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👋 Farewell, Skype. Hello, Microsoft Teams.

🤔 What you need to know about the migration – and how to make it painless.

📉 Why Is Skype Going Away?

Microsoft is officially retiring Skype for Business and Skype (free version) to make way for Microsoft Teams, a more integrated, flexible communication platform.

Here’s why:

• Skype is outdated and lacks the collaboration tools modern teams need.

• Microsoft Teams combines chat, calling, file sharing, video conferencing, and app integration all in one.

• Support and updates for Skype are ending. Staying on it long-term could expose your business to security risks and compatibility issues.

If you’ve been seeing those “Migrate to Teams” popups, this is why!

⚠️ Before You Begin: Important Note About Teams Accounts

These instructions will help you move your existing Skype account into Microsoft Teams (Free). This can be useful if you want to preserve old conversations or maintain your Skype contacts.

However, if you already use Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, or OneDrive, then you likely already have a Microsoft 365 Teams account set up for your organization.

✅ In that case, we recommend using your existing Teams account instead of creating a new one. It will:

• Automatically connect you with coworkers in your company

• Unlock all Teams features (like shared calendars, file storage, and admin controls)

• Provide better integration across your Microsoft apps

You should only follow the steps below if you want to use your Skype account as a backup or are not part of a Microsoft 365 business subscription.

🛠️ How to Move from Skype to Teams – Step-by-Step

These instructions will allow you to keep your existing Skype account and move it into Teams. However, if you use Office/Word/Excel/Outlook, chances are you already have an existing Teams account. In which case, you should only follow these steps if you wish to keep a “backup” of your old conversations. You should use the Teams account that is already setup for you as it will “link” you to everyone else in your organization automatically and also provide you with the full features of Teams. The steps below only provides basic features.

Step 1: Watch for the Prompt in Skype
You’ll receive a notification in Skype that says it’s time to start using Microsoft Teams. Click Start using Teams to either launch the app (if installed) or begin downloading it.

Step 2: Install Microsoft Teams (If You Haven’t Already)

• Visit this page to download the Teams app for desktop or mobile.

• Or, you can use Teams on the web.

Step 3: Sign in With Your Skype Account
Use your current Skype email and password to sign in to Microsoft Teams. Your contacts and recent chat history will automatically carry over.

Step 4: Click “Get Started”
After logging in, click the Get Started button to begin setup.

⚠️ If you don’t see it, make sure you’re part of the Skype Insider and Teams Insider programs.

Step 5: Confirm Your Profile Details
You may be prompted to:

• Review your profile picture – click Continue to confirm.

• Verify your name – update or confirm your first and last name, then click Confirm.

Step 6: You’re All Set!
Your Teams Free account is now ready! You can:

• Chat with your old Skype contacts

• Make voice or video calls

• Explore added features like file sharing, meetings, and calendars

🔗 Need More In-Depth Help?

We’ve summarized the basics, but Microsoft has a complete transition guide:
👉 View the official Microsoft support page here

🤝 Need Help Migrating? We’ve Got You.

At Total PC, we help businesses transition smoothly to Microsoft Teams with:

• Chat history and file backup

• User setup and team structuring

• Training and remote support for your staff

📞 Schedule a Migration Consultation by contacting support – or just reach out your usual way and we’ll get you sorted.

Don’t wait until Skype stops working. Let’s get you up and running with Teams the right way.

NetworkingVoIP
☎️ Communication Unleashed: Why Now’s the Time to Switch to VoIP

🤑 And why Total PC clients are getting the best deal on it

If you’re still using traditional phone systems, you’re missing out—on savings, on features, and on flexibility. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) lets your business calls run through the internet instead of outdated phone lines. That means lower costs and smarter tools.

At Total PC, we’re offering exclusive discounts on VoIP service for our existing clients—just one more way we’re helping you stay connected and competitive.

🔍 What Is VoIP (and Why It’s Better)?

VoIP lets you make and receive calls using your internet connection. No clunky equipment or expensive telecom contracts. Just clear, reliable communication.

Here’s what VoIP can offer:

• 📞 Unlimited local & long-distance calling

• 💬 Voicemail-to-email (no more missed messages)

• 🧑‍💻 Video conferencing & call routing

• 📱 Mobile app support (take your business line anywhere)

• 🧩 Easy integration with CRMs and help desk tools

And with Total PC managing your system, there’s no tech headaches—just plug-and-play simplicity.

💰 Why Total PC’s VoIP Offer Is a No-Brainer

We’ve negotiated lower-than-retail pricing on VoIP systems—and we’re passing those savings directly to our clients. That means:

• No hidden fees

• Full support and installation included

• Same technology that big companies use—at a fraction of the cost

Most providers charge extra for many of these features. With us? It’s bundled in.

🧠 Already Have a Phone System?

