Happy Thanksgiving, SonicWall News, Trivia Challenge, Articles, News, and more!
 
 
November 2020 -  Newsletter
 

Hello {"ANONYMIZED":"2023-04-26"},


Be sure to check your inbox for our upcoming webinar event with Lenovo where we will review some great new options for collaboration in the new work from anywhere environment we are now living in. Attendees will have a chance to win some great prizes in addition to learning more about how Lenovo is supporting the new hybrid work model. 


Congratulations to VNET Newsletter subscriber Amy C. who was selected at random after responding correctly to our trivia question from October's newsletter. She will receive a $25.00 gift card from Calamari's. Thanks to everyone who emailed an answer, and be sure to read through this month's newsletter for our latest contest! (The correct answer was 225 East 6th Street.)


2020 has been a challenging time for all of us and we want to take this time to thank you for looking to us for your businesses IT, voice, and internet services. By working together, and supporting those in need, we will emerge from this challenge as a stronger and more vibrant community. 


May you and your entire family have a safe, healthy, and Happy Thanksgiving.


–The VNET Team

 
 
 
SonicWall TZ270/370/470: Accelerating Digital Transformation for SMBs & Secure SD-Branches
 

Small businesses and distributed branch offices want to embrace the latest technological developments as much as larger businesses do. But while organizations are working hard to adopt and take advantage of digital transformation, there are several challenges specific to SMBs and branches.


Contact the VNET team to learn about the newest SonicWall firewalls and security services.

 
 
 
Xbox Series X|S & Playstation 5


Console Decision 2020

 

 

Decision 2020 is upon us. Two storied candidates with contrasting strategies that are as different as night and day. Still, both share the same goal of captivating people’s imaginations and connecting Americans in living rooms across the country. No, I’m not talking about the 2020 presidential election; I’m talking about the next-generation game console war that is just kicking off.

Let’s start by taking a look at the candidate from Redmond Washington, the Xbox Series X and the digital only version, the Xbox Series S. These new models represent the fourth console release since Microsoft threw its hat into the gaming arena back in 2001.


 


VNET Radio Podcast - Remote Working

 

 

Each month, VNET tackles a new technology topic for our monthly podcast, VNET Radio.


This month Matt Wiertel and Allan Carpenter discuss some issues with social media and strategies for taking a social media detox. 


Not into podcasts? You can also listen to us LIVE on iHeart Radio AM1400, or listen via the iHeart Radio App. Click below for the Live Broadcast schedule, embedded podcast, blog, and instructions on how to subscribe via your favorite podcast platform.

Available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

 
 
Take a Holiday from Social Media
 
You might have heard that we may be entering a very dark winter. Yikes, Batman! That’s grim. It’s not all bad news. There are some things you have control over that make this season less foreboding. So let’s cut to the nitty-gritty and talk about breaking our social media addiction.
 
 
 
Playlist of the Month
 

Kareem's Mix

Kareem describes his own mix as "A little bit of everything, Bhangra, Metal, Emo, Rock, and Pop." That's so "Kareem."


As a vital member of our Project team, Kareem brings a whole host of abilities and techinical versatility to the VNET family. It's no wonder his musical tastes run the gamut of rock and pop. He's tenacious about solving problems, so it makes sense that his playlist is hours long, the perfect length for extended battles in IT.


Do you have a Spotify playlist you'd like to share? Email us and we'll share it in one of our future newsletters!


 
 
 
Game of the Month
 

Tetris Effect: Connected (2020)

The original Tetris Effect (2018) blended psychedelic visuals and pulse pounding rhythms into a tried and true classic game that was both challenging and hypnotic. Tetris Effect was deemed by many critics as the pinnacle of the Tetris experience. Now with Tetris Effect: Connected, the bar has been raised with online multiplayer for both competitive and cooperative Tetris fun. If you've got a nice big screen TV and a booming sound system, this is the perfect time give Tetris a shot, and if you're old school like me, it's a wonderful reunion with an old friend.


Available on: Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, & PC. Included with Xbox Game Pass.

