Quantity produced (error-free)
  • Revenue generated
  • Profit generated
  • Number of people helped ÷ satisfaction rating

  1. Turnover

Some turnover is expected, but if it exceeds 18%, you might want to find out why. As a caveat, if your company has less than 10 employees, take that percentage with a grain of salt. Losing a couple employees per year doesn’t necessarily mean you’re headed for trouble.

Tip: To measure annual voluntary employee turnover, take the number of employees who left your employment in the last 12 months, then subtract any layoffs/firings, and divide the remaining number by the average number of employees you had during that 12-month period. Here’s the equation:

Annual Voluntary Turnover = Voluntarily separated employees ÷ Average Number of Employees – Involuntary Separations

For example, let’s say your average number of employees was 130 last year, 15 left voluntarily, and 5 were let go. Here’s how to determine your turnover rate based on these figures:

130 – 5 = 125

15 ÷ 125 = 12%

In this case, the turnover percentage is below average and no cause for concern.

  1. Cost Per Hire & Early Turnover

It’s important to consider these two factors together. Here’s why: You might be able to achieve a relatively low cost per hire, but your early turnover rate—departure prior to one year of employment—could be costing your organization more than $40,000 in productivity each time a new hire exits your organization early.

Tip: To measure the cost of a new hires, divide recruiting costs by the total number of new employees.

Measure, Analyze, Act

Simply measuring productivity, turnover, and cost per hire, isn’t enough to improve your retention rates. You must also commit to reviewing and analyzing the findings to identify areas of improvement, and then create an action plan to address shortcomings.

Technology Plus Communication Equals Maximum Results

Posted on by ARRC Technology

When it comes to your workforce, you want things to click for them all day, every day. Unfortunately though, things don’t always work this way. Why? Well, they’re human of course. They want to talk, eat food, go to the bathroom, watch a funny cat video and stare off into nothingness for five minutes straight. But all these “extracurricular” activities during the work day make for a highly unproductive staff.

Obviously.

So how do you keep your staff human, yet capitalize on their most productive time periods? Simple. Keep your technology dependable and the communication flowing like the Mississippi River.

Technology

If you’re looking for a quick way to create an unproductive staff, then give them some really bad, old, and outdated technology. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t even have to be that incredibly bad. It just has to give out on them every now and then. Once you manage to do this, just sit back and watch absolutely nothing happen.

Workstation shuts off in the middle of a task Susie had been working on for an hour. She’s now done for the day.

Or Joe’s email inbox refuses to sync. Instead of trying to do other things, he’ll just click around his inbox for a few hours thinking really hard about why it isn’t working.

Too many open applications and everything suddenly becomes “unresponsive.” Prepare yourself for a sudden attack of a clicker-crazed employee, who will simply make the unresponsive even more unresponsive.

Your CRM takes an eternity to load. Mary will take this eternity and use it to check up on her kingdom in Clash of the Clans. Your database may have loaded ten minutes ago, but she’s highly invested in an all-out battle at the moment. See ya, Mary.

Communication

Strong communication builds up your competitive edge and keeps your staff on the same page. But the trick is to keep things instant and synchronized. This is where modern technology has worked its magic.

Once you start using apps like Office 365 and Dropbox, you’ll begin to wonder how you ever did anything before. Work on the same document at the same time as another staff member and see each other’s edits in real-time. Take a step away from the back-and-forth emails and start moving faster than a slug on a hot day.

Old way:

Bob sends an email to Matt. “Hey man, take a look at this attachment.  I made some minor edits to the first paragraph.”

Bob sends another email to Matt. “Sorry. Forgot attachment. Here it is.”

Matt sends an email to Bob. “Took a look at your notes. Here are my changes.”

Bob sends an email to Matt. “That looks great Matt. What do you think about changing the word amazing to brilliant in that last sentence?”

Matt sends an email to Bob. “Sounds good.  Any other changes? FYI, I made a few tweaks to the title.”

Nine days later and 37 emails sent, forwarded, received and read, Matt and Bob finish their one-page report.

New way:

Matt sends Bob and instant message: Hey, let’s work on that report.

They both hop on Dropbox and 15 minutes later the report is edited, approved, and sent.

