January 2010 saw the heaviest snowfall in 30 years; causing chaos across most of the UK, with up to 4.3 million people off work. The CBI estimate that the direct cost of the snowfall to UK companies is now expected to exceed £2.2bn.  How much did the snow cost your business? Were you disrupted by the weather or were been able to operate business as usual?

For organisations equipped with the technology to access work systems from home computers, staff could work effectively from home rather than brave the ice and snow. However not all organisations have this facility or make it available to all staff. For many, such systems were never intended to cope with the sudden peak in demand, leading to capacity problems for internet connections and remote access systems. It also highlighted phone systems that are not capable of allowing people to make and receive calls from home; as a result many sales lines and helpdesks were closed with no alternatives available.

If your systems did not stand the test against the cold weather then a review of your systems and business continuity plan together with some New Year's Resolutions could be the ideal way to start 2010. Contact Melissa Copeland or call 0370 600 9700 to find out how EJC can help you.  Photo supplied by FreeFoto.com

For some organisations, the New Year will have started with a headache! The festive season with the abundant supply of “egg nog” at the Christmas party, is one of the most common times for staff to lose laptops and phones.

Have you been affected by such losses, or have you considered the consequences if any of your private or confidential data was mislaid? In addition to the costs of remediation and potential damage to the reputation of an organisation which PGP calculate is around £60 per record lost, the Information Commissioners Office now states that where personal data is lost and the data has not been protected, enforcement action will be pursued.

The legal sector is a good example of an industry that routinely deals with personal or sensitive data, and as a result 8 out of the top 10 legal firms have chosen PGP to secure their data.  For more information on how to secure your data with PGP data encryption email Melissa Copeland or call 0370 600 9700.  Photo supplied by FreeFoto.com

Described by the Financial Times as a “clear leap forward”, October 2009 saw the release of Windows 7. Following the mixed reactions to Windows Vista, Microsoft has described Windows 7 as “a pivotal turning point in Microsoft's history” and the good news for Microsoft is that reactions have been almost universally positive.

The team at EJC has been using Windows 7 for some time and in common with most users we have been impressed with its performance and stability. Notably it seems much faster than Vista and the updated interface feels fresh and clean. Several of the new features have made small but significant improvements in our productivity and these include:

Snap: Resize open windows, simply by dragging them to the edges of your screen
Peek: An easy way to find and reveal a hidden window
Document Libraries: Find, work with, and organize files across your PC or network

You can read more about the new features on the official Microsoft Windows 7 website and if you would like a demonstration of how Windows 7 could benefit your organisation or want to find out how easy Windows 7 is to deploy, let us know.

Melissa Copeland recently joined EJC as an Account Executive. A Sport and Exercise Science graduate of the University of Brighton, Melissa is focused on sales and marketing and closely involved with our alliance partners such as Conscious Solutions.

You won’t be surprised to find out that Melissa is a keen sportswoman and at Brighton was President of the Ladies Hockey Team. We are sure you will join us in wishing her all the best in her new role.

DimDim offers a free and easy to use web conferencing service, that you can use to present to customers anywhere. It is a fantastic application and we use it regularly for online meetings and to present to prospective clients, wherever they are.

If you outgrow the free version then the paid versions can host more attendees and offer a higher level of support. We think it’s easy to use and looks professional, so take a look. DimDim’s website has success stories and user guides to help you use the application to your full advantage.

To register for a DimDim account click here and let us know what you think.

If you want to brush up on Word, Excel or Power Point skills, then now is you chance.

We have a limited number of free copies of the Microsoft Office Special Edition Magazine (RRP £4.99) to give away. This edition has everything from money saving ideas, case studies, a guide on how to design eye catching presentations as well as a free CD with new document templates and new sidebar gadgets.

Copies are limited, so if you are interested request your free magazine now.

This newsletter our competition is for a brand new wireless mouse.

If you fancy winning a Logitech cordless wireless mouse (RRP £50) simply send us an email to before the February 28th 2010, and you will be entered into our draw. The winner will be announced in our next newsletter. Good Luck!