 
 
Movie of the Month
 
Emma. (2020)
It's inconceivable that we can have a new film interpretation of the Jane Austen classic Emma that is this fun and delightful to watch, but it's 2020, what is surprising? Staring the doe-eyed Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queens Gambit) as the title character, she is mesmerizing in her performance as Emma Woodhouse, a wealthy, arrogant, and yet very relatable young person who somehow works her way into your heart as she struggles to control love and relationships. This match-making tale is familiar, but there are surprises to be had here in director Autumn de Wilde's interpretation. 

The movie is rated PG.
Available on: HBO Max, VoD, & physical media.
 
 
 



Q. What is Audio Conferencing in Microsoft 365?


A. Audio Conferencing in Microsoft 365 enables users to call in to meetings from their phones. Add a phone number to your Teams meetings with a simple click in Outlook and your attendees can join Microsoft Teams meetings on the go, without an internet connection.


Offer: If you're a small or medium-sized business with up to 300 users and you currently don’t have Microsoft 365 Audio Conferencing licenses, you can get Audio Conferencing free for one year! Microsoft Audio Conferencing is only available to existing Microsoft 365 users.


Contact the VNET team to get started!

 
Keeping Up with Microsoft Teams
 

Teams usage surpasses 115 Million Daily Active Users
Many organizations quickly adopted Microsoft Teams to enable their remote work strategy at the start of the pandemic. With Teams usage up 50% since earlier this year, Microsoft continues to add new features to the platform to improve usability and compete with its rivals Zoom and Google. 

 

We have highlighted a few of the new features below and have provided a link to a more in depth roadmap that showcases the advances coming soon to the Teams Meeting, Meeting Rooms, and Calling experiences. 

 

Are you currently using Microsoft 365 but not leveraging Microsoft Teams for chat or video collaboration? Do you plan to use more video focused solutions to engage your employees or clients?

 

Contact the VNET team today for a demonstration of Microsoft Teams to maximize your existing Microsoft 365 investment and reimagine your meeting room spaces.

 


Microsoft Teams - New Features in the Last Month

 

Teams for your personal life, now on desktop
Connect with family and friends on the new desktop app for Teams for your personal life. Now you can organize plans as a group, store personal information, and share memories whether on the go or from your computer.

Do more in meetings with apps
Enhance your online meeting experience with apps. Just like adding a tab to a chat or channel, after you've sent an invite, open up the meeting details and select Plus sign icon at the top and choose an app, then select Add. Get the full details at Use apps in meetings.

Multilingual communication just got better
In the Windows desktop app, Teams spellchecker will now detect when you switch languages and adjust accordingly. Spellcheck also now defaults to your operating system's keyboard language and will adjust whenever you switch between keyboard languages.

Top message results
In the continued effort to bring you more relevant results, you'll now see the three most relevant messages at the top of the Messages tab when you search. Type a word or phrase in the command box at the top of Teams and press Enter. Select the Messages tab and you'll get three Top results followed by All results.

Keep it secret, keep it safe
To provide you with even more privacy, Teams now lets you turn off message previews in your desktop notifications. Message previews are on by default. To turn them off, go to your profile picture, select Settings > Notifications > Show message preview. From here, switch the toggle to off.

Appear offline in Teams
You can now set your status in Teams to Appear offline, You'll still receive notifications if anyone messages you, but you'll be able to work in Teams while appearing invisible to others. Like magic!

Notification settings got a makeover
Check out the new, simplified organization of your notification settings. To access, go to your profile picture, select Settings > Notifications and you're there.

New industry-based team templates
Use team templates created specifically for your industry to help you create teams optimized for the way you work. There are also some new templates for project management, employee in-boarding, and more.

Transfer meetings between devices
Seamlessly switch between devices when in a Teams meeting. So if you join a meeting from your phone while making your morning cup of caffeine, you can transfer to your computer when you get to your desk and no one will be the wiser.

 
VNET 30 Years Trivia Question of the Month
 
On January 14th, 2020 Microsoft discontinued Windows 7 support so it could focus on newer technologies such as Windows 10 and Microsoft 365: When specifically did Microsoft release Windows 7?
 
Submit your answer to marketing@velocitynetwork.net for a chance to win a $25.00 gift card to Ember + Forge!
 

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