Wow. So much time saved.

3 Best Practices for Service Desk Support of the Customer

Posted on by ARRC Technology

The key to long-term success is the technology services industry is to continually engage and satisfy customers so that they trust and rely on you for every new technology need. A critical component of nurturing sticky customers relies on having an effective, responsive Service Desk.

Do You Need a Service Desk and a Help Desk?

Have you heard the terms ‘Service Desk’ and ‘Help Desk’ used interchangeably? Or perhaps you think of them as equivalent yourself. However, both a service desk and a help desk are vital to your company’s success as a technology services business. So what’s the difference?

According to the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL):

  • The service desk is a key component of managing the overall process from a strategic ‘big picture’ cross-organizational perspective. It reviews the overall IT processes and functionality.
  • The help desk feeds into the service desk with a tactical, day-to-day role in responding to end-user needs. The help desk is a component of the overall service desk. The help desk’s mission is to be the single point of first contact for your customers when it comes to problem resolution.

What Are the Functions of an Effective Service Desk?

The service desk functions as the first point of contact within your business for all IT questions. Service desk personnel are focused on processes and company strategy, and should include a Service Desk Manager, Service Desk Supervisor, and Service Desk Analyst. Some of the functions fulfilled by an ITIL service desk include:

  • Incident management
  • Problem management
  • Configuration management
  • Change management
  • Release management
  • SLA management
  • Availability management
  • Capacity management
  • IT service continuity management
  • Security management

3 Best Practices for Service Desk Support of the Customer

The responsibilities of the service desk are enormous. Books can be written about what it takes to run a really effective service desk, but let’s start with some basics. Establish these three critical service desk best practices up front, before moving on to finer points of service desk optimization.

  1. Establish an Effective Onboarding Process

Once a customer chooses your company to provide their technology solutions, your service desk must execute an efficient, thorough on-boarding process that ensures a smooth launch of services for the customer. Anything other than a well-oiled onboarding process will frustrate new customers and quickly erode satisfaction and trust. An essential step in the process is collecting the required data in order to set up the client’s account and configure the remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool, professional services automation (PSA) solution, billing and communications systems to support them. You’ll also need to conduct a thorough needs assessment and ensure that your provisioning process runs flawlessly.

  1. Train Your Team and the Customer Before Go-Live

Training should be a regular component of your process for spinning up new customers. Prior to go-live, your help desk and service desk staff need to be trained so they become familiar with the new customer’s infrastructure and support requirements. The customer and end-users need to receive training about how to work with your organization. This should include how to open service requests, details about their SLAs and reporting they should expect, and how your service desk processes and incident management processes will work

  1. Leverage the Value of Automation

If you can insert more automation into your service desk processes, you’ll enable your service team to operate with greater efficiency and productivity. That can add up to better profitability for your business overall—with the happy side effect of extremely satisfied customers! Automation to consider includes an RMM tool, PSA system, communication aids such as chat support, and solutions that enable remote support of your customers.

The three best tips to cure work exhaustion

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Work is exhausting. You know it. He knows it. That person way over there knows it. We all know it. But as you’ve probably noticed, some people can handle this exhaustion much better than others, yourself included. They might have more responsibilities, more authority, and more going on in their personal lives, but somehow, they still make it through the day feeling good and looking even better.

You can blame it on a potential alien infestation all you want, but you know as well as we do that this isn’t the case. And no, they aren’t better at being a human than you are. Simply put, they’ve managed to pick up some really good habits. Habits that keep them energized, motivated, and positive. And habits that make sure they’re healthy enough to fend off exhaustion even when it’s at its worst.

So to be a better, healthier, and more productive working member of society, here’s what we recommend.

Stop snacking on the wrong foods.

You’re hungry, you’re losing energy, and your productivity is starting to feel the drawbacks of an empty stomach. So you reach for that chocolate. That bag of chips. That pack of extra salty, extra cheesy crackers. Just the right amount of everything to make that tummy of yours feel not so empty. But unfortunately, that high will only last so long. You might not feel so hungry anymore, but every other part of your body will be feeling the pressure of extra salt and extra sugar.