No problem. We’ll help you:

• Compare your current setup with a Total PC VoIP upgrade

• Migrate numbers and call trees with zero downtime

• Train your team to use the new system efficiently

Whether you’re upgrading one line or your whole office, we make the switch simple.

🎯 Ready to Modernize Your Phones?

If you’re a Total PC customer, you’re already eligible for discounted VoIP services. Let’s talk about what setup fits your business—and how we can get you live, fast.

📞 Get My VoIP Quote Now
No pressure. Just answers.

AI
🤖 How Artificial Intelligence Can (Actually) Help Your Business

🧙‍♂️ And why it’s not just hype… but also not magic

Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just for Silicon Valley giants anymore. Today, small and medium-sized businesses are using A.I. to automate repetitive tasks, boost productivity, and even improve customer service.

But with great power comes… great data risks. 🕵️‍♂️

At Total PC, we’re seeing more of our clients explore A.I. tools and we’ve put together this guide to help you do it the smart way.

✅ What A.I. Can Do for Your Business Right Now

1. Save Time on Everyday Tasks
AI can automate everything from scheduling emails to generating reports or responding to routine customer questions. Tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot are becoming mainstream in office environments.

2. Enhance Customer Service
Smart chatbots or automated phone menus powered by AI can reduce wait times and improve your customers’ experience—even when your human staff is offline.

3. Smarter Document Management
AI-powered systems can search, sort, and classify documents much faster than a human, which can save hours every week for teams that handle a lot of files.

🚧 What You Need to Watch Out For

1. Data Privacy & Compliance Risks
Most AI tools rely on feeding in data, and that can mean customer info, passwords, or business IP. If you’re not careful, you could be sending sensitive info to third-party systems without realizing it.

2. Over-Automation
AI should assist your staff, not replace them entirely. Handing over too much to automation too fast can create problems that are hard to untangle—especially with customer interactions.

3. The Learning Curve
Every tool has a setup process and a learning phase. Don’t expect overnight results. Without proper training or integration support, AI can become shelfware (software no one actually uses).

4. Future-Proofing your Data
When you upload your data to an online platform, remember this: you may be giving up control of it forever.
Even if today’s A.I. tools promise security, that data is stored somewhere, and as technology evolves, so do the risks to that saved data. For example, quantum computing is already on the horizon. And while it may bring breakthroughs, it could also make today’s encryption obsolete overnight.
That means files you thought were secure in 2025… might be wide open in 2026.

🔐 The takeaway? Always assume that anything you share with third-party A.I. systems could one day be exposed. Plan accordingly—and keep sensitive info local when possible.

💡 Should You Use AI In Your Business?

Short answer: Yes—but with guardrails.

Before you adopt any A.I. platform, ask:

• What data will this tool access?

• Who will manage and monitor its usage?

• How does this align with our current security policies?

🛠️ How Total PC Can Help

We help our clients:

• Evaluate A.I. tools before adopting them

• Train staff on how to use them efficiently and securely

• Set up safe usage policies and permissions

• Ensure data privacy and compliance with industry standards

Whether you’re just testing the waters or ready to roll out AI company-wide, we’re here to make sure you do it safely—and get your money’s worth.

👉 Ready to explore how A.I. could benefit your business?
Let’s talk about what makes sense for your size, industry, and goals.

📅 Schedule a Free A.I. Consultation

New
Be Internet Awesome!

Google has launched a fun way for kids to understand how to be safe on the internet, but that doesn’t mean no grown ups allowed. There is a lot you can learn about internet safety with these games. If you’ve ever not understood how certain things work or you are always paranoid about your actions online then it’s worth a look.

 

Be Internet Smart

This section of the game teaches you what things are safe to share and with who. Things like sharing your location or certain pictures you would want to make sure only friends or family can see. Some people post information or status updates that are available to the public and people not on your friends list. It is also a good reminder to not share private information like your phone number or address with people you don’t know.

 

Be Internet Alert

Scammers are all over the internet and it can be hard sometimes to know if something is a scam. And even if you know that something is a scam, what steps are you supposed to take to stay safe? There are some things taught here that many adults may not know, so this section is definitely worth a look.

 

Be Internet Strong

Things like passwords, card information, or even sensitive photos need to be protected. This section helps you keep your private stuff private. Creating a strong password is extremely important!

 

Be Internet Kind

Children have difficulty with cyber-bullying. You may already know to be kind and cordial online, but it is helpful to remember to talk to people online as if you were face to face.

 

Be Internet Brave

It is important to know what you don’t know. If you don’t understand something it is better to ask someone who would know the answer, like your I.T. administrator! ☺

If you are interested in this game you can click the link below.

Software
What does it mean when Microsoft discontinues a product?

