Marketing is an integral element of any business strategy, and social media is largely seen to now be a large part of any company's marketing initiative. If leveraged correctly, various social media platforms could give your company a marketing boost that few other campaign types could. But, did you know that social media could also help other business functions or departments?

Below are four non-marketing oriented uses of social media that businesses could benefit from.

Hiring LinkedIn is a social network dedicated to helping professionals and organizations connect and find jobs and new talent. Most social savvy companies will have a presence on this network and may even hire exclusively from here.

If you are looking for new employees, it wouldn't hurt to have a LinkedIn profile. To find the best talent, you need to forge and maintain connections (usually starting with people you know), and be somewhat active in groups and on message boards.

It's also important to not forget the other major networks when it comes to hiring. Tweeting a job opening on Twitter, or posting ads on Facebook could also help you find your next employee. Facebook can be particularly useful because you can pay to target ads (in this case, job openings) at specific demographics.

Internal communications Communication is an important part of business, and most people choose to communicate using email. You have probably seen emails with jokes, invitations to after work events, lunch orders, etc. sent to the whole company and also received the many replies that go with it. This can get very annoying, and also confusing.

Why not utilize social media for non-essential (aka. not related to work) communication. Set up a Facebook group where your employees can share content, invitations to lunch or after work gatherings, interesting stories, etc. That way you can limit email to more important, business-related aspects.

Using social media for internal communication is also beneficial for companies with younger workers. Most already see Facebook, Twitter, etc. as their main form of communication, some even feel more comfortable communicating over this medium as opposed to speaking out in meetings. Having a group portal or Facebook page could give less-empowered employees a way to voice their ideas, and maybe even improve on them with feedback from others.

Learning A common complaint of many business owners is that they have a tough time staying on top of ever-changing trends and what currently interests their customers. Using social media to connect with your customers can be a great way to learn not only hot trends but also about new ideas.

Customer service When it comes to social media, users will often complain publicly on their wall or through their tweets. This is bad for you, as the reach of this complaint can go a long way and make you look bad. Some companies have decided to confront this head on by having specific customer service accounts. If a customer complains, has an issue, or even compliments you, be active and respond using that account.

If done properly, over time, you will see more and more people reaching out to your customer service account through social media. This also gives you another way to please clients or turn around negative customer experiences.

Social media and the various platforms are not only great for marketing, but can be incredibly useful for other business functions. Do you have any other ways you use social media? Let us know. Or, if you would like to learn more about how it can help your company, then contact us today.

Did you know you have another option to submit a service request to ISD? Instead of calling or e-mailing, you can submit a request via our Client Portal. Just click the blue “Client Portal” button in the upper right corner of the ISD Home Page to log in. Use your e-mail address and password to log-in.

Forgot your password? Just click the link to have it e-mailed to you.

Don’t have a login? Send an email to support@isdesign.com and we’ll set one up for you.

We will be adding new improvements to our Client Portal over the coming months to provide you with better and faster service, so watch our E-newsletter for new feature announcements.

Vertical is pleased to announce the start of beta field trials for the upcoming release of Wave 4.0. In addition to standard issue resolution, version 4.0 will add the following functionality to the Wave IP system:

• Remote phone features, including a VPN server solution and NAT Traversal
• Embedded MeetMe Conference Bridge with ViewPoint and ViewPoint Mobile support
• New marketing Campaign Tracker application
• Outbound IVR platform included in the base product (with a Free IVR port included)
• Shipping with two pre-built IVR applications: Customer Survey App and CSV-based Appointment Reminder App
• New TLS email support to offer voice mail notifications on Gmail and Office 365
• Support for new VAM (coming later this year)
• Increased support for up to 750 users (coming later this year when new VAM ships)
• SIP paging support
• New Edge 5000i centralized phonebook feature
• Product Usage Improvement Program

If you are a current ISD customer with an earlier version of the Wave phone system or you are investigating updating your current phone system, give ISD a call to schedule a demo.

Do you need to identify a subgroup of your patients for a targeted marketing project or medical study? If the selection criteria is complex, you may find the built-in reporting tools your EMR provides are not capable of extracting the information you need.