So do yourself a favor and don’t reach for that chocolate, that bag of chips, or that pack of extra salty, extra cheesy crackers. Why? Well, not only is it terrible for your body, it’s terrible for your productivity. According to the Harvard Business Review, eating foods like pasta, cereal, and soda will certainly give you energy—but only for so long. Eventually, you’ll hit a wall, and your productivity will fall to a quick death.  And foods like burgers and French fries? Those wonderful mealtime choices will make you groggy and reduce “oxygen levels in the brain.” Sounds exactly like what you want to happen in the middle of the workday, doesn’t it?

Not so much. The answer? Pick up a fruit. To a lot of people, fruits and vegetables aren’t exactly the tastiest snacks. And for other people, fruits and vegetables shouldn’t even be used in the same sentence with a word like tasty. But still, they’re good for your body, and they’re even better for your mind.

Time and time again, research has indicated that people who eat more fruits and vegetables throughout the day feel happier, healthier, and more satisfied with who they are and what they’re doing. So the question becomes: is an apple really all that bad?

And the answer to that is no. When your health and happiness are at stake, the taste of an apple (or any other fruit or vegetable for that matter) shouldn’t make a difference.

Get uninterrupted sleep.

Ridiculously successful people have weird sleeping habits. Some sleep an average of 15 hours a day while others refuse to sleep more than four a night. So instead of telling you to get 6-8 hours of sleep every day like most people will tell you, we’ll just say this: when you do sleep (whether it’s for 8 hours or 8 minutes), make sure you sleep well. Create the perfect sleeping environment—from your bed and lighting to the noise and pillows—so you can get the most bang for your buck. The better you sleep, the longer your productivity can last.

Have bad sleeping habits already? It’s easy to rewire your body and mind if you’re consistent. Take the TV out of the bedroom, set your morning alarm on your phone an hour before bed and do NOT look at your phone for that hour, have an evening routine and make the room dark and cool. You’ll find you’re sleeping a lot better with entirely minimal effort.

Listen to the right music.

Everyone has different tastes in tunes, so some of this advice won’t apply to every person. But for most of us, listening to upbeat, faster songs can boost our productivity levels and snap us out of our afternoon slump. Make a playlist on Spotify or Apple Music and mix in your favorites. Then, when you need to focus on a project and just aren’t feeling it, pop in your earbuds and let the music re-energize you. We recommend staying away from smooth jazz and classical music if you’re already feeling tired, because you’re just asking to fall asleep at your desk. No one wants that, right? Instead, pick some rock music to inspire you, some pop music to energize you, or some rap music to encourage you. Whatever works best for you!

5 Reasons Facebook Reactions Are Good For Business

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Love them or hate them, Facebook reactions are here to stay. And while some businesses cringe at the idea of consumers having more possibilities than the traditional “like” button, many others embrace this emotional side of social media. As should you!

For Facebook, it wasn’t just about getting more emotional. They needed a gesture-based interaction aimed at people on-the-go and using the mobile app—people who are unable to comment when a post wasn’t entirely or simply likeable. We’ve all been there: outraged by something we read or see but not having enough free time to write a proper response. So press the Angry reaction, and voila! We expressed ourselves.

So how does all this affect your business? Well for starters, it gives people the ability to interact with your company on a new level, and it gives you an excuse to explore creative marketing opportunities. Here are a few of the other ways social media interactions will change the way your company experiences social media.

It’s great for research

Did people just “like” your posts before or did they “like” them but really love them?  Or maybe they liked them because they hated them? Uh oh. Facebook reactions can clear that up. Now, you’ll know for sure whether a post angers your followers or moves them to laughter. Once you start to see a pattern, you can adjust your posts to continue receiving the appropriate emotional response.

Bypass the negative comments

Studies are starting to show that people are more likely to use a negative emoji rather than leave a negative comment. This is good for two reasons. One, you limit the negative comments left on your page, and two, you’ll receive an honest look into your posts, content, and business as a whole.

Get more detailed insights

Through your Facebook Page, you’ll be able to view statistics on how many reactions were used on both your post and the subsequent shares. See what’s working, what’s not, and how you can improve your shared content. Metrics and feedback are critical parts of sustaining a successful marketing campaign.

