I provide home and business computer services to Skagit and Whatcom counties in Washington State. These are the type of things I can help you with.
If you're tired of ads, instability, and forced hardware upgrades, take a look at Linux. It's a free operating system you can install on computer hardware you already own with office productivity applications that won't have you missing Windows/Office. I can visit your location with a live USB and you can evaluate Linux running directly on your hardware without making any permanent changes. If you want to switch to Linux permanently I can help with data backup and migrations.
Wireless networks are convenient, but wiring an office with gigabit ethernet provides unrivaled dependability and speed.
An Uninterruptible Power Supply provides clean, reliable power to your computer equipment so that power spikes, brownouts, and full power outages won't kill your work. A UPS contains a battery that temporarily powers your equipment giving you time to save your work in the event of a total power outage. It's usually a good idea to keep PCs and any office networking equipment (routers, switches, internet modems) on a UPS so that you can safely save your work and/or game progress.
I can help you register domain names and get websites and email addresses setup to work with it.
Your network needs a firewall of some kind to keep unwanted actors out. A Virtual Private Network usually works with the firewall to allow employees authorized access into your business over the internet. This can give them the ability to work remotely or access other resources within your office.
Hard drives crash, computers get stolen, drinks spill, and all kinds of other disasters can happen to your valuable corporate data. Having offsite backups is a great way to ensure your business can continue to operate in the face of the unexpected.
Virtualization is a powerful way to further protect your systems from disaster. If you have an important Windows computer you can turn that machine into a virtual machine and then run that on another computer. This is convenient because this virtual machine can be backed up and moved to different computers. If you upgrade your hardware you don't have to go to the trouble of reinstalling all of the software and restoring data to it. You can just move the virtual machine from the old computer to the new one. You can even run a Windows virtual machine on a Mac or a Linux PC.
I've been using Linux for over 30 years. It is an incredibly reliable and powerful operating system. Whether you need a Linux server setup or would like to use Linux on a desktop PC I can install and provide training on how to use it. My preferred distribution is Ubuntu. This is a great way to use otherwise outdated PC or Mac hardware that is no longer supported by the latest Windows and macOS versions.
Google Workplace is a business platform from Google which offers professional email hosting, file sharing, calendar sharing, and more.
If your website could use an overhaul Squarespace's platform provides modern and easily maintainable websites for reasonable prices and they integrate with Google Workplace.
This is a free suite of office apps that can work with Microsoft Office files like Word and Excel. It’s a great option if you don't want to pay for an Office suite license for each of your employees.
I know Mac and iOS and can help you configure them for you specific needs.
Today's homes have numerous phones, tablets, flatscreen TVs, and connected devices. From setting up your smart TV to programming universal remotes I'll solve your tech headaches.
I can install and configure any of your connected devices such as Ring doorbells or Nest thermostats.
Contact me today to see how I can help solve your tech problems.
matt@matthixson.com