For example, maybe there is a medical study where you need to identify patients who have a particular set of diagnoses and are taking a particular medication or class of medications; or maybe you want to identify patients who have had a particular procedure and have not been seen at your office recently for follow-up. These are perfect opportunities for a custom report. Custom reports can be developed in Crystal Reports, a third party report development product from SAP. Many EMR packages have the built in capability to view custom Crystal Reports once they are developed. Another option is to use SQL Server Reporting Services, which may also be installed as part of your EMR. Both options will also allow you to export the results to Microsoft Excel. An Excel spreadsheet can then be used to create Mail Merge letters and/or mailing labels. The possibilities are endless! ISD can help you extract the data you need from your EMR and present it in the format you need for your project, so give us a call to discuss your custom reporting needs.

There are many tools that business managers will consider to be an integral part of their job. One tool most will agree on is the computer. Simply put, many of us would not be able to do our jobs without them. While they are indispensable, many users don't know much about their trusty desktop or laptop. There is no doubt that the modern computer is a complicated machine. However, it could help to know a bit about the hardware you use on a daily basis.

Here's a basic overview of the seven essential hardware components of the modern computer that businesses rely on. These components are found in nearly every computer, and now many tablets and smartphones too.

1. Motherboard Think of the motherboard as the backbone of nearly any technological device. It holds all the major components of the computer, including the hard drive, processor, memory and peripheral ports like the USB. Most motherboards in computers, and to some extent laptops, are called expandable. This means that you can replace components as long as they are compatible. For example, you can take out a hard drive and replace it with another that has more storage capacity.

If you can't take parts out, you may see the term mainboard used. This term is usually applied to devices like TVs, washing machines, refrigerators, and so on.

2. Networking cards Networking cards, or network interfacing cards, may be separate cards or integrated into the motherboard. Their purpose is to provide a way for your computer to connect to the network and Internet.

Many new computers will have the network card integrated into the motherboard, along with other components. If you own a laptop, you can connect to Wi-Fi networks through a Wi-Fi card which is usually close to the outer edges of the device. Most desktops don't have this card, but you can purchase them if you want to be able to connect to Wi-Fi.

3. Graphics card A graphics or video card can come in two varieties - integrated or expansion. An integrated video card is connected directly to the motherboard and is usually found as a part of the processor. An expansion video card is a separate card that is connected to another part of the motherboard called an expansion port. The job of the video card is to create the graphics and images that can be shown on a monitor. Without one of these, we would not be able to visualize the data, and computers would be useless.

4. Processor The processor - also known as a Central Processing Unit or CPU - is the brain of the computer. Its job is to carry out the instructions of computer programs that are stored in the computer's memory.

The speed of a processor is measured in MHz or Megahertz. This measurement indicates how fast a processor can read electrical pulses. For example, a 100MHz processor can read 100,000,000 pulses of light in one second. As a reference, most mid to high-range computers have processors with speeds around 3.0GHz.

5. Hard drive The hard drive is where programs and files are stored. More traditional drives are called Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and are comprised of a series of magnetized disks which store the data. These disks spin under a magnetic arm which can read and write data.

Newer hard drives are called Solid-state Drives (SSD) and use electrical circuits to store data. These are much faster than traditional HDDs and are starting to be found in more and more computers.

6. USB ports The Universal Serial Bus, or USB, is a standard that covers a certain type of cable, connectors and communication. It is a standard way for computer components like mice, keyboards, phones, etc. to be connected to the computer. Nearly everything that is not a physical part of the motherboard or internal computer is connected using a USB connection.

The cool thing about the USB is not only does it allow you to use your computer as a communication device, but it also allows the connected device to draw electrical power from the computer, essentially transforming your computer into an electrical outlet. That's why you can charge your phone, or run an external hard drive simply by plugging it into your computer's USB port. This standard has become so popular that many computers now come with multiple ports - some with as many as eight!

7. Monitor ports Computers are great, but without monitors, they would be largely useless for everyday use. Monitors come in many sizes and varieties. Newer monitors can connect to your computer through HDMI or VGA ports. HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface - is a newer format that can display high-definition images, while VGA - Video Graphics Array - is typically found in older monitors.

As technology advances, you will see fewer VGA monitors and connections in use, with many manufacturers offering monitors that only use HDMI.

This was just a basic overview of the essential components of a computer, if you would like to learn more about the machine you use on a daily basis, please contact us. We would be happy to sit down with you and give you a more detailed tour of the inside of your computer.

ICD-10 and Meaningful Use Stage 2 are on everyone’s radar and the October 2014 deadline for adopting ICD-10 is fast approaching. All NextGen clients will need to be implementing an application upgrade to 5.8 and a KBM upgrade to 8.3 before then. These upgrades will involve major workflow changes and staff training time to accommodate the use of ICD-10. Even though these versions will not be released until later this year, it isn’t too early to begin planning. Please keep ISD apprised of your plans and timelines to insure that our resources will be available to assist you with your upgrades.