Engage with your audience even more

Before it was just ‘like,’ now it’s a range of emotions. This means you can connect with your audience on an even deeper level by knowing what makes them laugh, what makes them cry, and everything in between. You’ll get to see what posts elicit what responses and go forward from there.

Use reactions in your marketing strategy

You can use these new emojis to your advantage with creative posts like “sharing the love,” which are helpful in terms of engagement. For example, “Share the love and click the heart to be entered into a contest to a win a new iPhone.” You can easily see who used what reaction, so it’s a fun way to have your followers feel more involved in your posts.

How to Protect Yourself on Public Wi-Fi

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Visiting a public Wi-Fi spot can be a great alternative to working from home, a convenient way to stay connected while you travel or even just an excuse to browse the web while you get your coffee fix. Hello Starbucks! But there’s a very dark side to these public hotspots… they’re an open door to your electronic world of information. Bank accounts, credit card numbers, passwords, and more. Our entire lives are on our devices. Here are some steps you should take to keep hackers out of your hardware.

Check names

ALWAYS confirm the network name. Bumming Wi-Fi at a local coffee shop? Looking for a network in a hotel lobby? Wherever you are, never assume you know the network name. Some hackers create free Wi-Fi spots that don’t require passwords, making it easy to access your information due to lack of encryption security. To be sure, verify with an employee or triple check the spelling if it’s printed out before connecting.

Always look for the ‘S’

Use HTTPS when browsing the web. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure is the secure version of the HTTP you usually use when visiting a URL. Adding that simple ‘S’ at the end encrypts everything between your browser and the sites you visit, keeping information like banking passwords and credit card numbers safe and sound.

Store your data safely

Use encrypted storage security. Storing your important files in encrypted storage means they’re password protected and as safe as the money in a bank vault. You can find a range of encryption options, from free downloads to software for purchase that offers more security features. This will ensure that even if hackers do gain access to your computer via an open network, they will not be able to enter your protected vault of files. Think of it like a locked treasure chest within your system, and you’re the only one with the map and the key.

Consider using a VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is simply a group of networks that secure and encrypt communication, and can be connected to remotely. Businesses use this often to connect individuals to network resources, but you can use it to secure your public Internet connection and to protect any data you’re sending and receiving. However you choose to use your VPN, make sure you choose a service that offers protocols on connectivity, server location, and offers features that meet your needs.

Utilize checklists

Make a turn-off checklist and follow it. When you’re planning to visit a location where you know you’ll be using a public network, turn off automatic connection to Wi-Fi on your device. This guarantees you’ll never accidentally join a fake network created to steal your data. Also remember to turn off Wi-Fi when you’re done browsing, always ensuring that you are in control of what, when, and how you connect.

Avoid convenience

Finally, make it a habit to turn off sharing. You never know who’s roaming around trying to covertly access your information. If you have sharing enabled on your device and forget to turn it off, you’re basically waving a flag to potential cybercriminals and saying, here’s an easy target! And never, ever save passwords. It’s convenient but it makes it even easier for any potential threats to access your electronic information.

Avoid these 3 common business mistakes at all costs!

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Whether you’re a new entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, there are some core business mistakes that can torpedo all your hard work. We know building up a company takes blood, sweat and tears. Along the way, you’re bound to have a couple screw ups. Some of them are easy to come back from while others can irreparably damage everything about your business. Good news is, there are mistakes that are easily avoidable. Here are a few of them.

Choosing the wrong team

The team you choose to work with and to build your business around has the power to determine how successful your company will become and how difficult your job will be as a CEO. Either you can lean on them or you can’t. Either you can release them into the wild or you can’t. Either you trust them or you don’t. If you hire the right people who share your vision and your passion for your business, you’ll see it in their work and the company will benefit as a whole.

It’s extremely vital that you take your time with the hiring process. Do not jump into something because you’re desperate to make a decision and do not hire solely based on experience and education. Who they are and how they work matters just as much, if not more, than what they know. Get a feel for who they are as a person. Energy is easier to read than most people think.

Not using the right technology

Finding the right technology is a lot like hiring the right person. It’s tempting to jump into a premature purchase because you’re desperate for a solution, but if you take your time, you will see more growth and better results.

