[one_half] We have all had it. The famous first meeting nerves. Either as a child on your very first date, or as an adult on your very first job interview. Meetings are a vital part of everyone's lives and making a positive impression and impact at that meeting is critical to your future plans. Whether it is a business meeting, job interview or simply a meeting with colleagues these tips will help you stand out and achieve. So in a brief 10 ways list, here are some points to remember for your next meeting. [/one_half] [one_half_last] [/one_half_last] Prepare in Advance Preparation is key! you've heard it a thousand times before and that's because its true. Being prepared gives you an edge over anyone, whether its being more knowledgeable, being able to respond quicker or giving you confidence, it all comes through preparation. State your objectives before hand You know what you want to say, do and accomplish from this meeting, but do they? A little communication before the meeting goes a long way in the success of that meeting. Arrive Early There are only 2 reasons a person is late for the interview. They are either dead or they dont care. Arriving early gives the impression you value that persons time and gives you the hidden benefit of preparing better for the meeting. giving you time to think about what to say and what to discuss. Be Presentable You are about to enter an impressive meeting where everyone will be blown away by what you say. dont let the way you are dressed distract them from the message you are trying to deliver. Your presentation is a package that starts from your first impression and like it or not the way you dress will be judged. Understand the other people in the meeting Regardless of the success or position of the person they will have personal interests and personal likes and dislikes. Knowing these will help you connect to that person, thus leaving them with a positive impression not only about the meeting but about you as well. Bring something to the table This is a deal breaker. If you are able to find out the names of the people involved in the meeting and are able to present them each with their own personalized document with their name on it your meeting is already half way to success. Even if you dont know their names make sure you bring something along, a paper and pen just to take notes also goes a long way. Make eye Contact Looking the person in the eye will help you to connect with them on a personal level. It shows confidence and that you are paying attention to what they are saying, all of which gains admiration and respect. Try get an in depth understanding of their business or them. In today's world you need an edge. The competition is tougher and more ruthless than ever. You need something to separate you from the competition, this is where your knowledge of them or their business puts you clear of everyone else. Having just something that no one else knows about is the difference between success and failure. That something gives you the edge and makes you invaluable. Commit and show enthusiasm Highest energy always wins. Its ok to get excited, its actually better than ok, its good! People love to see you are passionate about what you are doing and excited to be there. Them seeing your enthusiasm and excitement will make them feel more comfortable with the commitment you are about to do following on from the meeting. Follow up and Follow Through You have just had a brilliant meeting and are feeling on top of the world. its important to share that feeling with the people you just committed to. You need to follow up, a simple email thanking them for their time and stating everything you are about to do will help you and them to build a long lasting relationship.

Trust is the foundation of every good relationship. That’s as true in business as it is in friendship. Today, more than 1.2 billion people worldwide trust Microsoft Office to provide a reliable productivity solution with commercial-grade privacy, security and compliance features to keep their data secured. With more organizations moving to the cloud, and more people using cloud-based services such as Office 365 to work anywhere, anytime, and across multiple devices, trust has never been more important. We are committed to doing the best job of achieving three key objectives: •protecting your privacy •securing your data in the cloud •helping you comply with regulatory standards Read on to learn more about how we can help with security, privacy and compliance when you move your organization’s data to the cloud. How Office 365 protects your privacy Office 365 uses your data for only one purpose: to provide you the services. That’s a commitment we make right in our contract. We have a rich history of offering and honouring privacy-friendly terms with our services and continue to play a leadership role in this area. Office 365 was the first cloud-based business productivity service to help customers meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, by convening academic, public- and private-sector experts to help craft a business associate agreement (BAA) that would meet the needs of universities, health systems, and many other regulated organizations. Microsoft were also the first to receive written confirmation from the European Union’s data protection authorities that Microsoft’s enterprise cloud contracts meet the high standards of EU privacy law. In addition, we were one of the first to sign the K-12 School Service Provider Pledge to Safeguard Student Privacy. We recognize that you need control over who accesses your organization’s data in the cloud. This is why Microsoft provide advanced data loss prevention controls and controls that let you restrict the copying, printing or forwarding of emails that contain confidential information. Microsoft offer controls to help restrict the accidental leakage of sensitive information such as credit card numbers via their services by providing real-time alerts to users attempting to share such content, and we even enable the admins in your organization to set