As an I.T. administrator any time a product is announced to be discontinued a slew of emails come in asking me “what do we do!?” It may seem like you’re being bullied into upgrading but that’s not at all the case. Any company has to cycle out old products to focus on new products. That’s all they’re doing. They support products as long as possible but there comes a time when they must refocus their efforts on bigger and better things. On the other hand when they start popping up notices every time you turn on your computer, that’s a bit more invasive.

It was sad to see the once great Windows XP operating system lose support back on April 8th, 2014, but even 3 years later I still see it frequently in use. Is that a concern? Well, yes and no. It really depends on how it’s used. I wouldn’t suggest using your Windows XP system to surf the web any longer. Fewer browsers are supporting updates, anti-virus solutions are slowly moving away from supporting XP and as a result it’s slowly becoming obsolete and more of a security risk in business environments. However, some smaller companies that depend on software that’s tried and true on their XP systems sometimes experience large costs associated with being forced to upgrade. With proper precautions these systems can still be safely utilized. For starters up to date anti-virus is a must. Content filtering is also a good idea just to prevent idle hands from visiting dangerous places on the internet. Whether it’s an operating system or software, just because it’s being discontinued doesn’t mean you have to upgrade immediately. They’re not going to automatically uninstall it from your system, they’re just not going to offer any further updates nor offer answers to any questions you may have about that particular software. Take the upcoming End of Life for Microsoft Office 2007 on October 10th, 2017 for example, the last major update was back on October 25th, 2011. Likely every possible question you could have about Office 2007 is already answered somewhere online. So, although Microsoft is saying they’re discontinuing the product in a few months, it has not needed much support for several years now.

Once discontinued a product will eventually become obsolete. That’s the point at which upgrading does make sense. As I said earlier, XP’s browser options are diminishing which makes surfing the internet difficult. Forget about Internet Explorer 8, you’d have to use FireFox to view most websites these days on a Windows XP system. But, eventually no browsers will offer a good web experience on XP, making upgrading to a newer OS a necessary decision. To sum it all up, don’t concern yourself too much about End of Life notices. Don’t brush them off completely, but you have plenty of time to figure out an upgrade plan.

Security
Secure Your Passwords

 
How important is it to have a strong password? Passwords keep your information, money, and identity safe. Here are some ways to keep yourself safe.

Complexity

The best way to keep yourself safe is to have a password that can’t be cracked easily. The password should have uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This prevents hackers from using dictionary attacks.

If your password is too simple (123456, password, etc.) it will be cracked in no time. To see how long it will take hackers to guess your password try this Password Cracking Estimator.

Multiple Passwords

Having just one or two passwords makes you vulnerable to getting all of the websites you use hacked as well. Once they correctly guess your password on let’s say eBay, they will try it on PayPal, Amazon, Walmart, or anywhere else you could have a sensitive information saved.

It is best to have at least four different passwords and to try and change them regularly.

Do Not Save Your Passwords

It is not smart to keep a list of your passwords anywhere. Even if you just write them down on a sticky note or in a notebook, someone could still get their hands on it. The best method is to just to keep them in your head but if you really need to write it down keep it somewhere safe and not just out in the open (On your monitor or under your keyboard).

 
Changing your passwords, having multiple passwords, and keeping them complex and secret is the best way to keep your information safe.

Uncategorized
Shared Short Codes Are Going Bye Bye!

What is a “Shared Short Code” you ask? If you have a cell phone, you have seen a Shared Short Code at some point. Look at the hundreds of text messages you’ve got, go ahead, I’ll wait… Somewhere in there (unless you delete all of your texts and keep it cleaner than 99% of people) you very likely have an automated text message from a phone number with only 5 or 6 digits, for example 95577 is our Shared Short Code, err was our Shared Short Code. Normal U.S. phone numbers are 11 digits, Country Code (1), Area Code (3), Prefix (3), and Line Number (4).

Parts of a Phone Number

Yet there are those 5 or 6 digit Short Codes that are usually from large companies sending you service or appointment reminders, or coupons for a burrito, etc.. Those Short Codes can be expensive, so many smaller companies would get together and share one Short Code.

A Shared Short Code allowed hundreds if not thousands of companies to use the same Short Code by texting a unique keyword, something like “PIZZA” to 97575, which would indicate what company you’re messaging. For example Users texting PIZZA would be placed into the pizzerias contacts/subscribers list, texting CAR would place them into the dealerships, texting HOUSE would place them into the realtors, you get the point. However, even though this method allowed many companies to have access to inexpensive texting programs by a single shared code, each company had to have their own separate opt in list of subscribers. So, that meant just because you texted PIZZA to 97575, that only allows that pizzeria to solicit to you, not the dealership and not that realtor. Well, thanks to some abusers doing massive illegal marketing campaigns, sending texts to people that never opted in, cell phone carriers have decided to put a stop to Shared Short Codes.