While email has definitely become the most popular form of communication for businesses, there's still something about a good old fashioned phone call that email just can't convey. One of the most popular phone systems in use these days is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which uses an Internet connection to convey phone calls. Are you looking for a new phone system? VoIP may be what you need, especially since there are some great features your business could benefit from.

Here are five VoIP features offered by many providers that small to medium businesses will benefit from.

1. Voicemail/call forwarding Many smaller businesses simply can't be open 24 hours. This means that there will be time where you or your employees are unable to answer the phone. Most industry leading VoIP providers offer the ability to convert phone messages into emails, which could be a great help to your business.

A good VoIP solution will also provide you with a voicemail system and a feature called Find me/Follow me. This is a call forwarding feature that allows users to receive calls regardless of their location or phone number. This makes it easier for you and your managers to be reachable when they are outside of the office, especially if calls can be forwarded to their mobile phone.

2. DND DND, or Do Not Disturb is an important feature for those who work with clients on a regular basis. When you are talking to a client, the last thing you want is to be interrupted by a phone call as it can make you look unprofessional.

Many VoIP systems actually offer advanced DND features like the ability to send calls to voicemail, or transfer to another colleague who may be able to answer the call at the press of a button.

3. Conferencing You can pretty much guarantee that you will need to eventually make a conference call. Some managers and owners may even make this type of calls on a regular basis. The best VoIP systems go further than just supporting conference calls, they also enable users to send files, chat messages, collaborate on calendars, share presentations and even desktops. This is often called Unified Communications by many vendors.

4. Auto Attendant This feature gives your business a bigger footprint by allowing you to setup multiple numbers in local areas, and have a menu system like many large companies. This means you can setup a system where a caller can easily get into contact with different departments, or even a live operator.

Some users don't like this feature because they see it as an impediment to immediate customer service - think of the last time you had to navigate a menu system over your phone? It really comes down to the preference of your company.

5. Call Recording If your company operates in an industry that is regulated, you may need to record calls. Or, you may want to record calls to track customer satisfaction and questions. Regardless of your need, a good VoIP system will allow the user to easily record calls, often at the click of a mouse, and store them in an audio format that can be easily replayed later.

These are just five of many features offered by many VoIP providers. If you are looking for a new telecommunications solution, contact us today to see how we can help.

Computers are great tools that have drastically changed the way we interact with other people and with the environment around us. One piece of equipment that makes it easy for us to use computers is the mouse. A problem with mouse cursors is that they can be nearly impossible to see on larger screens - projectors, etc -, or if you are visually impaired. OS X users don't have to worry however, as they can make their mouse cursors bigger.

Here's how you can adjust the size of your mouse cursor on both OS X 10.7 - Lion - and earlier, and 10.8 - Mountain Lion. If you are unsure of what version of OS X you have, press the Apple icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen and select About This Mac. The version number will be above the Software update button.

OS X 10.7 and earlier Hanging your cursor's size on older versions of OS X is done through the Universal Access panel. You can access this by:

1. Open System Preferences by clicking on the Apple icon in the top right of the screen and selecting System Preferences.
2. Click on Universal Access followed by Mouse or Mouse & Trackpad.
3. Look for the slider bar labeled Cursor Size.

You can slide the blue tab left or right to either increase or decrease the size of the cursor. In OS X 10.6.8 and older, larger cursors will look blocky and pixelated, while 10.7 will show a clean lined pointer.

OS X 10.8 and later Changing the pointer on 10.8, and presumably in new versions to come, has been changed slightly, but the results will be the same as previous versions.

1. Open System Preferences by clicking on the Apple icon in the top right of the screen and selecting System Preferences.
2. Click on Accessibility. You can also hit Command + Option + F5 to bring up the Accessibility menu.
3. Select Display and look for the slider bar labeled Cursor Size.

You can slide the blue tab left of right to increase or decrease the size of the pointer.

The main reason this function exists is to help users who have trouble seeing the pointer. But, this is also convenient for businesses. For example, if you are giving a presentation that will require the audience to keep track of the pointer, you can make it bigger so your audience can see it easier. If you do choose to increase the size of your pointer, beware that if you take a screenshot, the cursor will show as it's normal size.

This is just one of the many features that make OS X a capable system for any business. If you would like to learn more about how it can fit into your business, let us know today.