policies that will automatically encrypt such content. How Office 365 keeps your data secured Office 365 offers built-in security and compliance capabilities, which means you don’t have to spend extra time and money finding trustworthy third-party apps to ensure you have an enterprise-grade solution that is secured and compliant. Office 365 users who were surveyed in a recent study commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by Forrester Consulting saw the following savings, on average, after moving to the cloud and adopting Office 365: •6.8% reduction in compliance costs •10.7% reduction in time spent on eDiscovery •73% decrease in the number of data breaches •32% reduction in the cost of those breaches. With more customers accessing corporate data on multiple devices, and collaborating on team sites and shared drives, we are constantly innovating to keep your data secured. Last month at TechEd Microsoft announced new updates to the built-in security capabilities in Office 365. New mobile device management (MDM) capabilities, set to roll out in the first quarter of 2015, will enable secured access to corporate data in Office 365 services from a diverse range of smartphones and tablets, including iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices. In addition, the expansion of Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities beyond email to additional Office 365 services and Office clients will help you protect sensitive content no matter where it is stored and shared within our services. How Office 365 enables regulatory compliance At Multi, we not only help you meet your compliance needs, we help you exceed them. Microsoft have built more than 1000 controls into the Office 365 compliance framework that enable us to stay up to date with ever-evolving industry standards. Meanwhile, their specialist compliance team continuously tracks standards and regulations, and develops common control sets for Microsoft product team to build into Office 365. Multi's work to help our customers stay compliant never stops. Microsoft are currently working to meet ISO 27018, an international code of practice that establishes controls to protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in accordance with the privacy principles in ISO/IEC 29100 for the public cloud-computing environment. Microsoft not only offer you transparency about where your data is stored, who has access to it and when but also offer you meaningful choices in these matters. Get more information To learn more about the privacy, security and regulatory compliance capabilities of Office 365 and how they compare with the competition’s offering, Contact Us to have an IT professional discuss everything with you. View Office 365 and all its features on our website

With computers and Internet access such an integral part of every business, and the Internet filled with everything from gambling to X-Rated websites, it is critical that every business has an Internet Use Policy in place. This policy can help prevent your employees from accidentally or intentionally causing harm to your company or your company’s reputation. While you don’t want to give your employees the idea that they are living in George Orwell’s 1984, you want them to have a clear understanding of practices that are and are not appropriate during work hours. It is necessary for companies to create an Internet policy that everyone can live with. Why Have An Internet Use Policy? The purpose of a business is to make money. In order to accomplish this, the company has to have productive employees. The Internet can be a time drain and often prevent employees from being as productive as they should be. With such a wide range of information available on the Internet, it is necessary to clarify the company’s expectations of its employees regarding Internet access. With a strong policy in place, the employee, as well as the employer, will find Internet use less confusing and frustrating. Another important reason to have a strong Internet Use Policy is to save your company from unnecessary lawsuits. Unless you have a clear policy on what is and is not acceptable on the Internet in your company, you can risk having an unfair dismissal lawsuit on your hands when an employee is abusing the company’s Internet. What Elements Should Your Internet Usage Policy Contain? When planning your Internet Use Policy, it should contain certain key elements such as: The company Internet is for company business only and to be used only during company business hours All work done on company computers during business hours, including all emails, is company property and can be accessed by the employer at any time. Establish what type of computer use is unacceptable such as accessing personal social media accounts, personal email, pornographic websites, etc. Employees must refrain from accessing websites, creating, or forwarding email that promotes any type of discrimination such as racial or sexual discrimination, or that is defamatory or harmful towards another person or group. Employees are not allowed to gain access to or attempt to access other employee’s computers, employee stored information, or any information unauthorized by the company. In addition to the guidelines above, inform your employees that whatever is done by the company, for the company, and on the company computers should remain confidential and within the confines of the company. In addition, let employees know that when they access unapproved sites, they risk infecting the company computer system with viruses that could possibly shut down the entire company network. Having an Internet use policy in place helps to eliminate any confusion and possible abuse that could prevent a company from functioning productively. A solid Internet use policy help to make the work environment more pleasant and more conducive to getting the necessary work done in order to have a successful business. Creating a safe and productive environment is important for any business, and one way to ensure that is to implement an Internet use policy.