Trumpia, a major Short Code provider, recently stated in an email sent June 26th, 2019:
“Even before this announcement, shared short codes were at risk of a single user misusing them, leading to carriers shutting down the entire code. This would negatively impact hundreds of users because of the action of one.”

What’s does all of this mean?!?!?

Well, those huge conglomerates that could afford to have a dedicated Short Code won’t be affected at all, they can keep on using their fancy 5 digit texting number. But, for us guys that don’t want to dish out $1,000 a month for that fancy 5 digit number, we’ll be forced to use toll-free like numbers for these programs. Shared Short Codes will no longer be allowed by cell phone carriers, but they understand legitimate business depend on these programs, so they are issuing groups of 800 numbers to be distributed to each individual business. This will allow Texting providers the ability to lock down offenders without affecting everyone else.

Do you have a Shared Short Code and need assistance transitioning? Total PC has been programming custom texting applications, APIs, and more for over a decade. Shoot us a message and we’ll get to work.

Uncategorized
Apple and Infections

 
If you own a Mac security should still be a concern for you. The amount of infections for Apple products have increased recently and it is very easy to keep yourself safe.

Larger Target

There is a common misconception that Apple products can’t get infections. The reality is that the people who design viruses and malware design it for Windows because it is the most common operating system. They can spread their program to more people if they use the operating system most people are using.

But Apple users are at almost 100 million users and growing. The creators of these infections are now finding worth in designing programs for Apple systems.

Lack of Protection

What makes Apple users so appealing is that most people do not protect themselves. They are easier to infect nowadays than Windows. It is very simple to protect yourself with programs like AVG and Malwarebytes that offer Mac versions.

 
If you want more information on how to keep yourself safe read our post on How To Avoid Infections.

Uncategorized
Fun Apps For Productivity

 
We all want to get more done in the day. How can we do that and still have good time doing it? We’ve looked at some apps to help you be more productive.

SaveMyTime

What are you spending most of your time on? This app will change your lock screen to ask you what you’ve been doing since you locked your phone. You can set how often it shows up, but 15 minutes is the default. The lock screen will consist of a few tiles that you can customize to whatever you do most. It will ask “What have you been doing for ‘X’ minutes?” and all you do is select what you have been doing, like watching T.V., eating, sleeping, or working.

After awhile you can see what you have been spending most of your time on with percentages in a circle graph. You can also look at the total time you have spent on everything. Spent too much time relaxing? This can help you stay mindful of how you use your time.

Forest

If you feel that you get distracted by your phone when you’re trying to work, then this app is for you. You set how long you want to stay off your phone, plant a seed, and it will grow if you do not leave the app during this time. If you leave the app before time is up the plant dies.

If you complete a plant it gets added to your forest. The goal is to stay focused so that your forest can be as big as possible.

LifeRPG

This app makes your life a video game. You set missions for yourself, like make the bed, and you set the difficulty and match it to a skill. If you complete the mission you get experience points towards your level and skills.

If maybe you want to write a novel you can set a mission to write a chapter everyday and link that mission to your writing skill. Every time you complete that mission you get you see yourself improve with stats similar to video games.

 
Working and improving yourself doesn’t have to be boring. Try these apps out and let us know what you think.

Uncategorized
Lies You Tell Your Technician

 
I.T. technicians have heard every excuse in the book. Most people don’t want to get lectured about why their computer isn’t working. The technicians just want to get the problem resolved and these small lies just prolong your system getting fixed. Here are some lies you should avoid:
 

“I already restarted it!”

Software gets little hiccups from time to time and restarting will load everything the way it is meant to, and 9 times out of 10 restarting will fix your issue. If you would rather not speak to the technician and just get the issue resolved, restarting is the way to go. If you don’t restart then tell the tech you have, they can see that you haven’t and the trust is gone between you and your technician. Your time and their time has been wasted for them to just restart your computer. If the issue still remains then it is worth reaching out to your technician.

“I don’t know how that virus got there!”

Viruses and malware are easy to get. You may click on the wrong button, go to a misspelled URL, or download a fishy attachment from an email. It happens to the best of us, including technicians. If you tell your tech that you don’t know how it happened, you are leaving out valuable information that could get the issue resolved much faster.

“I didn’t change anything!”

You wanted your computer faster or thought you could fix an issue yourself. You delete some files, edit some settings, disable some services. Now your computer is not working at all. Your technician sees that things are changed and asks what happened. You play dumb and now the technician has to take hours to hunt down everything you did. If you are honest with what you did, the tech can quickly resolve the changes and will be grateful that their time does not get wasted.
 
 
 
Don’t worry about being scolded or lectured. We may explain what you did wrong to help prevent it from happening again, but we are never upset about a problem if we can fix it quick and easy.
 

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