The key is to think of technology as an investment and not just as a necessity.  Carefully consider your technology investments from every angle possible: as a CEO, as a staff member, as a client, as a vendor, and as an outsider looking in. With the right technology, you’ll have a solid foundation to build your company on and the ease-of-mind that your data is safe and protected.

Ignoring your clients

Whether your business is small, large, new, or old, it’s easy to place your business on a pedestal because it’s everything you’ve ever worked for and more. It’s your baby, your one and only, your everything.

So when someone decides to present you with their not-so-positive opinion about your business, it’s easy for you to dismiss their thoughts. But this is a huge mistake that you don’t have to make. You can always learn something from what your clients have to say about you and your business. Maybe the complaint is completely uncalled for, but if you peel away the superficial judgment about your company, what’s left? Humans are still incredibly social beings, and if your company starts to get a bad reputation, you need to be smart enough to catch those bad opinions early on and fix them before the problem gets too large to handle.

Email, phone or IM? Which one works for your communication?

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Email tends to be the default when it comes to communicating in an office setting. In fact, the average adult receives 122 business emails per day. While they’re great for updates, recaps, and other informational exchanges, there are many situations where email is not the most efficient form of communication. Sometimes it can slow things down or muddle an important message.

So in what situations should you resort to another form of communication?

First, ask yourself these two questions:

What is the nature of the subject? Is it informational and specific? The best route may be an IM (instant message). If there are complexities and certain particular details, then a phone call or a brief face-to-face meeting may work out significantly better. If your task requires input from multiple parties, then you may want to plan a conference call or in-person meeting.

What type of response do you need? It’s best practice to make it easy for people to respond to your message by choosing the most convenient route. Is your request urgent? An IM would be your ideal option. Do you need a detailed response? Then it might be more helpful to hop on a quick call to iron out the details.

Once you answer these questions, you’ll have a clearer understanding of the route you need to take to get the response you want. But just because you choose the right avenue of communication, doesn’t mean that you’ll be sending the right message. Consider these next tips to ensure you’re communicating efficiently.

Set the scene: Just because something is top of mind for you doesn’t mean that it’s top of mind for everyone else. You want to be sure to provide enough information to get the person you’re talking to up to speed and properly invested in the task at hand.

Be concise: Brevity is key here, folks. No one wants to read a novel (regardless if it’s sent over IM or email), so get to your point and get to it quickly. It’s best to stick to two or three questions over IM or email. If you need more clarification, pick up the phone and just call.

Manage your recipients: In today’s digital world, it’s easy to get caught up in an email chain that you really had no part in. Or maybe you did at one point but your duties for that task ended a while ago, and yet you’re still in that dreaded email thread. So to save everyone involved a headache, be sure to only keep the appropriate people in the loop. If someone needs to know certain information but doesn’t need to take any action or respond, just CC (carbon copy) them.

Your Biggest Security Threat are Your Employees

Posted on by ARRC Technology

It’s not a secret that businesses require some form of management to operate effectively and efficiently. From defining key roles and responsibilities for each employee to interacting with clients, managers hold a lot of responsibilities—especially when it comes to information security.

There’s a huge misconception that risks and security incidents should be handled on a case-by-case basis, often after the breach has occurred. This belief is entirely misguided and something that your business cannot afford to believe. Recent studies show that sixty percent of hackers can breach an organization’s safeguards within just a few minutes. It’s painfully apparent that data security should be a major concern for your business.

Now it’s time to address the elephant in the room regarding your data safety—your employees.

No matter what application, program, or unified threat management system that you use to protect your data, it’s only effective if your employees know how to use it. According to David Anderson of Clifton Larson Allen, “This is the social aspect, targeting the end-user. This is the #1 way to attack an organization.”

Training your employees to have strong passwords and securely share information is critical. But you can’t expect for your employees to be compliant with your security demands if you don’t define their specific security roles and responsibilities.

