The weather cooperated this past Sunday, with temperatures already in the 60s when the walk started at 9 AM. An estimated 100 walkers turned out to take a leisurely stroll along the Independence Greenway. Many of the participants were mothers celebrating Mother’s Day with family and friends. The Flip Flop Friends encouraged all participants to wear pink, a challenge that was met with enthusiasm from a majority of the walkers. The money raised from the event will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting breast cancer.

As mobile devices become ubiquitous in the home and work environments, companies are searching for ways to secure devices against external threats and user error. One such solution is AirWatch, a mobile device management platform that enables administrators to monitor user activity and establish security controls such as passcode settings and encryption. AirWatch also gives administrators the ability to remotely wipe the device and return it to factory settings in the event of theft or loss. This can be set up either on the business’s own network or managed through a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform.

While it may seem extreme to some businesses to implement such extensive security measures on employees’ devices, the fact is that the amount of data contained on mobile devices necessitates the creation of basic security controls at the minimum. Utilizing solutions such as AirWatch could help protect company and customer data and establish security best practices.

GraVoc has selected AirWatch as its device management platform and has been happy with the results. As a company with a focus on information security and risk management, we strive to conform to best practices as it pertains to data security. For more information on mobile device management and safeguarding your company’s information assets, please contact Director of Information Security Nathaniel Gravel.

According to Vaynerchuk, things changed again with the advent of social media in the early 2000s. People began sharing their experiences not only with family and friends but also with an entire online community. Businesses could no longer afford to let a few unhappy customers go, because those few would then post their complaints and negative reviews online for everyone to see. Likewise, positive experiences were shared with others and spread a message that no amount of advertising dollars could accomplish.

The Thank You Economy is an indispensable guide for any business looking to learn about the benefits of social media in today’s economy. Using real-world examples, including his own experiences as a business owner, Vaynerchuk offers a compelling argument for social media and personalized customer service, while his witty, conversational tone makes the book enjoyable as well as informative. Anyone interested in building a strong social media presence and connecting with their customers in a way that will benefit both the company and the customers should check out Vaynerchuk’s book. For more information about The Thank You Economy, visit www.thankyoueconomybook.com.

Editor’s note: This book review is purely for informational purposes. GraVoc Associates, Inc.is in no way affiliated with the authors of the book or the company that published it.

Pugh argues that although employees could potentially generate bad PR through social media channels, total control is not a solution for businesses, as it leads to brand isolation. Businesses that control their social media channels by censoring content and restricting employee interaction and input are removing the social aspect of the platform. Pugh makes an example of the 2012 Olympics organizers, who have created a social media hub and are pitching the 2012 Games as the first social Olympics, and yet have prohibited volunteers, fans, and athletes from sharing pictures, discussions, or behind-the-scenes activities on social channels.  This eliminates the social aspect and thus eliminates the purpose of social media, according to Pugh. He notes that many college graduates will pass up jobs at companies that block social media, and for that reason he points to a balanced policy in which employees are encouraged to interact with customers in a way that benefits the company as well as the client.

Pugh makes many valid points in his blog post. Employees can be a company’s biggest asset when establishing a social media presence, since employees can share their business’ social media channels with their various networks and extend the reach of the company. It is important to educate employees on the message and image your company plans to convey, and to establish appropriate use guidelines for social media. Though it may seem intimidating to let employees sound off on a public platform, with the right policies and educational tools in place, the benefits could be enormous.

How does your company approach social media? Leave a comment below and start the discussion!

The Maine Bankers Association anticipates an attendance of more than 300 bankers, exhibitors, sponsors, and speakers. For more information on the Maine Bankers Association and the 2012 Bank Expo, please visit http://www.mainebankers.com/.

GraVoc Associates offers services in the fields of IT assurance, risk management, and audit for much of the company’s history. Our customers include banks and credit unions across New England, particularly in Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut.  GraVoc also provides services in the practices of media development, information systems, and information technology.  For more information about GraVoc’s suite of business consulting services, please visit http://www.gravoc.com.

Two additional events will take place on Friday, April 13. In the morning, GraVoc Associates will once again be attending Career Day at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School. Career Day is an annual event in which high school students are able to meet local business members and learn about a wide variety of professions. Students can ask questions about the necessary education and training for the vocations represented, and can learn about the typical work day and duties of the participating local businesses. Career Day is one of several programs run by the Peabody Education Foundation.

Following Career Day, GraVoc will mark Opening Day at Fenway Park by teaming up with the Jimmy Fund. For the second consecutive year, Gravoc is participating in Rally Against Cancer. So far, GraVoc’s Rally Team has raised nearly $400 for the cause. Anyone can join the Rally Team, so if you would like to make a donation to the Jimmy Fund, visit http://www.rallyagainstcancer.org/2012/gravoc.

• Inventory and property tracking
• Data management for owners and interments
• Customizable user-defined fields
• Custom sale, inventory, and accounting reports
• Integration with mapping module to locate property and manage lot availability

GraVoc’s consulting services include professional installation, in-house training, and secure data hosting and backup. GraVoc can also assist in record conversion and data transfer to ensure a reliable and comprehensive record database. To learn more about the GraVoc Cemetery Management System, or to request a project quote, please visit http://www.gravocsoftware.com/gcms.php.

“Customers that attended got to see new functionality and experience hands-on activities in the lab, which helped answer some of their questions,” noted Steve Rizzo, one of five GraVoc representatives to attend Convergence 2012. “Additionally, during the lunch and dinner breaks the GraVoc staff explained what they had learned in the sessions that they attended and how it applied to our customers’ business.  I think they felt reassured that were keeping their best interests in mind.”

In particular, GraVoc’s attendees learned more about the robust functionality of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and its potential for GraVoc customers in the near future. GraVoc CEO Dave Gravel attended a session on a customer care accelerator for Dynamics CRM that allows users to assemble data from multiple business applications into a single interface to create a comprehensive picture of customer interaction.

“CRM is a lot more than sales automation,” Gravel commented. “You can use it for business process management, session management, and computer telephony integration (CTI). Really great stuff, and it’s all built into one container!”

Likewise, Rizzo attended several CRM sessions and expressed an interest in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Mobile, the latest update to CRM.

“All of the customers that we have been working with to implement CRM are looking for this tool and stress its importance to their organization,” Rizzo explained. “It will be nice to be able to fill that need.”

Following the conference, Rizzo and associate Paul Lincoln were able to continue spending quality time with a GraVoc customer as they toured the Houston facilities of Fiberspar, a leading manufacturer of fiber-reinforced pipeline for the oil and gas industry. GraVoc has worked with Fiberspar for many years providing information systems solutions.

Ultimately, Convergence 2012 was less about the newest gadgets and opportunities to move CRM and ERP to the cloud, and more about experiencing the event alongside customers.

“We had many laughs together, and it is good to spend time outside of the work environment,” Gravel concluded. “Our business is all about relationships and this is how they are formed.”

As a Microsoft partner, GraVoc specializes in implementing and supporting Microsoft Dynamics software solutions, with a focus on Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics GP, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. These enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) software programs allow businesses to streamline processes and consolidate data to achieve higher levels of efficiency and insight. GraVoc is able to customize these solutions to meet the unique requirements of any company, and has also developed several custom-built utilities to augment the capabilities of the Microsoft products. To learn more about GraVoc’s services, please visit www.gravoc.com.