When it comes to social media, each user has their network of preference. Many chose to use more than one, and because of this, trends from one tend to transfer over to others. One such popular idea, first launched on Twitter is now being used on almost every network. Yes, we are talking about the hashtag (#). Love it or hate it, it could help your networking.

The hashtag (#), commonly referred to on telephone systems as the pound key, is a character first used by users of the popular social network Twitter. According to the help forum on Twitter, "It is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages."

Look at nearly any Twitter message and there will usually be hashtags attached. If you were to search for the term e.g., #Cloudbackup on Twitter, you would get a list of all tweets that have mentioned the above example. When Twitter talks about a 'trending topic' it means a subject that has become popular.

This way of categorization has become so popular amongst Twitter users that it's starting to spill over onto the other networks. Instagram for instance has given members the ability to add hashtags to pictures, so that they can be added to groups which can subsequently be searched for. Even Google has gotten in on the act, with Google+ and YouTube both supporting this system.

With Facebook, the hashtag has come to give context to a status. You've probably seen some status updates such as: I love Mondays #sarcasm #bored. This should be read with a sarcastic and slightly bored tone.

Because of the usefulness of the hashtag, some users have become overzealous in their use. Reading a Tweet that says '#Friday is #awesome, here comes a #fun #weekend.' just looks unprofessional and could put off followers.

While effective, there are some basic rules you should follow to help get the most out of your hashtags. Here's four.

1. No long hashtags. Hashtags are meant to be short and associated with one word. Don't make the mistake of adding more than about two words together, as the likelihood of users finding the tag will decrease. e.g., #Cloudservicesareawesome should be avoided, use #cloudservices instead.
2. Minimize their use. It can be tempting to hashtag every keyword in messages, however makes them look weird, while decreasing their readability. It is a good idea to limit use to one or two per message.
3. The hashtag is special. Don't use it for everyday words. Instead use it for product names, or a special part of the announcement. Remember that you don't have to use hashtags in every message. Check out Samsung Mobile's Twitter feed to see a good example of proper use.
4. Use a unique hashtag. If you can, try to use a unique hashtag, something that followers will be able to associate and relate to you. The key here is that when it's used, the user is referred to you, and only you. Do a quick search on Twitter for the hashtag you would like to use, to ensure it's not taken. Many companies will shorten their tag to initials or a shorter term, which is perfectly acceptable.

Hashtags, when used correctly, can be a great way to build brand identity and increase social media presence. If you are looking for a social media plan, please contact us today to see how we can #expandbrands.

As a species we are social, needing relationships to survive. That's likely why social media websites have taken off so successfully. They give us a way to interact, even when we are physically alone. Companies have found that these sites are great marketing tools that can build a brand better than almost any other method. One social media use, often overlooked, is learning more about a job applicant coming for an interview.

Here's three steps you can employ to learn a bit more about potential hires before they come in for an interview.

1. Google them Googling yourself can be seen as vain, however putting a potential hires name into Google Search is smart. You can enter their name along with specific queries that can help you narrow information down. One thing you can do is enter their name with double quotes around it and the city they are based in, this will help you find their presence on related social media sites. You can also put their area code, zip or postal code to narrow down the search.

The point of this is to help you find more information about the person without having to search on individual social media sites. This will also return results like photo albums, recent account activity and maybe even some hobbies and interest groups. Searching on Google, or other search engines is a good way to see if the prospective employee is legitimate.

2. Take a look on Facebook Almost everyone and their dog are on Facebook, so don't forget to search for them on this popular service. With the recently announced Graph Search, this should make searching a lot easier too. Enter their name, along with some specific interests or information from the resume and the chances of finding this person's profile go up.

While some would argue the ethics of doing this, you may see information or posts that counter information in the resume, or even paint a better picture of the applicant. For example, you can ask them about their family when they come in for an interview. It could prove to be a great ice breaker.

3. LinkedIn Most social media sites focus on the social aspect of people's lives, while LinkedIn focuses on the more career and professional oriented areas. Searching for the candidate on LinkedIn can often shed more light on their history, and may even showcase common links between you and them. If you notice that the candidate worked for a previous employee, you could contact that employee to see if they have any thoughts about the candidate.

Researching your future hires is a good idea because it can help you learn more about them than you might otherwise do from just an interview. It also gives you a bit of a deeper understanding of if they would be a good fit for the company. If you would like to learn more about how you can leverage social media in your company please contact us today.