Plan how you’re going to approach your data security by ensuring that you have the appropriate managers and overseers in place. Once this is done, assess the potential risks and create hierarchical solutions that can be repeated. When you’re ready to move forward, be sure to assign the following roles:

  • Security Committee: Those on this board will review your organization’s security management policies and will provide leadership, guidance and oversight to security problems.
  • Management: In small organizations, this could also be the security committee. Once the security plan has been approved, the group will communicate the process to all parties and employees.
  • IT Management Firm: Your IT solutions provider would be responsible for data processing and your overall business network. They will also interact with the security committee to create a security policy and is responsible for implementation. When it comes to Managed Services, just make sure to communicate the security solution properly to your clients and management.
  • Data Owners: These members classify the information within their jurisdiction by reviewing its value and sensitivity. They discover the implications that losing their data means. They also determine the type of access that each employee will receive.

Users: In this case, these are the staff members that have to comply with your security policy. Ensure that they don’t disclose or share their login credentials and passwords with anyone, including other employees.

Father’s Day Tech Gifts Under $100

Posted on by ARRC Technology

With Father’s Day right around the corner, what better way to show your appreciation than some of the latest and greatest tech toys—that also don’t break the bank. Read on for some of our favorites here at ARRC.

UE Wonderboom – $99

Welcome to the latest wireless speaker from Ultimate Ears. It looks cool, sounds great and it even floats! Is Dad a fan of hanging by the pool during the summer? Get him a Wonderboom immediately.

Sony MDR-7506 – $100

If these 1990s-era headphones don’t give Dad some nostalgic feels, then we don’t know what will. The Sony MDR-7506 may be the best-sounding headphones you can get for under $100. Pick ‘em up and wrap ‘em up.

Kindle Paperwhite – $119 (but often discounted to $99)

Is Dad one of those “I-like-real-books” type of people? Well, Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite e-reader is as close to the real deal as you can get, with its fancy e-ink technology and sturdy frame. It’s a good choice if Dad is a bookworm who’ll be on the next episode of Hoarders if he buys anymore paper books.

Fitbit Flex 2 – $90

Nudging Dad into a healthier lifestyle without offending his sensitive soul is easy when you gift him the sleek Fitbit Flex 2. Having a fitness tracker helps keep Dad accountable, and you can even challenge him through the Fitbit app to make sure he’s staying on track.

Mophie PowerStation Plus – $60

For those Dads always on the go, the Mophie PowerStation Plus is an excellent idea. It’s an external battery charger with an integrated Lightning cable and a micro USB adapter so good ol’ Dad can charge a variety of devices on the fly and not have to worry about anything dying.

Air Hogs Ultimate Millennium Falcon Quad Drone – $80

Star Wars is always a safe choice if you don’t know what Dad may be interested in, right? He can channel his inner Han Solo with this Millennium Falcon drone and the family will appreciate its crash-friendly foam body. Just make sure to give it to him on a weekend so he can play with it all day and not miss work.

Skullcandy Grind Wireless – $65

The skull logo on these wireless headphones means Dad has to be semi-cool to pull them off, but they’re a steal at $65 and Skullcandy has always been a reputable brand. As long as Dad doesn’t headbang too hard to Metallica, these should survive for quite some time.

Plantronics BackBeat Fit – $80

Is Dad a runner? Or more accurately, does he want to look like a runner? The sporty BackBeat Fit wireless headphones may be just the ticket. With bright colors and the ability to leave them hanging around your neck when not using them, Dad can put on his gym clothes and run errands and fool everyone into thinking he just crushed a workout.

4 Reasons to Try Facebook Live

Posted on by ARRC Technology

We all remember the commercials on TV (or in my case, Hulu) for Facebook Live. Share with friends! Be in the moment! Never miss a thing! They preyed hard on the fear of missing out most of us social creatures suffer from, and they succeeded pretty well. Here are the top 4 reasons why you should try Facebook Live for your personal enjoyment.

  1. Fosters personal connection

It may sound a little counterintuitive to say using a social media application fosters personal connections, but in the grand scheme of things, Facebook Live is the closest we’ll get to being in every spot around the world we want to be in with the people we want to be with. Want to see the World Cup with your dad but couldn’t get off work? Check out his live stream on Facebook, along with the official FIFA live steam. You may even see some things your good ol’ dad missed! Did your best friend go on vacation to Montana? Watch her video of the snowy mountaintops live and feel like you flew there with her. Now when she talks about the sun on the snow and how it sparkled, you’ll remember that moment she shared over Facebook Live. It’s not entirely as personal as a one-on-one video chat, of course, but it allows friends and family to share moments with everyone without having to call down the list individually. Which bring us to…

  1. Private chat about public live videos

With new updates came new features to Facebook Live. One of the new items is the ability to private chat with a group of your friends about a Facebook Live stream while it plays above the thread. So let’s say you and your buddies have a favorite sports team, and they’re streaming a game live on Facebook. Gather your friends in the private chat and go ham on the opposing team or share inside jokes without the rest of the Facebook universe there to interrupt or argue. It’s like a welcome shield from the vast amount of faceless Facebookers.

