Working From Home - Work Remotely With Confidence

Tech tips to help make remote work setup easily.

Giving employees the freedom to work from home is a trend we’ve been setting up more and more over the last decade. It’s up to you to assess the advantages and disadvantages of remote employees.

Wi-Fi performance: Do you have a lot of devices competing for throughput on a basic home network? Overloading networks can cause downgraded performance. Home networks with multi band routers to segment your wireless network into two networks or a basic update on your Wi-Fi router to run the latest firmware can improve your access and efficiency.

Internet boost: Before an extended work-from-home session, do you have fast enough Internet to support working function? Does your work include large file sharing, video editing and video conferencing, or other bandwidth-intensive tasks? You may need to contact your ISP to upgrade Internet speed.

Home Network Security: Ensuring all security updates are complete and having a working anti-virus program are necessary. Home security ensure that no virus or malware are transmitted from your home network to your work network.

If you have any questions, give us a call 780-709-3881 or email.

What's New For Fall 2018

We are excited to be taking advantage of the powerful new features Apple has for business. There are so many new and redesigned tools to choose from including the new iPhone lineup running iOS 12.

One of our favourite redesigns is Apple Watch Series 4 and watchOS 5. The watch face and larger screen keep us up to date with interactive notifications at a glance. The better speaker in the Apple Watch makes taking a quick phone call super easy.

Apple Watch Series 4

Apple - Macs and iPads in Education

iPad technology is one of the most recent innovations schools are implementing in classrooms. This implementation has generated tremendous excitement among students.

Pure iTek is pleased to be part of the excitement. To date, Pure iTek has managed the iPad deployment at Elk Island Catholic School's new high school, Archbishop Jordan in Sherwood Park, utilizing Mobile Device Management (MDM), setup iPad profiles, and Volume Purchase Plan for Education (VPP). Last school year we had the honour of setting up a Mac Lab for an Edmonton Catholic School, Mother Margaret Mary High School.

It excites us to be on-site, powering classrooms with the most current Apple technology.

The iPad is so popular in school. During spring, 2013, I was the parent volunteer in our son's Kindergarten class at Woodbridge Farms School when iPads were introduced to the students. The teacher had me work with students individually in order to assess their familiarity with the device. (Only one student had never used an iPad, but had used her mom's phone to plays games.) The students were to demonstrate how to turn on the iPad, open an App, play the game, change the volume, close the App and turn off the iPad. At each turn, students immediately turned it on, went to the game icon I described and began to play.

New Apple technology in classrooms inspires and and engages students and Pure iTek is proud to participate. 

Mac FAQ

I've worked on both sides of the computer industry. That's right, I didn't start out on the Apple side. I have my Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Certified Novel Administrator (CNA), A+ and others..

Growing up, my Dad and all my Uncles were Apple fanatics, my Dad still has his 1986 Mac Plus. I set up my first Mac when I was six, coincidentally when my Dad got his Mac Plus, but we still used to battle it out over which was better - PC or Mac.

It wasn't until I bought my first MacBook Pro, learned everything there was to it, and became an Apple fanatic (I hope my Dad and Uncles are proud of me now). We have too many iDevices in our home to count on all of our hands. We're even making a trek to Manitoba this July to setup my wife's BFF's (from grade 2) Apple home network. I just LOVE sharing the ease and power Apple products offer with my family, friends, and our clients - new and existing.

Then, just last week our 7 year old son asked my wife and I if we could buy him a Windows computer - THE SHAME!!!!

Anyways, family, friends and clients of ours ask us about Mac and comparing Mac to PC. Here are a few of our frequently asked questions:

Can I use Mac if all or most other employees are using Windows PCs?

Yes. The Mac is compatible with most USB devices and printers, and can join Windows wired and Wi-Fi networks. As Apple Consultants, Pure iTek can move data from a PC to your Mac, work with existing files, set up Microsoft Office for Mac or Office 365. We can even set you up to access corporate email supported for Microsoft Exchange Server.

Can I use my Microsoft Office applications on a Mac?

Microsoft Office is available for Mac, which means you can run Word, Excel, and PowerPoint just as you always have. If you are like us then you already love and use iWorks for Mac - a suite of productivity applications from Apple - includes Pages for documents, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Keynote for presentations. With iWorks you can even open, edit and save as Microsoft Office Files = seamless.

Doesn't the Mac cost more than a Windows PC?

Did you know that Mac typically has a great resale or trade-in value? You can check the current trade-in value by visiting Apple Store Reuse and Recycling, but note this is only available in the states to date as Apple just introduced Reuse and Recycle iPhone in Canada . For more information and to avoid making a costly mistake assuming PCs are more affordable than Macs check out this article "Learn How Resale Value Can Make a Mac Less Expensive Than a PC". 

How does the Mac protect my information?

The Mac has a multilayered system of defences that works to protect data, applications and services against malware. Built-in technologies provide data-at-rest protection by encrypting the entire drive on your Mac. Gatekeeper protects users from downloading and installing malicious software. Advanced security features such as sandboxing, library randomization, and tagged downloads offer runtime protection. 

What about protecting data in transit?

The Mac offers an easy-to-use application-based firewall and VPN clients - at no extra charge.

Contact us today for more information on how Pure iTek can inspire your business and take advantage of Macs in your organization.

iOS In Business

A different approach.

So what is it about iPhone and iPad that make them such a great choice for business?

First, Apple makes both the hardware and the software. Security is considered at every point - from device and data protection, through network communications, to apps. With our Apple consultant support we simplify deployment. Even for deployments into the tens of thousands. And finally, we make it possible for you to put the power of apps to work in your business, driving productivity and creating differentiation.

This approach has led to iPhone and iPad being used at work in more ways than we could have imagined...

Forward thinking.

Forward thinking.