Wednesday -- 25 March 2009

e-newsletter volume 4

Welcome back to Macro Connect's e-newsletter. You may have noticed that it has been awhile since our last edition. We have been busy working with our clients and have switched to a new e-newsletter vendor and format.

Our goal is to provide our readers with relevant technology stories and tips as well as updates about our company and clients. Please let us know what you think!

News

March 2009 - Macro sponsored a Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings Concert; Matt & Kevin "Climb Detroit" for the American Lung Association

February 2009 - Macro Connect held our annual Winter Party. Kevin was this year's go-carting champ.

January 2009 - Doug was promoted to Operations Manager; Macro staff became CPR certified

Read more details on our website

Tech Tips: QuickBooks backup, save as PDF

QuickBooks users: Are you using the backup feature that is built into QuickBooks? If not, you should be using it in addition to any system wide backups that are being performed. This will clear out the transaction log (.tlg file), which can become very large. Also, running a backup can verify the quality of the data in the file to catch any issues before they cause crashes.

Microsoft Office 2007 users: Did you know that you can download an add-in from Microsoft that will allow you to save Office files as PDFs? This is a useful feature when sending electronic documents that you do not want the recipient to be able to edit (contracts, bids, etc.). Microsoft download page.

Cool Stuff: Femtocells

Recently, devices known as femtocells or Access Point Base stations have become available. When connected to an internet line at a home or office, a femtocell becomes a mini cell phone tower. This allows users to use their mobile phones in areas that have limited or no cell phone coverage.

Depending on the device and service provider, calls made through the femtocell may or may not draw from a user's monthly minutes. In addition to purchasing the unit, there is usually a small monthly fee associated with using a femtocell.

We have been using the Sprint version of a femtocell, known as the Sprint AIRAVE, in a location that had no cell phone reception (on the 26th floor of a high rise). The device works as promised, but call quality does suffer a bit. Calls made via the Sprint AIRAVE sound like a call from a VOIP line.

Read Ben Patterson's recent blog about femtocells.

Client Spotlight: Safford & Baker

Safford & Baker, PLLC is a business and commercial law firm of three attorneys, located in Bloomfield Hills Michigan, that specializes in representing businesses in the small to upper middle markets, start-up technology companies, and their respective owners.

Safford & Baker deal with day-to-day business operations, as well as special transactions such as acquisitions, financial restructurings, major licensing, and growth initiatives. In addition to corporate representation, Safford & Baker has established a significant practice in the areas of copyright, ecommerce, Internet law, software, and technology, as well as capital formation for emerging companies in these industries.

Macro Connect has been providing technology support services to Safford & Baker since 2007. In addition to being a client of Macro Connect, Safford & Baker also provide us with legal services.

Safford & Baker is sponsoring TechNow09 on April 23rd, 2009. TechNow09 is a one-night event celebrating the transition of Michigan into a "knowledge economy." The event will include presentations from Michigan based technology companies, an interactive panel discussion, as well as cocktails, a raffle, and live music.

Visit the Saffod & Baker website or read their blog.

Company Overview

Macro Connect is a full service, technology consulting firm specializing in support for businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools. We provide an extensive array of consulting services including:

- Network design, construction, and maintenance
- Software selection, installation, and support
- Computer support including virus & spyware removal
- End-user application support & training
- Security analysis and firewall implementation

Excellent customer service is our hallmark. We have been in business for more than 12 years and are still serving our very first client.

Thank you

for taking the time to read our newsletter. Please feel free to respond to this message with any feedback. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link below.

Also, please feel free to pass this along to anyone who might find it useful.

Sincerely,

Matthew Morin
President & CEO
Macro Connect, Inc.