  1. Joint live broadcast!

Sometimes doing a Facebook Live video all by yourself can be… well, kind of lame. But now you can have a friend in a separate location on the screen with you. It’s basically like letting others watch your Skype or Facetime conversation with your BFF. Think podcast with your favorite person but live, on video. Don’t have anything interesting to say? No problem! Let your friend hold the conversation while you think of the next punch line.

  1. Reminisce on live moments

Maybe a little contradictory here as well, but think about it. You capture a birthday party or a surprise homecoming on Facebook Live, and when you look back on the moment, it’s real and in the present, not rehearsed or staged in any way. It adds that sprinkle of genuine to the occasion, and it’ll make reminiscing that much more special. Plus, you get to see all the comments and likes streaming in real time, so you can laugh with your kids in ten years at the reactions to the Facebook Live video of their gender-reveal parties.

Are biometric credit cards the next chip cards?

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Remember the hullabaloo when banks and card companies made the switch from magnetic strip credit cards to chip credit cards after a bunch of consumer data was stolen? I do. My mother was terrified for MONTHS that her identity was stolen and she would have to move to Belize. It took a long time to get her over that fear, and even longer for her to use her credit cards again. Now, if you didn’t have an overdramatic mother or need a refresher on the chip cards, check out this article from Forbes for a quick recap on the whole transition.

Basically, chip credit cards are a lot more difficult to counterfeit, which was one of the benefits proffered by supporters. By using the chip technology along with requiring a personal PIN number, many believed the new cards would be exponentially more secure. The thought that a thief could take your card but not use it without magically knowing your PIN number was a relief to a lot of people. However, not every establishment requires a PIN number to be used. You can still insert your chip card and opt for the credit option, which only requires a signature. And we all know those are never accurate or properly vetted. (I’ve signed everything from a triangle to squiggles to random words just to see if any alarms were ever triggered… the answer to that is a hard NO.)

Unfortunately, once you get past the fancy chip part, nothing new is really happening. And with every new advancement comes villainy. A new fraud scheme called ‘shimming’ is targeting our chip credit cards. Thieves who target chip credit cards insert a paper-thin device inside a chip card reader on a credit card terminal. Then, when the credit card is inserted into that slot, the device (appropriately called a “shim”) captures the card information by reading the chip and storing the data.

Although such a delicate scam is not a widespread issue yet, it is something keep in mind as a consumer and it serves as a reminder for credit card holders to monitor fraudulent purchases on their statements. Don’t be that person who blindly pays their bills without looking at the charges! Nothing is ever bulletproof, and with new technology, criminals find new holes to exploit.

To combat ‘shimming’ and boost security, MasterCard is planning to introduce a variation of credit cards that use fingerprint identification to produce secure point-of-sale transactions. In this innovative move, the card holder’s fingerprint, which will be stored on the card’s EMV chip using a fingerprint reader embedded on the card, will be needed before a transaction can go through. So unless criminals find ways to steal fingerprints AND the associated credit cards, MasterCard could be on to something extremely secure and simple. And maybe it would speed up the process so we all aren’t waiting in line at Target for hours, am I right?

So how does a biometric card work? The chip validates the user’s identity by matching the fingerprint to the stored pattern. The change process is simple for merchants, as those with a chip reader don’t need to invest in a separate fingerprint reader. Theoretically speaking, this biometric card improves security compared with chip-and-PIN, and a fingerprint card is significantly more secure than a chip card that needs only a triangle or squiggle signature.

The biometric card is currently in a trial phase but with fingerprint technology so widely accepted with the introduction of the biometric readers on smartphones, it could come around much sooner than expected.